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
- 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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Baked Chicken 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
- 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: Juicy Baked Chicken Breast
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. 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.
Tips:
Video
Nutrition Information
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Brenda says
I am looking forward to making this recipe tonight. I have two hungry guys that I plan meals for, my husband and son! This looks like a definite winner and keeper! I am looking forward to making and enjoying this chicken dish tonight I will circle back and let you know how it went. Thanks so much for sharing!
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Brenda, we hope that you all enjoy! Yes, please do let us know how it turns out, we would love to hear! Cheers 🙂
Sumia Jaffar says
I tried your recipe myself today and found very tasty. Thanks for sharing such deliciuos recipe.
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Sumia, we are so glad that you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and leave a rating and review 🙂
Rachael Lynn says
Delish! Made it tonight in my air fryer! Thanks so much for this amazing recipe!
Denise Bustard says
Hi Rachael, I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it! That's great that it worked well in the air fryer. Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review 🙂
Sharon Kneubuehl says
I think it was a bit too much rub for the small size of my chicken breasts But I will try again, and I also would want to try on the grill.
Denise Bustard says
Thanks for the feedback, Sharon!
Phoenix Cooks says
That's so great!!! Your share is very awesome. I really love cooking. I hope you will share more recipe like these. Thank you for sharing.
halen says
This chicken breast look so delicious. I just love it. Thank you for sharing this great recipe of chicken breast.
Jackie says
Was juicy like recipe said but no flavor
Denise Bustard says
Sorry you didn't enjoy.
Jahnson alberto says
That is awesome looking. i am looking forward to having this. Thanks for the nice post.
Heather says
This was so yummy! I couldn’t figure out if you cook for the 10 minutes and flip then cook the additional time you put in the recipe for the weight of the chicken, or if you cook the total time including the 10 minutes. I might have overcooked it but the family still loved it!!!
Denise says
Sorry for the confusion, you cook for 10 minutes, flip, then cook for the 2-15 extra minutes depending on the size of your chicken breast.
Lourdes says
Loved it! This is our new family favorite! I do have a question do you cover the chicken or leave it uncovered whole baking?
Denise says
Hurray! So happy to hear this, Lourdes. I leave it uncovered while baking.
Elizabeth says
Hello Denise.
Just wanted to say KUDOS on sharing this delicious way to have the juiciest baked chicken breast ever! I have baked several baking sheets of chicken using your method. I have done this with bone in skin on cut up chicken and my family loves how crunchy the skin is and how juicy the inside is:O) This is a new hit in our house. I've used so many different homemade seasoning combinations. Thank you
Denise says
Yay! So happy you like it, Elizabeth! I really appreciate you coming back to leave feedback. Stay safe!
Catherine says
Hi Denise! I think this really is the perfect chicken breast. I've made it so many times that I basically have the recipe memorized. I love the mix of seasonings. Thank you!
Denise says
Hi Catherine! You've totally made my day with your comment. I'm so happy to hear you've enjoyed this recipe!
Rubi Kaur says
I think the size of chicken breasts has changed dramatically since Julia Child's day, which could account for some of her shorter cook time.
Wendy Breedon says
This Recipe is EXCELLENT! My family loves it and it is so easy. The only modification I have made (after making this MANY times) is to use smoked paprika in the rub as it gives it a nice bbq flavour. That's just my personal preference though, the rub is terrific as is.
Denise says
Yay! So happy you've enjoyed this recipe, Wendy! I can't wait to try it with smoked paprika next time. Thanks so much for sharing your review!
Alisha Ross says
This was yummy! I’ve never made spaghetti squash before and I’m not sure if it’s supposed to me soft or not when it’s done. My squash was on the larger side so maybe I should have cooked it longer.
Denise says
Hi Alisha! Are you looking for the oven or instant pot spaghetti squash post? (This is the chicken breast one). Either way, glad you enjoyed 🙂
Annebakerim says
Denise, I often go to your site to read a new recipe, thanks for teaching me how to cook delicious and healthy food.
Denise says
I'm so happy to hear this! Hope you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
hyperfixx says
I didn’t have brown sugar, so I used the same amount of powdered sugar instead and the chicken came out tasting good, not too sweet.
Denise says
So happy to hear you enjoyed! Thanks for sharing your modification with us 🙂
Adam says
So good. I've been baking for a longer time on 375 my whole life, what a mistake. Letting them rest is definitely a key as well. Thanks!!
Denise says
Yessss! Another convert to high heat! Thanks so much for your review, Adam!
Jasmine says
Super helpful! I didn't know about baking them on such a high temperature. Trying it now! By the way, I came to your blog because I had chicken breasts to make for dinner and I couldn't decide what to do with them. Usually, I'm full of ideas but not tonight. I thought "who has good chicken recipes... Denise of course"! You're my go-to chicken recipe lady! haha
Thank you
Jennifer says
This chicken is the bomb! In fact, this site is LIFE CHANGING! Denise thank you from the bottom of my heart- I have been searching for this type of site for years. To date, I have made one of your crockpot soups and this recipe and both are outstanding. I look forward to preparing more of your dishes.
Denise says
Ahhh yay!! So happy to read your review. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave it!
Denise says
Yay! I'm so happy you enjoyed, Jasmine! And thank you for thinking of me 🙂
Charles says
Delicious!!!