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My favorite oven baked chicken breasts recipe! It never fails me, thanks to this simple 5-step method that is easy to make and customize with your favorite seasonings.
A few weeks ago on Insta, I asked if you all might be interested in a back-to-basics series about the best ways to bake proteins (i.e. chicken, pork, steak, seafood, tofu, etc.) in the oven. Your answer? A resounding yes, please. Many of you had requests and questions about methods for cooking various proteins, plus more than a few tales to tell about proteins gone not-so-right over the years. And oh boy, I hear ya. My little kitchen has seen more than its share of overcooked steaks, completely dried out pork chops, salmon skin glued to pans, and not-so-crispy tofu over the years too. Which are never fun, especially since proteins can be pricey and intended for special occasions. But hey, it’s all part of the adventure of learning how to cook. And eventually, I’ve trial-and-errored my way to some basic methods for baking proteins that have become super-reliable, super-delicious staples in my kitchen.
So over the next two weeks, I thought we could work our way through each of them, beginning today with the #1 most requested protein here on Gimme Some Oven…
…chicken.
Specifically, boneless skinless chicken breasts.
Over the years, I’ve received countless requests for new chicken breast recipes, and many more for tips on how to bake chicken breasts in the oven. Because anyone who worked with chicken breasts before know that they can be incredibly versatile, yet also incredibly finicky to work with, especially when baked in the oven. Cook them the wrong way and you’ll end up with a dry, rubbery, tough, and flavorless disaster. But cooked the right way?! We’re talkin’ juicy, tender, flavorful, perfectly baked chicken breasts that you will love.
The good news is that they’re also totally easy to customize with your favorite seasonings or sauces. And also, incredibly easy to make with my 5-step baked chicken breasts method. Thousands of our readers have tried it over the years and reported back that this method was a game-changer with cooking chicken. So if you have yet to give it a try, let’s bake some chicken together!
Baked Chicken Breasts Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Baked Chicken Breast Ingredients:
To make this baked chicken breasts recipe, you will need:
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: You can either purchase fresh chicken breasts (my preference) or frozen chicken breasts (which you will need to completely thaw before using). Some chicken also comes pre-brined nowadays, in which case you can skip step one below.
Butter or olive oil: Your pick! I like the extra flavor that butter adds, but olive oil will also work well.
Kosher Salt: An essential ingredient in our brine, and we will also use salt to season the chicken before baking.
Seasonings: I included an all-purpose blend of smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and black pepper in the recipe below, which is super-simple and goes with just about anything. But feel free to sub in any dry seasoning blend that you prefer.
Also, if you bake chicken (or any other kind of baked proteins) regularly in the oven, I strongly having a cooking thermometer on hand too. It is the most foolproof way to ensure that your chicken is not over- or under-cooked, and works like a charm. I recommend either this:
Instant-read cooking thermometer(pictured below): which I have owned and used for years when cooking chicken, which retails for about $9.99 on Amazon.
Dual-probe wireless meat thermometer: which I also own and love because it can be used inside of a hot oven (especially helpful for baking steak, salmon and pork), which retails for about $24.99 on Amazon.
How To Bake Chicken Breasts:
Alright, so here’s the secret! To make perfectly baked chicken bbrrreasts, you simply need to follow this 5-step acronym: B.B.R.R.R.
Brine
Brush
Rub
Roast
Rest
Brine (Step 1): I’m telling you — this step is an absolute must for anytime you want to bake chicken breasts in the oven. Brining chicken is super-easy, it makes your chicken extra juicy, and best of all, it can be effectively done in just 15 minutes. Plus, if you brine chicken in lukewarm water, it also helps bring the chicken to room temperature, which makes for more even cooking. Win-win!
To brine chicken, simply fill a big bowl with lukewarm (not hot) water. Stir in a handful of salt until it mostly dissolves. Then add your chicken breasts and let them sit in the saltwater to brine for at least 15 minutes. If you are doing this in advance, you can cover and refrigerate the bowl of chicken and saltwater for up to 6 hours. But you don’t want to let the chicken brine for much longer than that.
When you’re ready to go, remove the chicken from the brine. Give it a good rinse it with cold water to wash off the salt, and then pat it dry with some paper towels. And voila — your chicken is officially brined.
Really, don’t skip over this step! It makes a world of difference.
Note: That said, some store-bought chicken breasts are now sold pre-brined. So double-check your packaging beforehand. And if your chicken has already been pre-brined in a sodium solution, just move onto step two. :)
Brush (Step 2): Brush your chicken breasts with melted butter. Or at least, I highly recommend using butter. It adds great flavor and helps give a nice golden crust on the outside. But if you’d rather use olive oil (or another favorite cooking oil), feel free.
Brush the breasts liberally on both sides to prevent the chicken from sticking to the pan, and also to help the seasonings stick. Then place the chicken breasts in a large baking dish or roasting pan.
Rub (Step 3): If you’re really wanting to keep things simple, you can simply sprinkle some salt and pepper onto the chicken breasts. But again, chicken will pick up the flavor of whatever seasonings you add. So even if you’re making a simple dish that calls for “plain” chicken breasts, I highly recommend the simple chicken seasoning recipe I have included below that includes salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika.
Roast (Step 4): So this is the step that causes some squabbles amongst chicken lovers — how long to bake chicken breasts? And what is the correct temperature to bake chicken? Do you bake it low and slow (as in, 30 minutes at 350°F)? Or do you roast chicken high and quick (as in, 15 minutes at 450)? I have tested out both — and just about every interval in between — dozens upon dozens upon dozens of times. And in the end, I fall firmly in the latter camp when it comes to baked chicken.
I like to roast my chicken breasts on high heat.
Depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts, roasting chicken at 450°F should require a cooking time of about 15-18 minutes (depending on the thickness/size of your chicken breasts). It’s speedy and it’s easy. But mostly I love it because cooking at high heat quickly develops a nice crispier “crust” on the outside of the breasts, which also helps to lock in those juices and keep the oven roasted chicken perfectly tender on the inside. It’s the best of both worlds.
I highly recommend investing in a small cooking thermometer to measure the cooked chicken temp in order to tell if it is ready to go (the FDA says that the safe cooked chicken temp is 165°F), versus cutting into it with a fork, which lets those good juices seep out. I use this instant-read thermometerthat I bought on Amazon for $10, and it will accurately measure your internal chicken temperature in seconds.
Rest (Step 5): This one is a non-negotiable. You must, must let your beautifully baked chicken breasts rest before cutting into them — a tip which applies to cooking any meat, really. If you cut in right away, you will lose all of the amazing juices and some of the tenderness that we’re going for. But if you give your freshly baked chicken breasts a brief rest, it will finish cooking and lock in all of those delicious juices, resulting in the most tender and juicy and delicious baked chicken.
I recommend loosely tenting a sheet of aluminum foil over the pan to keep the heat in while the chicken rests. And thenafter 5-10 minutes, you can finally serve and enjoy your perfectly-cooked chicken breasts.
And enjoy every last bite. ♡
How To Season Baked Chicken Breasts:
Again, I’m a big fan of the classic paprika-garlic-pepper mix in the recipe below. But if you’d like to mix things up, feel free to sub in any of your favorite dry seasoning mixes, such as:
The easiest way, of course, is just to serve these roasted chicken breasts fresh outta the oven. But feel free to also slice, shred, or dice these oven baked chicken breasts for use in another recipe, such as these faves:
Once the chicken has been baked, it can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Or you can freeze it for up to 3 months. (<– I recommend shredding, dicing or slicing the chicken before freezing for easier use.)
Side Dish Recipe Ideas:
Looking for some side dishes to serve with this baked chicken recipe? Here are a few of my faves:
Brine the chicken. (Check the label of your chicken breasts. If they have already been pre-brined in a sodium solution, please skip this step.) Fill a large bowl with 1 quart of warm water and 1/4 cup kosher salt. Stir to combine until most of the salt is absorbed. Add the chicken breasts and let them sit in the mixture to brine for 15 minutes, or you can also also cover the bowl and refrigerate for up to 6 hours. Remove the chicken breasts from the brine, rinse them with cold water, then pat them dry with paper towels.
Heat the oven. Preheat oven to 450°F.
Season the chicken. Place the chicken breasts in a single layer in a large baking dish*. Brush on both sides (turning once) evenly with the melted butter or olive oil. In a separate small bowl, whisk the salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika until combined. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture evenly over the chicken on both sides.
Bake. Bake for 15-18* minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the chicken breasts, so I recommend using a cooking thermometer to know exactly when the chicken is fully cooked. The thickest part of the breast should measure 165°F. (If you want the chicken to be a little bit browned and crispier on top, you can turn the broiler on high for the final 3-5 minutes of the cooking time and broil the chicken until it is cooked through and golden on top. Keep a close eye on the chicken, however, so that it does not overcook and/or burn.)
Rest the chicken. Once the chicken is cooked, remove the pan from the oven, transfer the chicken to a clean plate, and loosely tent the plate with aluminum foil. Let the chicken rest for at least 5-10 minutes.
Baking Dish: Please double-check the maximum temperature of your baking dish for this recipe. Glass dishes (such as Pyrex) usually have a maximum recommended temperature of 425°F, so we do not recommend using a glass dish for this recipe. You can also cook this recipe on a thick metal baking sheet.
Storage instructions: Cooked chicken can be stored in a sealed container and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
This is some tasty chicken. I wanted to make some chicken for lunch salads so I cut some thick chicken breast in half, and even pounded them a bit more. I was a little skeptical of this recipe because the ingredient list looked so sparse. This is a magical mix and it works. Good stuff.
There’s a reason this recipe has such good reviews! It’s so easy and they were far and away the best baked chicken I’ve ever made. Delicious and perfect! My husband said they seemed “professional!” To me it was like the chicken you would get at a super fancy wedding! Ha! Wonderful! I did mashed potatoes as a side and it was enjoyable!!
You can brush off the chicken when brined and even wipe with a wet cloth. Just don’t rinse it. If you do the oil will be washed away and the skin won’t be crispy.
It was amazing! I’ve been trying different ways to do chicken in the oven since I live in a snowy state and grilling isn’t easy in the winter! This is the best baked chicken because it gets crisp on top… almost like a pan seared texture without the pain and mess of splattering butter On the stovetop. I used a meat thermometer and set my temp to 165… when the thermometer beaped i took the chicken out to rest and finished up my risotto… best chicken I’ve served in a long time! I googled oven baked chicken breasts and this was the first link that popped up, I’m so glad it did, I’ve already shared the link with several of my baked chicken loving family!
Great recipe! So easy. I made it tonight and it was the first time in my life my baked chicken has come out juicy and yum. Definitely making chicken this way from now on. Thank you so much for sharing this.
I’ve baked chicken breasts for years but was looking for something different. I followed each step and OMG! The best baked chicken ever! So moist and tender. I will always do these five steps in the future when baking chicken. Thanks so much!
Just made this and I have to say, it turned out just beautifully. It. Is. FANTASTIC!! I only made a couple of changes with seasonings but other than that, pretty much followed this to the letter. So moist, well seasoned and browned on the outside. I am very impressed with this recipe, thank you for sharing!
Made this and brined for about 3 hours, it was soooo salty!, by the time you brine it , than add the other salty seasoning it was almost inedible. I had to rinse it all off
Oh no, I’m sorry to hear that. Was your chicken by chance pre-brined? That has happened with a few of our readers, as many stores are now selling pre-brined chicken breasts.
I cook my chicken breasts on 400… Olive oil and seasoning on both sides… No need to flip it took me about two times to realize that 29 minutes is the perfect Time in my oven. Even if one is a little thicker, I still cut into it to see if it’s pink and I throw it in for another five they come out juicy and perfect and the more extra virgin olive oil the better. I don’t know if I’m drowning in it! But they come out nice and moist and perfect for a chicken salad, chicken on a salad, chicken and rice, chicken sandwich you name it.
Hi Ali,
I found your recipe thru an internet search and I followed your directions to a T, and this was by far the best chicken I have ever had. Whenever I have cooked boneless skinless breasts in the past they always ended up dry. I just happened to have smoked paprika in my spice cupboard so I have everything I needed. Am now signed up as a subscriber and look forward trying some of your recipes!
Thanks
Lynn in WI
Outstanding. I have used the recipe 3 times in 2 weeks and I’m alway skeptical about the high heat but hasn’t let me down yet. Juicy tender meat. I cook 3 large breast cut into 6 pieces for the week’s lunches. So very easy and so darn good. Thank you for this recipe. It’s Lunch changing.
This recipe is good except for all the salt. If I make it again I will cut out the salt completely, and it will still taste good. The chicken was tasty and nice and tender.
I just made this and it turned out perfect!! I will never cook chicken another way. Turned out so juicy and perfectly cooked. I cooked the chicken for 20 mins on the middle rack and used seasoning salt, garlic powder, Cajun, thyme, and fine herbs to season. It wasn’t crispy on this outside, which is what I prefer. Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe!
The flavor was amazing (I seasoned with garlic powder, smoked paprika, and some Penzey’s Bavarian seasoning), but they didn’t brown at all. That was disappointing. My family gobbled them up nonetheless!
Literally just finished chewing the last bite of this chicken and OH MY GOODNESS it’s the most delicious chicken I have EVER MADE! My boyfriend was hesitant to say how good it was (for fear of saying every other chicken I have cooked was junk…which it was!) but this really was so so delicious. Juicy, tender, yummy! Thank you!
I just made this recipe and it is out of this world.
Brining makes the breast so moist and tender; cooking at 450° is the way to go (I need a better thermometer). I cooked for 15 minutes then finished with 3 minutes of broiling.
Easy peasy. Family and company will love it.
10/10 recommend!!!!! Very juicy and full of flavor. I did add a bit of brown sugar and barbecue sauce on top just to ad a tad bit more flavor! I loved it and it was the best chicken I’ve had
Brined for 20 minutes – used Italian seasoning to go with rest of meal- so looking forward to this meal BUT was so salty I could have gagged. Big disappointment – best thing about the meal was the broccoli and the wine.
I followed the recipe to a T only I used a sweet mesquite seasoning blend. So good. The moistest chicken breast I’ve ever had and made, which says alot. A definite keeper! Kudos!!
Just curious…if frozen, what would be the best method for thawing and reheating?
Cortney Arrant —
I always run cold (not warm) water on my frozen chicken to thaw. A bit of a wasteful way to do it, but the moving water gently but surprising quickly thaws the chicken. Then just start from the brining part of the recipe.
Found out by accident that high heat is best! I followed a grilled chicken recipe once where grill was preheated to 450. Added the chicken walked away and someone yelled “your chicken is on fire!” It was and I shut off the grill and left the chicken in there waiting for it to cool down. What do you know. about 15 minutes later, Voila! Best.Chicken.Ever.
First let me say, I “Never” cooked chicken breasts. The result was always dry and stringy. I usually bake chicken thighs, and while they always come out juicy, they tend to have a stronger taste that can affect the final product (i.e. chicken salad). In any event, yesterday my boyfriend insisted that I bake chicken breasts for dinner. I found your recipe and, initially, I didn’t have high hopes. Just let me say, I’ve never been more happy to be more wrong about something! My boyfriend AND my parents (who avoid white meat in general) were floored by how juicy and delicious this turned out. Your recipe will definitely be a weekly staple in my house.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!
I should add that for season ing I use hickory smoked salt, pepper, and Slap Yo Mama seasoning. Mmmmmm!
Love love this chicken recipe! What an easy way to do multiple chicken breast for your week of meals on keto! Thank you!
Turned out great. My husband was impressed I normally always over cook chicken but not this time!
This is some tasty chicken. I wanted to make some chicken for lunch salads so I cut some thick chicken breast in half, and even pounded them a bit more. I was a little skeptical of this recipe because the ingredient list looked so sparse. This is a magical mix and it works. Good stuff.
There’s a reason this recipe has such good reviews! It’s so easy and they were far and away the best baked chicken I’ve ever made. Delicious and perfect! My husband said they seemed “professional!” To me it was like the chicken you would get at a super fancy wedding! Ha! Wonderful! I did mashed potatoes as a side and it was enjoyable!!
I have seriously made this recipe twice in the last 3 days! My family LOVES it and I am SO happy I found it!
You can brush off the chicken when brined and even wipe with a wet cloth. Just don’t rinse it. If you do the oil will be washed away and the skin won’t be crispy.
Instructions are not accurate, I followed to the T, and it’s still pink after 25 minutes.
All chicken breasts are different sizes, you need to adjust timing on larger ones!
It was amazing! I’ve been trying different ways to do chicken in the oven since I live in a snowy state and grilling isn’t easy in the winter! This is the best baked chicken because it gets crisp on top… almost like a pan seared texture without the pain and mess of splattering butter On the stovetop. I used a meat thermometer and set my temp to 165… when the thermometer beaped i took the chicken out to rest and finished up my risotto… best chicken I’ve served in a long time! I googled oven baked chicken breasts and this was the first link that popped up, I’m so glad it did, I’ve already shared the link with several of my baked chicken loving family!
Finally, some chicken that isn’t too dry! Thank you!
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! Tonight it was the main dish, and it was a total winner. It’s a keeper!
Great recipe! So easy. I made it tonight and it was the first time in my life my baked chicken has come out juicy and yum. Definitely making chicken this way from now on. Thank you so much for sharing this.
I’ve baked chicken breasts for years but was looking for something different. I followed each step and OMG! The best baked chicken ever! So moist and tender. I will always do these five steps in the future when baking chicken. Thanks so much!
Have you tried recipe in a convection oven?
Just made this and I have to say, it turned out just beautifully. It. Is. FANTASTIC!! I only made a couple of changes with seasonings but other than that, pretty much followed this to the letter. So moist, well seasoned and browned on the outside. I am very impressed with this recipe, thank you for sharing!
I just baked the chicken breast following the recipe step by step. The chicken is juicy and tasty.
Made this and brined for about 3 hours, it was soooo salty!, by the time you brine it , than add the other salty seasoning it was almost inedible. I had to rinse it all off
Really disappointed..
Oh no, I’m sorry to hear that. Was your chicken by chance pre-brined? That has happened with a few of our readers, as many stores are now selling pre-brined chicken breasts.
No mention of covering with foil while baking. Just confirming- toast uncovered?
I meant *roast uncovered?
Correct — uncovered! :)
Just loved the chicken breasts with Italian seasoning!!! Marked in my bucket list of favourite dishes – -)
My fiance LOVES our chicken this way! He requests it at least once a week. Simple and quick. I pair it with salads, rice, pasta, whatever…
I’ve used this recipe countless times – it’s so great! Thanks!
Fantastic! Perfectly cooked; still moist! Mine didn’t brown but that’s what I wanted. Used plenty of melted butter and a few spices.
What is a perfect side with this chicken?
I cook my chicken breasts on 400… Olive oil and seasoning on both sides… No need to flip it took me about two times to realize that 29 minutes is the perfect Time in my oven. Even if one is a little thicker, I still cut into it to see if it’s pink and I throw it in for another five they come out juicy and perfect and the more extra virgin olive oil the better. I don’t know if I’m drowning in it! But they come out nice and moist and perfect for a chicken salad, chicken on a salad, chicken and rice, chicken sandwich you name it.
I’m going to try this recipe, one question would you pound the breasts before baking to even out the thickness?
The best chicken breast I’ve ever made . This will be my go to chicken recipe
Hi Ali,
I found your recipe thru an internet search and I followed your directions to a T, and this was by far the best chicken I have ever had. Whenever I have cooked boneless skinless breasts in the past they always ended up dry. I just happened to have smoked paprika in my spice cupboard so I have everything I needed. Am now signed up as a subscriber and look forward trying some of your recipes!
Thanks
Lynn in WI
Outstanding. I have used the recipe 3 times in 2 weeks and I’m alway skeptical about the high heat but hasn’t let me down yet. Juicy tender meat. I cook 3 large breast cut into 6 pieces for the week’s lunches. So very easy and so darn good. Thank you for this recipe. It’s Lunch changing.
Cooked moist and tender. The brine is the secret. Excellent recipe. Thank you!
This recipe is good except for all the salt. If I make it again I will cut out the salt completely, and it will still taste good. The chicken was tasty and nice and tender.
Made this last night , followed every step , the Wife loved it .
Pure PERFECTION. Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing.
I made this recipe last night and it came out amazing! I added bread crumbs to it tho??
I can’t believe how good the chicken. It was such an easy recipe too.
I just made this and it turned out perfect!! I will never cook chicken another way. Turned out so juicy and perfectly cooked. I cooked the chicken for 20 mins on the middle rack and used seasoning salt, garlic powder, Cajun, thyme, and fine herbs to season. It wasn’t crispy on this outside, which is what I prefer. Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe!
The flavor was amazing (I seasoned with garlic powder, smoked paprika, and some Penzey’s Bavarian seasoning), but they didn’t brown at all. That was disappointing. My family gobbled them up nonetheless!
Literally just finished chewing the last bite of this chicken and OH MY GOODNESS it’s the most delicious chicken I have EVER MADE! My boyfriend was hesitant to say how good it was (for fear of saying every other chicken I have cooked was junk…which it was!) but this really was so so delicious. Juicy, tender, yummy! Thank you!
I just made this recipe and it is out of this world.
Brining makes the breast so moist and tender; cooking at 450° is the way to go (I need a better thermometer). I cooked for 15 minutes then finished with 3 minutes of broiling.
Easy peasy. Family and company will love it.
10/10 recommend!!!!! Very juicy and full of flavor. I did add a bit of brown sugar and barbecue sauce on top just to ad a tad bit more flavor! I loved it and it was the best chicken I’ve had
Brined for 20 minutes – used Italian seasoning to go with rest of meal- so looking forward to this meal BUT was so salty I could have gagged. Big disappointment – best thing about the meal was the broccoli and the wine.
Excellent method. Thank you.
Hoped it would be better the second day – it’s not!
Wow, I never wanted to cook chicken breast because it never turned out good …. until now, thanks!
I’m always scared to bake chicken breast because I’m worried about drying it out, but this was so easy and the results were perfect!
This turned out great! I especially like the variation where you turn up the broiler at the end – taste stuff!
I followed the recipe to a T only I used a sweet mesquite seasoning blend. So good. The moistest chicken breast I’ve ever had and made, which says alot. A definite keeper! Kudos!!
Cooking with wine is good too.
And yeah, I would never leave this in the brine more than 1/2 hour if cubing then chicken.
Just curious…if frozen, what would be the best method for thawing and reheating?
I always run cold (not warm) water on my frozen chicken to thaw. A bit of a wasteful way to do it, but the moving water gently but surprising quickly thaws the chicken. Then just start from the brining part of the recipe.
Found out by accident that high heat is best! I followed a grilled chicken recipe once where grill was preheated to 450. Added the chicken walked away and someone yelled “your chicken is on fire!” It was and I shut off the grill and left the chicken in there waiting for it to cool down. What do you know. about 15 minutes later, Voila! Best.Chicken.Ever.
First let me say, I “Never” cooked chicken breasts. The result was always dry and stringy. I usually bake chicken thighs, and while they always come out juicy, they tend to have a stronger taste that can affect the final product (i.e. chicken salad). In any event, yesterday my boyfriend insisted that I bake chicken breasts for dinner. I found your recipe and, initially, I didn’t have high hopes. Just let me say, I’ve never been more happy to be more wrong about something! My boyfriend AND my parents (who avoid white meat in general) were floored by how juicy and delicious this turned out. Your recipe will definitely be a weekly staple in my house.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!
Just curious if I can use skinless/boneless chicken thighs because that’s what I have in the fridge currently :)