Perfect baked chicken breast- a no fail method for perfect juicy chicken breast each and every time! Rubbed with the most delicious seasoning and baked to perfection, this is a crowd pleaser recipe.
Sick of bland, dried out chicken? Look no further, because like my Perfect Baked Chicken Thighs, this perfect baked chicken breast recipe is a game changer!
Did you know that it's actually possible to get delicious, juicy baked chicken breast in the oven WITHOUT brining, using weird parchment paper tricks, or searing and finishing in the oven? I know, I was shocked too.
This recipe has yet to fail me. With the combination of the right temperature and cook time, that seasoning (♡!), and the all-important resting step, you seriously cannot go wrong here. The BEST PART- it's simple. You can have it ready for your family in under 30 minutes!
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Reasons you're going to ♡ this recipe
- It's ready in under 30 minutes
- Kid and picky eater approved
- All Purpose: this is great for chicken salad, tacos, wraps and salads.
- I provide instructions for small, medium, and large chicken breasts, so this method will work with whatever you have on hand!
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Recipe Video
Watch the video below for all the tips and ticks to getting perfect, juicy baked chicken breast! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
Ingredient notes
- chicken breast- this post covers how to cook a boneless skinless chicken breast. Bone-in and skin-on will require longer. Here's a tutorial on cooking it!
- oil- the oil helps the rub stick to the chicken, and helps the outside brown up. I recommend extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil.
- spice rub- using paprika, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper and salt brings such a delicious blend of flavors
- brown sugar- the sugar turns liquid in the oven and gets golden and caramelized, making the outside of the chicken breast even more flavorful. However, if you are low carb, you can skip it (it still tastes great without it!)
Step by step directions
1. Prepare rub- in a small bowl, mix together the spices.
2. Weigh chicken- Cook time for this recipe depends on the size of your chicken, so it's best to weigh them (or estimate based on the image above).
Estimated cook time for chicken breasts at 450°F
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- 5 oz 12-15 min
- 7 oz 15-20 min
- 10 oz 20-25 min
3. Oil chicken- Begin by tossing or brushing chicken in a thin coating of extra virgin olive oil.
4. Apply rub- Sprinkle the chicken in rub, then use your hands to rub and press it in. This helps the rub to stick.
5. Bake- Bake chicken at 450°F, using the chart above to determine how long to bake your chicken for. Flip the chicken halfway though to ensure it cooks evenly. Use a digital meat thermometer to ensure your chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°F.
💡 TIP- In a side by side comparison of chicken breasts baked at 400°F, 425°F and 450°F, the 450°F chicken breast was noticeably juicier!
6. Cover + rest- when baked through, remove the chicken from the oven. Cover with a metal baking dish or aluminum foil, and allow the chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes.
💡 TIP- Resting the chicken helps the juices settle into the meat. If you cut into it too soon, all those juices will rush out, it will alter the tenderness of the meat and will not be as juicy!
7. Slice- When slicing chicken breast, it's essential to slice against the grain. If you cut with the grain, the chicken will be gnarly and chewy.
💡 TIP- Here is a great tutorial on how to slice baked chicken breast against the grain (they are using raw chicken but the same principle applies to cooked chicken!)
FAQ
The most important thing is to pull out your chicken breasts when they are at (or close to) an internal temperature of 165°F. I highly suggest investing in a digital thermometer so you can eliminate guesswork.
It's also very important to rest your chicken for at least 5 minutes, and to slice it against the grain.
Yes, I recommend flipping the chicken breast halfway through so that the top and bottom cook evenly.
For this recipe, we use a 450°F oven temperature, which is getting quite hot for glass, so I suggest using metal pans. I recommend a sturdy baking sheet over a dish, as this allows for good air circulation around the chicken breasts as they bake.
Yes, however there are a few modifications you'll need...check them out in this Perfect Grilled Chicken Breast recipe!
Some recipes require beating the chicken with a meat mallet or rolling pin until it is an even thickness. This easy baked chicken breast recipe does not require any of that prepwork. The main reason you can skip that step with this reason is because the meat is weighed and the cook time is adjusted accordingly, resulting in perfect, juicy chicken everytime!
Storage
- Fridge- Cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezer- Cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper. Store in a larger meal prep container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat- heat up single servings in the microwave until steaming hot. Warm larger portions in a covered dish in a 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes, until warmed through.
💡 TIP- if you plan to use this recipe for meal prep, allow chicken to cool completely before slicing. This helps to seal in all the juices and keeps it moist for multiple days.
Serve it with
- 7 Easy Rice Recipes
- 7 Cauliflower Rice Recipes
- Staple Kale Salad
- Fluffy Parmesan Mashed Cauliflower
- Sautéed Green Beans with Garlic Butter
More chicken recipes
This recipe was originally posted 07/2018 ...same great recipe!
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Perfect Baked Chicken Breast (juicy + flavorful)
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts see note 1
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Rub
- 4 teaspoons paprika
- 4 teaspoons brown sugar see note 2
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat oven to 450°F.
- Toss or brush chicken with olive oil.
- Stir together the rub and sprinkle over chicken breasts. Turn chicken breasts until completely coated in rub.
- Place on sturdy baking sheet, leaving 1-2 inches between the chicken breasts.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Flip and return to the oven. Bake chicken for total time according to size of chicken breast: 5 oz (12-15 min) 7 oz (15-20 min) 10 oz (20-25 min) or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Remove from oven and cover with a baking dish for 5-10 minutes.
- Remove baking dish and transfer to a cutting board. Cut against the grain and serve.
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Tips:
Video
Nutrition Information
© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Craig says
Best chicken I’ve ever cooked, thanks!
Jenna says
Any tips on reheating cooked chicken breast without drying it out? I live alone, and cooking one serving of everything seems like so much effort but I always find that meat gets so dry when it's reheated for leftovers.
Denise says
Chicken breast is hard to reheat! I find my chicken breast keeps really well if I refrigerate it overnight before slicing. You could reheat the sliced chicken in a frying pan over low heat (cover), but your best bet is probably going to be to add some sauce to it. Hope this helps!
Isadora Guidoni says
This looks perfect indeed, I'm looking forward to make it at home.
Denise says
Thanks so much, Isadora, I hope you enjoy!
Julie says
Thank you - I always get anxious about how long to cook chicken breasts and this guide is so helpful. They came out perfectly tender and juicy. Bookmarking this for all future chicken baking endeavors as a starting point! 🙂
Denise says
I'm so happy to hear this Julie! Thanks for your review!
Mary A. says
What a delicious recipe! I tried it today with bone-in breasts and the timing was perfect. They were succulent and tender, and cooked just right. I'm done trying to figure out how to bake tasty chicken breasts. This is my new go-to recipe. Thank you so much.
Denise says
I'm really happy to hear it worked well for bone in chicken breasts as well! Thanks so much for taking the time out of your day to leave a review, Mary.
Gina says
This method really does make tender and flavorful chicken! I look forward to using this cooking method to make many different chicken dishes.
Denise says
I'm so happy to hear this! Thanks so much for your review, Gina!
Beatris Huerta says
I've got a question what if you use thinner chicken breast should you still cook it at the 450 degrees?
Denise says
Hi Beatris! I would still cook at 450 but take it out early...I'm not exactly sure on the cook time since I don't know the size of your chicken breast. I wish I could be of more help!
Tara says
Could this method be used with bone in chicken breasts? I made this last night with a boneless breast and it was the best and most juiciest white meat I have had! I usually go with dark meat as I have never been able to make a juicy version of the white meat. But this recipe was a HIT!
Denise says
Hi Tara! I bet it would work great with bone in, however I haven't tried and am not sure on the cook time. I wish I could be of more help 🙁 PS- glad you enjoyed it with the boneless breasts!
Andrea G says
Im going to make this tonight and cant wait to try the spice combination!!
Denise says
I hope you enjoyed!
Heather says
First time baking chicken breasts and they turned out great! Thanks!
Denise says
Yay! This makes my day, Heather! I'm glad you enjoyed them 🙂
Beatriz says
This is the best guide I've read on baked chicken breast. Thank you so much! It's my go-to now.
Denise says
Wow, thank you so much, Beatriz! Glad you've enjoyed the chicken 🙂
Easy Chicken Recipe says
Dear Denise,
Great post!
I m a chicken lover. your recipe is very beautiful to see. thank u
Dave says
Looking for a quick, easy chicken breast recepe- try this one. Followed the directions and it turned out exactly as described. Probably the most juicy chicken breast I’ve ever cooked. Really enjoyed the discussion regarding the experimental process to arrive at this recipe. Thanks so much!
Denise says
Hi Dave 😉 So glad you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.
J. says
WOW! I prepared this for my husband and teenage son- I liked the recipe becuase it seemed simple to prepare but the comments that followed ("Mom, this is amazing" and "This chicken is sooooooo juicy and tastey" made me REALLY like it!!! Thanks for your site- I can't wait to discover your other recipes!
Denise says
Woo hoo! I'm so happy to hear this! Thank you for reporting back 🙂
Scot says
Im looking for a simple recipe. I see this page and click. As Im trying to scroll down I get 4 separate pop ups asking me to register, get notified, my location. Then I try to rool down and there 20 pictures loading delaying the process.
Then theres a lecture about how not to waster aluminum foil. All I want is the recipe.
This page sucks !!
Denise says
Hi Scot, sorry to hear you had a bad experience. FYI there is a 'jump to recipe' button at the top of all my posts so you can skip past all photos and go right to the recipe. Also, the 'location' pop up would have nothing to do with my site, that is likely your browser. Anyway, thanks for your feedback, I'm always trying to improve the user experience. Have a great day!
Tracey says
I recently made a baked chicken breast recipe that was so good and so tender. I was telling my boyfriend how juicy and good it was. Very similar to you recipe but at 425. I must try the 450 and your spice mix, looks so tasty!
Denise says
I hope you give it a try, Tracey! Thanks so much!
Olga says
Súper easy and fast recepie and in the same time delicious
Denise says
So happy you enjoyed, Olga! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Monica Labrador says
wow this looks very delicious, i like it and i love chicken breast thanks for sharing this post.
Denise says
Thank you, Monica! I hope you give it a try 🙂
Jeanna says
How timely! I was just googling how to bake chicken breasts the other night. I had 6 chicken breasts (from a box) that were glued together, so I had to defrost it all.. Then wondering how to bake it so it doesn't go to waste and the answer was in my email the next day.
My chicken was juicy & cooked perfectly. I used lemon & rosemary olive oils to bake it with. Thanks for the tips- especially about covering the chicken breasts to rest.. HUGE difference. I now have lovely cubed chicken ready to be used. I may actually do a batch of these and freeze them since it's so easy to use sliced chicken that's already cooked and ready to go.
Denise says
I'm so happy that trick helped you! I was kicking myself that I haven't been covering them when resting before this! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, Jeanna 🙂
Brittany Audra @ Audra's Appetite says
That spice rub looks delicious! 🙂