Say goodbye to dry chicken breasts! These Baked Chicken breasts are succulent, juicy, and tender and ready in just 35 minutes. A quick and easy weeknight meal that everyone will love.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time25 minutesmins
Total Time35 minutesmins
Servings: 4
Ingredients
1tablespoonpaprika
1teaspoongarlic powder
1teaspoononion powder
1/2teaspoondried oregano or thymeor any other spice you prefer
1teaspoonkosher salt
1/2teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
2tablespoonsolive oil
4boneless skinless chicken breasts
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450ºF.
In a small bowl, mix the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano (or thyme, salt and pepper until combined.
Place the chicken breasts in a shallow baking dish and pat them dry on both sides. Drizzle with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and use your hands (or silicone brush) to coat both sides. Sprinkle the seasoning blend evenly over the chicken on both sides.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until internal temperature registers 160ºF.
Transfer the chicken to a platter or cutting board. Tent loosely with foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Pound the chicken breast: Because the chicken breast is so much thicker on one end, the thinner part will cook a lot quicker. Lightly pounding the thicker end of the breast will allow for more even cooking. See section below for instructions.
Don't bake the chicken cold from the fridge. Take the chicken out of the fridge at least 15 minutes before you plan on cooking it. This allows the meat to cook quicker and more evenly.
Bake in a roasting pan as opposed to a baking sheet. When baked on a baking sheet, the chicken breast lose a lot of moisture pretty quickly. In a baking, or roasting, pan there will be more moisture trapped and circulating, keeping them nice and moist.
Do not overcook. It is not safe to undercook poultry but it won't take long to overcook it either. Because chicken breast can vary so much in size and thickness, not to mention other variables like the pan you use, the age of your oven, etc, it is truly best to use an instant-read meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meat. When the thickest part of your chicken breast hits 160°F, it is time to remove it from the oven.
Let the chicken breasts rest. For succulent, perfectly cooked meat, you must let the chicken breast rest for 5 to 10 minutes after it comes out of oven before slicing. This allows for the juices settle in the meat keeping it nice and moist.
To store: Place cooled chicken breasts in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.