Gimme Some Oven

Baked Chicken Breasts

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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.

Perfect Oven Baked Chicken Breast

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 Brine Chicken to make Baked Chicken Breasts

Baked Chicken Seasoning Recipe

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.

  1. Brine
  2. Brush
  3. Rub
  4. Roast
  5. 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 thermometer that 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 then after 5-10 minutes, you can finally serve and enjoy your perfectly-cooked chicken breasts.

And enjoy every last bite. 

Oven Baked Chicken Breast Recipe

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:

How To Make Baked Chicken Breasts Recipe

How To Use/Serve Baked Chicken Breasts:

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:

How To Store Baked Chicken Breasts:

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.)

Perfectly Juicy Oven Baked Chicken Breast Recipe

Side Dish Recipe Ideas:

Looking for some side dishes to serve with this baked chicken recipe? Here are a few of my faves:

Baked Chicken Breast with Roasted Asparagus

More Baked Protein Tutorials:

Be sure to check out our tutorials for how to bake other meats, seafood and tofu too!

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Baked Chicken Breast Recipe

Baked Chicken Breasts

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 1304 reviews
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x

Description

Learn how to make juicy, tender, delicious baked chicken breasts with this simple 5-step method.


Ingredients

Scale

Instructions

  1. 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.
  2. Heat the oven. Preheat oven to 450°F.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.)
  5. 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.
  6. Serve. Serve warm and enjoy!


Notes

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.

How To Bake Chicken Breasts

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3,375 comments on “Baked Chicken Breasts”

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  1. It doesn’t say whether or not to cover the chicken while baking???

  2. How did I live all these years and not know that you could bake tender chicken breast?






  3. This is my everyday go to chicken recipe. The most moist and wonderful tasting chicken. It goes with anything and it’s easy to prepare. Thank you!

    • I wasn’t blown away by the flavor, but the chicken was incredibly tender after brining for a half hour. I’ll brine chicken breasts everytime from now on!






  4. Tried this recipe today, nice, quick and simple! Followed the recipe exactly and the chicken breasts came out great, not at all dry, the brining really works!






  5. Can you cook the chicken on the bottom wrap or the middle of the rack

  6. The recipe says to pound the chicken to an even thickness. In your video the chicken breasts don’t look like they have been pounded. Can the pounding be omitted?

    • Linda, I have made this recipe many times and I never pound the chicken. I’m far from a talented cook, but it works well for me and comes out delish!

  7. This recipe rocks nice and moist crispy on the outside I put it on broil last 5 minutes..






  8. This is delicious. Just a recommendation about the salt level. I followed the recipe fully and it came out super salty. I loved it as I love salty foods but if you don’t, I would suggest to not add the salt to the spices as the brine provides plenty. BTW, I let mine marinate in the brine for 4 hours. Also, I cooked mine for 10 additional minutes b/c I wasn’t sure if it was done but I think it just has a harder feel or something due to the brining and was probably ready after the recommended 15 minutes. I’ll use a meat thermometer next time to check. I put it on a cobb salad and so yummy. THanks for the great recipe.






    • You must use kosher salt not regular table salt. Table salt is alot more “salty”. Cooking recipes almost always call for kosher. It makes a big difference.

  9. Very happy with this! I didn’t know whether the recipe called for four half or whole chicken breasts. I had eight half breasts so doubled the ingredients, and used an aluminum jelly roll pan (10×15), lining it w foil for easy cleanup. I had been baking chicken breasts in parchment; this recipe yields juicier, nicely-seasoned chicken.






  10. My family normally just gets sad when we have baked chicken breasts for dinner. But they LOVED this recipe. The brining and the high heat seem to really do the trick. THANKS – this recipe is going to be in the regular rotation!






  11. Omg. Yum. I forgot to rinse after brining so it was a bit salty, but that was my fault. The actual cook on the chicken was perfect! I used an in oven thermometer. Highly recommend this recipe, just don’t forget the rinse :)






    • So easy, and so good! I admit, I over cooked, I don’t have a thermometer, and am paranoid about under cooked chicken, since I was served it once. But, it was still so good! Thanks!






  12. Made these for sups tonight. PERFECT!!! Easy to prepare, juicy, tender and all gone!!
    Thanks
    KT

    • Delicious! I’m known for my dry chicken…Kids and husband were amazed at how good this baked chicken tasted.






  13. The brine is essential!! Delicious and juicy every time.






  14. I’m just made this for,the first time today and it was the best boneless skinless chicken breast recipe we have ever made! I followed the directions and even the timing was perfect. 18 minutes for a 10 oz breast and 15 for the 7 oz breast. The spices were perfect….not over the top. Great recipe!






  15. This recipe was pure salt and that’s all. The chicken was very tender. But all I tasted was salt. I followed the recipe using Kosher salt, the spices…everything. All I could last was salt. All that turned out great was the tenderness. The chicken was tender and not overcooked. I used the 450 degrees version of cooking.






    • You have to rinse the chicken after your done brining then all the salt gets washed off

    • Did you rinse the chicken after brining? I use table salt or the Costco sea salt, I don’t measure it, I pour one to two big handfuls into the bowl. I make sure not to use any spices that already have salt. And I’ve started adding liquid smoke to the butter that gets brushed on. Tonight I added minced garlic to the brine to see how that turns out. I brine for almost two hours. They’ve never been too salty for me. I think the rinsing and drying completely is key to escaping the over saltiness.

  16. I soaked the chicken breasts in the brine for two hr. Prepared the chickenas instruted and roasted them. When I was going to serve the breasts I tasted before serving and discovered they were too salty. What can I do to get rid of the the salt?(I don’t want to throw out the breasts.)

    • Did you rinse the chicken breasts in cool water after bringing? I only left mine in the warm water with some kosher salt for 15-20 min as I was starving and worked latev vThry turned out perfect, juicy with just the right amount of flavor. I followed this recipes rub and spice mix.

  17. The juiciest chicken breast I’ve ever cooked! Soaking it in brine… who would have thought!! I put some tinfoil over it (loosely) too.






  18. Hello Ali, I recently made your baked chicken recipe & declared it a success. My family said, ‘Good dinner, mom!’ Thanks all to your great idea. Thank you.

  19. This is the best baked chicken breast recipe ever! My husband and I were skeptical, thinking it would be dry, but it was moist and tasty. We will make this all the time. Thank you for a wonderful, easy recipe.






  20. Made this for the first time and loved it. So yummy and moist. I made the mistake of using table salt but I did only used half the amount called for. It still was too salty. All the posts suggesting the kosher salt are correct. I will make this recipe again and again but will use kosher salt.






  21. So horrifically salty :’(

  22. I have been making his for years!!! Never too salty!!! I can’t believe the people who claim it is. When you get done brining the chicken rince it off!!!! Also only use Kosher salt!!! If you call yourselves a cook you should be able to figure out this and other recommendations on your own!!!






    • I can’t understand why people are complaining about the salt. I only brine for 15 minutes and rinse. Maybe they’re using too much salt and not rinsing in cold water 🤷‍♀️






  23. This is the best recipe I have ever used for baked chicken breasts. I followed the directions and sure was not disappointed. I had never heard of brining the breasts. Thanks .

  24. This recipe is now my go-to for simple and easy chicken breasts to use on salads, etc. They come out perfect every time! I like to use Traders Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute and some fresh rosemary and lemon.






  25. Hey Ali,

    This was delicious, BUT my chicken didn’t crisp up at all. Didn’t even brown ☹️. I buttered it and seasoned it, up to 450 and nothin. What am I doing wrong? Thanks!






  26. I loved this recipe. We are without a grill temporarily so I tried this recipe and it’s great. I used Kosher salt and let is brine for a couple hours and I thought it was nicely seasoned all the way through. I might try cutting the salt next time by half and see how it works but I am definably using this recipe again. I did add a little more paprika just before putting it in the oven. I cooked for about 25 minutes and used a meat thermometer.






  27. Turned out rubbery. Disappointed.






  28. So easy and so so good! I’m not a foodie but will be making this on again and again.






  29. Wow! Amazing! I have never made such juicy chicken breast! Yummy and flavorful. And it was so so so easy!

  30. Holy game-changer, Batman! I used to HAAAAAAAATE boneless skinless chicken breasts, much preferring unhealthier chicken thighs for their juiciness and flavor. But after having tried this recipe, I can now eat healthier and not sacrifice juicy and tasty!

  31. Ridiculous awesome baked chicken recipe … followed all of your directions, including the seasonings. I did pour a little room temperature teriyaki sauce onto the cooked chicken and then covered with foil to “rest”. OMG, I was home alone when it was ready, it was so good that after each bite I sang your praises … out loud! Thank-you SO much!






  32. Totally delicious! I will be making this again, and again!!






  33. Delicious !! The brine is a game changer!






  34. Even if I never make this recipe, it gets 5 stars for the website name….”so glad we made it…gimme some oven!”






  35. how can you get it to brown?The meat temp is 175 so it is cooked, tastes ok, but pale chicken is very unappetizing

  36. Best chicken ever – incredible! Is is possible to incorporate liquids such as soy sauce, lemon juice, or adobo sauce? Maybe marinate after the brine and before the brush. Maybe mix the liquid with butter for the brush. I’m a little afraid that something like adobe sauce might burn at the high heat. Any tips or hints are appreciated. Again, this chicken is amazing!






  37. I made this for last night’s dinner. I made it exactly as the recipe is written and it was juicy and delicious.






  38. I just made this for a group of 9 so I doubled the recipe and wow it was delicious! I’ve never received so many compliments and please visit us: https://www.beckandbulow.com






  39. Actually. Brining chicken I never thought of. Either with meat. I do it now and so happy I learned after all these years. Letting it rest as well. Never too old to learn. Great recipe. Thank you.

  40. I made this a few months ago and it was one of the best baked chicken breast recipes I have ever eaten. I thought I had lost the recipe but luckily I had pinned it in Pinterest. 😃






  41. No more trips to Costco! I bake a big batch to use in salads, enchiladas, wraps, etc. Perfect chicken every time! Thanks!






  42. brined chicken is theeeee way to go, it’s most flavorful






  43. I needed some protein (chicken) to accompany a pesto pasta dish I made, so I thought I’d try this recipe out, just out of curiosity. In the past, my results with making oven baked chicken breasts was hit and miss. I followed the steps as written, and darned if my wife didn’t comment how juicy and delicious the breast was, spontaneously. As a result, I’ve bookmarked it as my “go-to” chicken breast recipe.






  44. If you want baked chicken breasts that are NOT DRY, this recipe is 1000% the way to go.






  45. Can this recipe be adapted to grilled bbq chicken?

  46. I’m trying this, brine and all. Instead of using salt, pepper, etc I’m using curry paste. This is basically what I used to do with tandoori paste. In a large ziploc, chicken and paste, massage it, then empty onto the parchment paper lined pan. I’m going to see how it turns out, s/b good!
    The brining is all new to me.

  47. The chicken breast did turn out very juicy, very moist, as described in the write up. I added just a bit of Italian seasoning to the rub and went a little heavy on the garlic powder but the result was fantastic! Thank you for sharing the recipe and the instructions ~






  48. Brining! Who knew?? This was the best, juiciest chicken I have ever cooked. Thanks so much for this recipe.






  49. When do you add Italian seasoning? Great recipe. I’m 88 years old and this type of detailed recipe I need to learn cooking.






  50. 15-18 minutes? No! Mine took 32 minutes, and that was just for one breast.