This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
My favorite oven baked chicken breasts recipe! It never fails, 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: which I have owned and used for years when cooking chicken, which currently retails for about $14 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) plus it can either beep or send an alert to your cell phone, and currently retails for about $33 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.
To brine chicken, simply fill a big bowl half full with lukewarm water. Stir in a handful of salt until it mostly dissolves. Add ice cubes or cold water to lower the temperature of the water so that it is cool to the touch. 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 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:
Learn how to make juicy, tender, delicious baked chicken breasts with this simple 5-step method.
Ingredients
Scale
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness
1 tablespoon melted butter or olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
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 mixing bowl with 2 cups of lukewarm water and 1/4 cup kosher salt. Stir to combine until most of the salt is absorbed. Add 2 cups of cold water (or a few ice cubes) to lower the temperature of the water so that it is cool to the touch. 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.
Absolutely perfect chicken breast! My husband followed the recipe as is and they chicken breasts were juicy and delicious. Thanks!
KAT C. —
I’ve never succeeded in making a great chicken breast. They’re either underseasoned or overcooked and dry. This was a game changer! I followed the recipe to a tee. Flavorable and moist! I’ll never make them any other way.
I came across this recipe a few weeks ago and I have made it several times since. I cooked it at 450° for about 15 minutes, and it is perfect. This is the best chicken breast I have ever had, super tender. I can’t see making it any other way now.
Cindy —
Best chicken breasts I’ve ever cooked! Thank you so much for this
The BEST baked boneless skinless chicken ever! My family raves about it every time I make it. The only way I make it anymore! #gimmesomeoven #companyworthy
Absolutely delighted with this recipe! Nailed it all the way around with juiciness and spices!! I will definitely make this part of my life from now on!
Followed very closely, making it for two with one large (12+ oz) chicken breast.
Used a Corning “Individual Casserole” dish which just fit the chicken. Had room to add in some sliced shallots (and a couple tabs of butter for them).
Seasoned with kosher, pepper and (lightly) za’atar.
Baked right about 15 min to about 160 +/- – finishes cooking in foil. Can’t broil the corning though.
DELICIOUS. Served with Orzo and carrots (using plenty of broth).
Can’t wait to try this as my chicken breasts always turn out dry.
My one question is , is there another salt that can be used if you don’t have kosher salt.?
Thank you!!
OMG, Absolutely fantastic so juicy, succulent and tasty, it’s the only way I’m going to eat roast chicken from now on.
This recipe was obviously written from the US, (I’ll forgive you for giving the cooking temperature in Fahrenheit only, for the rest of the world it’s 230⁰C)
Chris —
This has become my go-to recipe for chicken! I just switch up the seasonings to keep it interesting. Always comes out perfectly cooked and juicy.
I do have a question, though. I’ve seen others warn against the warm water brining as dangerously good for bacteria. My opinion is that the short time period of brining is why it’s ok. Any comments about this?
It was almost comical how much both of my kids liked these enchiladas!!
AL —
Tried this recipe 2X.Fillwed instructions to the letter. Both were epic fails. Resulted in undercooked chicken that had to be tossed and completely ruined two separate baking dishes! Epic failure! The bottom of the breasts burned into the baking dish while the rest of he chicken was raw!
Rachel D —
This recipe is for baked chicken breast, not enchiladas
Delicious and moist! Thank you! I would like to comment, though, that the idea that high heat cooking or searing holds moisture in meat has been shown to be a myth. Hope you will help dispel the myth. See food scientist Harold McGee, for example.
Great recipe. Only issue for me is I guess I use larger breasts (boneless/skinless). Mine take well over 30 minutes at 450 to reach the proper temperature. Otherwise, they’re great!
Guess this is a website that wants absolutely NO constructive criticism. That’s too bad because that is how we all improve. I had to bake them @450* for 35 minutes, not as the instructions said, 15-18 minutes. Is that a terrible thing to say. So sorry! :(
Used this for a recipe that called for pre-cooked chicken. Tried a piece while I was cutting it up for said recipe… this chicken is stupid good. Consider me a convert. I will be using this again, and again, and again. Thank you!
Great recipe! Couple questions: Do I need to increase cooking time for more than 1 chicken breast? Also do I need to flip halfway through? Thanks for posting!
This made me love chicken breast! I had avoided it because it dried out so bad, but dark meat became unappealing, and I tried this. The first one I made I ate the entire thing that night. I had intended on leftovers, and I didn’t even eat other things with it. I scarfed that puppy down like I was starving! Thank you!!
I never take time to comment or leave a review, but for this chicken breast recipe, I absolutely have to, it really is the beast! I’ve made it a few times now, and it is always perfect, juicy and tasty! Thank you so much for this amazingly easy and delicious recipe.
I am hosting Fathers Day and would like to serve these smothered in barbecue sauce then finished on the grill. Was thinking to thoroughly cook the cover with sauce and let sit til a quick finish on the grill. Has anyone tried this?
I ALWAYS use this recipe for chicken breasts. It wonderful. I pound the chicken breast to make them nice and even then brine and seasoning. They come out perfectly tender and juicy
I love love love this simple recipe! And it came out better than I thought. I used butter, but will try olive oil next time. The flavor was spot on. I ate it sliced with a cold caprese (chickpea) penne pasta salad. So GOOD! Thank you.
I just tried out this recipe, and it turned out amazing! The flavors were spot on, and the instructions were easy to follow. If you’re looking for more fantastic recipes, definitely check out [Recipe Revelry](https://reciperevelry.com/) – they have a great collection of recipes for all tastes and occasions. Happy cooking! 🍽️✨
Hands down THE best chicken breasts imaginable!! They are moist, flavorful, and the timing is perfect!! Everyone in my family, adults and children, loved it! Thank you for this awesome recipe!!
This is truly a moist chicken recipe! Very easy and very nice spices except too much salt, and I tend to like salty things. Next time we will cut the salt in half.
This recipe is great! I used 2 lb of chicken breast for this recipe, so each serving came out to 40g protein. It tastes pretty good, though I’ve only tried it mixed in pasta with marina sauce. It was a relatively easy recipe, especially since it’s baked so once it’s in the oven you can cook or clean other stuff, and took me maybe an hour with the pasta and store bought sauce combo?
My chicken breasts were on the thin side and slightly overcooked at 15 minutes but even so this was the tastiest chicken breast I’ve ever had. I’m going to try brining my chicken fir other recipes now.
Made this today and chicken cooked perfectly! Thankyou for the recipe.
Absolutely perfect chicken breast! My husband followed the recipe as is and they chicken breasts were juicy and delicious. Thanks!
I’ve never succeeded in making a great chicken breast. They’re either underseasoned or overcooked and dry. This was a game changer! I followed the recipe to a tee. Flavorable and moist! I’ll never make them any other way.
I came across this recipe a few weeks ago and I have made it several times since. I cooked it at 450° for about 15 minutes, and it is perfect. This is the best chicken breast I have ever had, super tender. I can’t see making it any other way now.
Best chicken breasts I’ve ever cooked! Thank you so much for this
The BEST baked boneless skinless chicken ever! My family raves about it every time I make it. The only way I make it anymore! #gimmesomeoven #companyworthy
Absolutely delighted with this recipe! Nailed it all the way around with juiciness and spices!! I will definitely make this part of my life from now on!
Followed very closely, making it for two with one large (12+ oz) chicken breast.
Used a Corning “Individual Casserole” dish which just fit the chicken. Had room to add in some sliced shallots (and a couple tabs of butter for them).
Seasoned with kosher, pepper and (lightly) za’atar.
Baked right about 15 min to about 160 +/- – finishes cooking in foil. Can’t broil the corning though.
DELICIOUS. Served with Orzo and carrots (using plenty of broth).
I love the chicken recipe with five steps it’s make third something time baking it and I shared it too.
Best chicken I’ve ever made!
Can’t wait to try this as my chicken breasts always turn out dry.
My one question is , is there another salt that can be used if you don’t have kosher salt.?
Thank you!!
I just use table salt, fantastic results
OMG, Absolutely fantastic so juicy, succulent and tasty, it’s the only way I’m going to eat roast chicken from now on.
This recipe was obviously written from the US, (I’ll forgive you for giving the cooking temperature in Fahrenheit only, for the rest of the world it’s 230⁰C)
This has become my go-to recipe for chicken! I just switch up the seasonings to keep it interesting. Always comes out perfectly cooked and juicy.
I do have a question, though. I’ve seen others warn against the warm water brining as dangerously good for bacteria. My opinion is that the short time period of brining is why it’s ok. Any comments about this?
Thanks for the great recipe!
I’m in Canada and we cook in F! Lol
Cooked at 450° for about 25-30 min to reach 165°+ and didn’t develop a crust.
Then your oven wasn’t on 450 because your chicken would be BLACK.
It was almost comical how much both of my kids liked these enchiladas!!
Tried this recipe 2X.Fillwed instructions to the letter. Both were epic fails. Resulted in undercooked chicken that had to be tossed and completely ruined two separate baking dishes! Epic failure! The bottom of the breasts burned into the baking dish while the rest of he chicken was raw!
This recipe is for baked chicken breast, not enchiladas
I made this and no joke! The chicken breasts werè just delish. I used mine to make soup. Better than rotisserie chicken!! Tasty and tender!
Delicious and moist! Thank you! I would like to comment, though, that the idea that high heat cooking or searing holds moisture in meat has been shown to be a myth. Hope you will help dispel the myth. See food scientist Harold McGee, for example.
Great recipe. Only issue for me is I guess I use larger breasts (boneless/skinless). Mine take well over 30 minutes at 450 to reach the proper temperature. Otherwise, they’re great!
Same for me and still no crust either.
I made it today. It’s very good and I will make it again for sure!
Best chicken ever. Thank you for including the brining step. It really made a difference.
Hi Hayley, 5 stars all the way! We really enjoyed your recipe. My husband and I loved it. Thank you so much for sharing. Enjoy your day. 😊
Guess this is a website that wants absolutely NO constructive criticism. That’s too bad because that is how we all improve. I had to bake them @450* for 35 minutes, not as the instructions said, 15-18 minutes. Is that a terrible thing to say. So sorry! :(
Fabulous!
Used this for a recipe that called for pre-cooked chicken. Tried a piece while I was cutting it up for said recipe… this chicken is stupid good. Consider me a convert. I will be using this again, and again, and again. Thank you!
Great recipe! Couple questions: Do I need to increase cooking time for more than 1 chicken breast? Also do I need to flip halfway through? Thanks for posting!
This is ,by far, the best recipe for baked juicy chicken breasts!!!
This made me love chicken breast! I had avoided it because it dried out so bad, but dark meat became unappealing, and I tried this. The first one I made I ate the entire thing that night. I had intended on leftovers, and I didn’t even eat other things with it. I scarfed that puppy down like I was starving! Thank you!!
🙏Thank you for this recipe.
You’ve actually made my life better.
I’ve made this 3X’s now.
It’s been perfect every single time.
So easy.
Brine with a handful of salt for 15 minutes plus.
I usually do a few hours.
18 minutes at 450 baby!
Juicy perfection 😋
THX
I’ve never baked a chicken before and this one came out GREAT. I didn’t use paprika.
Jery Lynch
81-year-oldd
I never take time to comment or leave a review, but for this chicken breast recipe, I absolutely have to, it really is the beast! I’ve made it a few times now, and it is always perfect, juicy and tasty! Thank you so much for this amazingly easy and delicious recipe.
Absolutely delicious.
I am hosting Fathers Day and would like to serve these smothered in barbecue sauce then finished on the grill. Was thinking to thoroughly cook the cover with sauce and let sit til a quick finish on the grill. Has anyone tried this?
So happy to find your site. The chicken was delicious and will be made again and again. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes
Funny how simple recipes are often the best. Tender, juicy, delicious. Thank you.
I ALWAYS use this recipe for chicken breasts. It wonderful. I pound the chicken breast to make them nice and even then brine and seasoning. They come out perfectly tender and juicy
I love love love this simple recipe! And it came out better than I thought. I used butter, but will try olive oil next time. The flavor was spot on. I ate it sliced with a cold caprese (chickpea) penne pasta salad. So GOOD! Thank you.
Just made this for my Husband & I. DELICIOUS
The chicken was juicy and moist.
I just tried out this recipe, and it turned out amazing! The flavors were spot on, and the instructions were easy to follow. If you’re looking for more fantastic recipes, definitely check out [Recipe Revelry](https://reciperevelry.com/) – they have a great collection of recipes for all tastes and occasions. Happy cooking! 🍽️✨
Love that this looks so simple, yet has such high ratings. Should I make modifications to try this with skin-on chicken breasts?
She’s right, the absolute best baked chicken!
Absolutely fabulous! I took a bite and was thoroughly Wowed!!
Yep, this is a keeper. Super juicy, and the smoked paprika is so tasty. Thank you.
Hands down THE best chicken breasts imaginable!! They are moist, flavorful, and the timing is perfect!! Everyone in my family, adults and children, loved it! Thank you for this awesome recipe!!
Perfectly seasoned, moist chicken breasts. Follow the instructions. Trust the process. Use the damn thermometer!
This is truly a moist chicken recipe! Very easy and very nice spices except too much salt, and I tend to like salty things. Next time we will cut the salt in half.
This was a great recipe :) I loved it! So juicy! So tender!! So easy to make!!!
This is gonna be a go to when I make an easy dinner :) Thank you
My husband said this was the best way I have ever cooked chicken breasts. I left in an extra 3 minutes. I won’t do that again. Making again tonight.
This recipe is great! I used 2 lb of chicken breast for this recipe, so each serving came out to 40g protein. It tastes pretty good, though I’ve only tried it mixed in pasta with marina sauce. It was a relatively easy recipe, especially since it’s baked so once it’s in the oven you can cook or clean other stuff, and took me maybe an hour with the pasta and store bought sauce combo?
What’s the best way to reheat
Would the baking times be the same for a countertop oven with a convection option?
Cooked for 18 min and it’s still raw below the surface. I’ll check again in 15 more minutes.
My chicken breasts were on the thin side and slightly overcooked at 15 minutes but even so this was the tastiest chicken breast I’ve ever had. I’m going to try brining my chicken fir other recipes now.