Perfect Oven Baked Chicken Breast (2024)

Aug 3, 2018 · Modified: Apr 30, 2021 by Chelsea · This post may contain affiliate links ·

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Perfect Oven Baked Chicken Breast are incredibly juicy and flavored with the perfect amount of seasonings. Foolproof tip shared on how to bake the juiciestchicken breasts ever.

Baked Chicken Breast Recipe

I never used to enjoy baked chicken breast until I found the perfect way to bake them. Every time I used to have them, they always came out so dry! They weren't good at all so; instead, I used to slice them in half (still do if they are large) and pan-fry them or grill them. Not anymore friend! Okay, well occasionally I will pan-fry or grill them if it's too warm to turn on the oven.

This perfect oven baked chicken breast recipe is to die for! They are juicy on the inside with the perfect amount of seasoning and flavor. I also like to call them an all-purpose chicken breast because they go with just about everything. It's a staple in my kitchen, and I hope they will be in yours as well.

What makes this baked chicken breast perfect?

Okay, I know you are dying to see how these chicken breasts are perfect! A couple of years ago I perfected my oven baked chicken breast recipe with my cajun chicken breasts (scroll down for the link, they are delicious!).

It's nothing complicated at all. The concept to making juicy, perfect chicken breasts in your oven every single time is with a high temperature, little baking temperature, covering the chicken breasts in foil, and then allowing them to rest for 5-10 minutes. That's it. I told you it was easy.

How long to bake chicken breasts?

Set your oven to 450 degrees F
Bake chicken breasts uncovered for 18 minutes
Cover chicken breasts with aluminum foil and bake for another 5 minutes
Allow chicken to rest under the foil for 5-10 minutes

The first time I made baked chicken breast for my mom, she was shocked and couldn't believe they didn't need to be baked longer. High temp + not a lot of baking time = perfect weeknight meal. Right?!

What to serve with baked chicken breast

I love having a small side salad with sliced cucumbers, diced tomatoes, and a little dressing with any meal. These Italian roasted vegetables are perfect when root veggies are in season. Instant potmashed potatoes would be ultimate comfort food for me on the side. These lemon butter green beans are out-of-this-world delicious and would pair beautifully with an all-purpose seasoned chicken breast.

I could go on-and-on what to serve so take a peek at all of my side dishes to see if anything peaks your interest.

Other chicken breast recipes:

Baked Cajun Chicken Breast
Baked Teriyaki Chicken Breast
Ranch Chicken Breast
Air Fryer Chicken Breasts - Uses the same seasonings!

Helpful tools:

Casserole dish- This isn't the exact one I have, I found mine at Pottery Barn, but this one is on my wants. It's a great staple casserole dish.
Pink Himalayan Salt- This is my all-time favorite salt and I use it for everything. You will want to make sure it's ground in a salt ginger before adding into the spice blend.

4.06 from 315 votes

Perfect Oven Baked Chicken Breast

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

22 mins

Resting time

5 mins

Total Time

27 mins

Perfect Oven Baked Chicken Breast are incredibly juicy and flavored with the perfect amount of seasonings. Foolproof tip shared on how to bake the juiciestchicken breasts ever.

Course:Main Course

Cuisine:American

Keyword:baked chicken breast, oven baked chicken breast

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 198 kcal

Ingredients

1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsppaprika*
½tspchili powder
1 tspsalt
½tspground pepper
¼tspcrushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1tbspdried parsley
2largeboneless, skinless chicken breast
olive oil
2tbspbutter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Mix together garlic powder, onion, paprika, chili powder, pepper, salt, crushed red pepper flakes, and parsley together in a small ramekin.
Slice the large chicken breasts in half lengthwise to create 4 chicken breasts.
Brush olive oil on both sides of chicken breasts. Rub the seasoning blend onto each side of the chicken breasts making sure all sides are coated well. Place seasoned chicken breasts in a baking dish.
Place half of a tablespoon of butter on top of each chicken breast. Bake for 18 minutes. Remove baking dish from oven and place aluminum foil on top and bake for another 4-5 minutes.
Remove chicken breasts from oven and allow them to rest for 5 minutes and serve.

Recipe Notes

You make use smoked paprika for more flavor.

Nutrition Facts

Perfect Oven Baked Chicken Breast

Amount Per Serving (1 chicken breast)

Calories 198Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Fat 12g18%

Sodium 334mg15%

Carbohydrates 1.5g1%

Protein 22g44%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

Deborah says
August 05, 2018 at 10:02 pm
Hello. . . these chicken breasts look so easy and delicious. My question is you said to cut the two breasts in half.
In the picture you show only the two breasts. Are the other two underneath or was this just for the purpose of the
picture?
Thank you.
D
Reply
- Chelsea says
  August 08, 2018 at 9:36 am
  Thank you for pointing that out. In the written recipe it is two large chicken breasts split in half. In the photos, I only used the tops of both of the chicken breasts to make it look pretty! And my white little casserole dish is itty bitty and used only for photos, mainly. 🙂
  Reply
Carolyn says
August 09, 2018 at 9:23 pm

This will be perfect for dinner!
Reply
ashley manila says
August 10, 2018 at 10:07 am
They look so juicy and flavorful!
Reply
Bonnie Parsons says
March 20, 2019 at 4:52 pm

The chicken was absolutely delicious. The flavor was GREAT. I will be making this again.
Reply
- Chelsea says
  April 06, 2019 at 9:49 am
  So glad you enjoyed it, Bonnie! 🙂
  Reply
  See Also
  Easy Mongolian Chicken Recipe (Restaurant-Style) - A SpiceBox What Is Mongolian Chicken?Mongolian Sauce Mongolian BBQ Sauce | Read & Be Well | Canyon Ranch
  - Erica Taylor says
    June 23, 2023 at 7:45 pm
    If my chicken breasts are smaller so I still butterfly them?
    Reply
    - Chelsea says
      July 13, 2023 at 10:37 am
      I wouldn't, Erica.
      Reply
- Marie says
  March 04, 2020 at 10:36 pm
  Yummmmm,yummmm,yummmmm. Need i say more? This was delicious. It has a little kick with the red pepper but you can scale that to taste. My hubby and kiddos ate every last bit of it. Great recipe.
  Reply
Carrie says
April 14, 2019 at 8:25 pm

My picky husband is doing keto. Finding recipes he likes is quite a mission! My whole family loved this recipe! I made it with thighs, delish!! Adding to the rotation...easy and flavorful! Thanks!
Reply
Jessica says
April 29, 2019 at 5:37 am

Hi Chelsea, I love chicken a lot but I’ve never tried this recipe. I hope to give it a try soon!
Reply
Cheryl says
May 07, 2019 at 5:00 pm
Have you ever used frozen chicken breasts? If so, would the cooking times be the same?
Reply
- Chelsea says
  December 02, 2019 at 2:24 pm
  I would allow for the chicken breasts to thaw before baking.
  Reply
Marina says
May 16, 2019 at 6:56 pm

Made this for dinner tonight! It was so delicious and tender! Thank you so much for this recipe ???? Will be definitely making again!
Reply
Carol says
August 09, 2019 at 7:46 pm

The best roasted chicken by far! Juicy and very flavourful. Thanks for sharing!
Reply
Denise Smith says
November 14, 2019 at 6:34 pm
Absolutely fabulous! Thank you! Didn’t split the breasts but pounded to uniform 1/2-3/4 inch! Perfect!
Reply
Tracey says
November 15, 2019 at 5:58 pm

Absolutely PERFECT! Thank you so much for sharing this. It was a big hit with my husband.
Reply
Kathleen says
November 26, 2019 at 4:03 pm

These were perfect! Moist & delicious! Great recipe!
Reply
- Chelsea says
  December 02, 2019 at 2:17 pm
  Glad you enjoyed them, Kathleen! They are a favorite!
  Reply
K says
December 08, 2019 at 6:01 pm
Any suggestions for omitting the butter? Another form of healthy fat that can be used to moisten?
Thank you!!
Reply
- Chelsea says
  December 13, 2019 at 12:04 pm
  You can try using avocado oil or even coconut oil, K. Let me know how it turns out!
  Reply
Nia says
January 10, 2020 at 8:04 am

I made this without modifications. It seemed like there would be a lot of seasoning, but I would have added more and my chicken needed to cook a bit longer. I would cook again though just with modifications.
Reply
Melly says
January 20, 2020 at 7:40 am

OMG! THIS IS FREAKING AMAZING! You are the best. I tried to make bake chicken breast taste good and I lost the battle. Thank you so much, thank you everyone enjoyed the chicken. I got great compliments. Nia, you have to make sure your chicken is thin if it was thick you cook it longer. The seasoning was not a lot nor overbearing it's a rub, rubs are usually packed with seasoning and flavor.
Reply
- Chelsea says
  January 23, 2020 at 10:11 am
  Yay! So glad you enjoyed it, Melly! <3
  Reply
Laura says
January 22, 2020 at 8:57 pm
Any issue in prepping these the night before and cooking the next day?
Reply
- Chelsea says
  January 23, 2020 at 10:09 am
  Shouldn't be a problem, Laura! Enjoy. <3
  Reply
Linda says
February 12, 2020 at 10:10 am
This looks very good! So once you cut the chicken in half would you say the pieces are about 1/4# each? Thx
Reply
- Chelsea says
  March 26, 2020 at 7:14 am
  I would say anywhere from 1/4 lb to 1/2 lb. Lately, I have been finding huge chicken breasts!
  See Also
  What is Chinese Brown Sauce?
  Reply
Roxanne says
February 18, 2020 at 5:59 pm
I made this chicken for dinner tonight,pretty good!
I will make for dinner again.
Reply
Amanda says
February 20, 2020 at 10:33 pm

Our Aldi always has gigantic chicken breasts, my husband who loves to cook (and always has an opinion lol) made two last week and I wanted to use the other two tonight with this recipe. I sliced them in half (husband: you're not going to pound them?) and when asked I told him how long they would take to cook, he didn't believe me ("18 minutes isn't long enough for those chicken breasts!" ????) Fast forward, juicy tasty perfectly spiced chicken. I used grapeseed oil and plant based butter (got used to dairy free cooking when breastfeeding baby with milk intolerance) and still turned out great. I did double the spice mixture since I had so much chicken. Delicious, thank you!
Reply
Mitzi says
February 21, 2020 at 6:26 pm

I am on Keto and this was a wonderful addition to my growing recipes!! Easy,moist and flavorful!!
Reply
Crissy says
March 03, 2020 at 9:33 pm

The seasoning on this chicken was delicious but I thought a tsp of salt was a little too much! The cook time was perfect, will definitely make again with 1/2 tsp salt. We served this with baked potatoes, green beans and carrots.
Reply
Robyn says
March 12, 2020 at 8:31 pm

I have been doing chicken all wrong! Thank God I decided to seek a fail safe recipe and found yours. It was absolutely perfect! Can’t wait to try it again with other spice combinations. Thank you!!
Reply
- Chelsea says
  March 16, 2020 at 2:52 pm
  So glad you enjoyed it, Robyn!! <3
  Reply
Jeanmarie says
March 24, 2020 at 12:53 pm
Looks delicious and easy! What glass baking dish did you use to cook at 475?
Reply
- Chelsea says
  March 26, 2020 at 7:11 am
  You can use any baking dish you prefer, Jeanmarie!
  Reply
Iulia says
April 02, 2020 at 10:52 am
Hi!
The chicken breast I have right now are pretty small, so my question is: do I still need to slice them? I am afraid to not overcook them if they are too thin...
So I am thinking to leave them as they are and cook them accordingly to the instructions..
What do you think?
Thank you in advance! 🙂
Reply
- Chelsea says
  April 10, 2020 at 8:33 am
  If you have thin chicken breasts there is no need to slice them in halve. Enjoy, Lulia!
  Reply
Jamie says
April 09, 2020 at 3:57 pm

This was FANTASTIC! I've never tasted such flavorful (and moist) chicken EVER. I loved it so much, I went out to buy more chicken today to make it again. A definite staple in my dinner rotation now!! Thank you for a great recipe.
Reply
Jill says
April 09, 2020 at 6:09 pm

I used Tastefully Simple Rustic Herb Seasoning instead and it turned out great! Husband loved it! Will definitely be making this again!!
Reply
Eileen says
May 19, 2020 at 5:21 pm

Hi! I have made these 3 times now. My whole family loves them! I use full breasts but pound them thinner and double the spices. I can prepare them in the time it takes for the oven to pre-heat, including clean up. Today I will shred them for chicken enchiladas. Thank you for an awesome recipe!
Reply
- Chelsea says
  May 27, 2020 at 8:58 am
  Yay! So glad you and your family enjoyed it, Eileen! The enchiladas sound delish!
  Reply
Steve says
May 19, 2020 at 9:45 pm

This chicken recipe is wonderful! The chicken is delicious and so easy to prepare. It’s now our favorite baked chicken recipe!
Reply
- Chelsea says
  May 27, 2020 at 8:58 am
  So happy you enjoyed it, Steve!
  Reply
Jessica says
August 09, 2020 at 6:33 pm

My kids love this recipe. So tender and juicy.
Reply
Liz says
August 10, 2020 at 8:33 pm

My husband tasted it, opened his eyes wide, and said, "Did you bookmark this?" I agree, it's a winner. Thanks for the surprisingly great recipe! It's really juicy and flavorful without making scour the store to find all the ingredients.
Reply
- Chelsea says
  August 25, 2020 at 9:45 am
  So glad you and your husband loved this recipe, Liz!
  Reply
Donna. says
August 13, 2020 at 12:09 am

So, you split them in half, top to bottom, thickness wise? Not in half just cross-wise or length-wise top to bottom as is?
Reply
- Chelsea says
  August 25, 2020 at 9:44 am
  That's correct, Donna - lengthwise.
  Reply
Pam says
August 20, 2020 at 3:38 pm
So, am I getting this right - given the huge chicken breasts sold, you cut them length wise. Correct?
Reply
- Chelsea says
  August 25, 2020 at 9:44 am
  That's correct, Pam! Enjoy!
  Reply
Donna says
September 15, 2020 at 12:33 pm
I cook for approximately 50 people daily (mostly 18-22 yr. olds.) and they absolutely loved this recipe and said definitely a keeper to make again! Delicious flavor and so tasty...thank you so much for sharing!
Reply
Megan says
October 02, 2020 at 12:02 pm

Very flavorful, juicy and super easy. Will definitely make this again!
Reply
James says
October 17, 2020 at 6:46 pm

Very simple and extremely good, I changed the seasoning to my own blend. Everyone loved it. Thank you for sharing.
Reply
Suzanne says
January 04, 2021 at 7:18 pm

Not sure how the previous reviewers could say it was bland. It was AMAZING and made the house smell wonderful too! I used smoked paprika as suggested and may cut it back to 1tsp instead of a tablespoon - but other than that? Perfection! 1 dish, quick, insanely easy, bake while doing other things - this will definitely be a repeat.
Reply
John Coleman says
March 25, 2021 at 5:39 pm

I have tried many baked chicken recipes in the past. This is absolutely the best I have ever tried. I prepared the chicken exactly as you described in your recipe. I love it. This is the best seasoning mix. i may even try it on pork chops.
Reply
Penny says
April 28, 2021 at 6:38 pm

This recipe was delicious
So much flavour & chicken was so juicy
Whole family gives it a thumbs up
Best part is I have left overs for lunch tomorrow!
Reply
Heather says
May 04, 2021 at 10:17 pm

We love this! I make it all the time. It’s perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. I’m trying to cut out lunch meat & this makes delicious sandwiches. It also makes the best chicken salad.
Reply
Christina Carlee says
July 10, 2021 at 1:50 pm

Hello. I made this chicken breast dish on July 9, 2021. I followed the recipe to the letter except that I reduced the amount of salt in the rub to just 3/4 teaspoon instead of 1 teaspoon. The olive oil and the butter combined to make a wonderful sauce in the pan, which I spooned over the chicken breasts after they were plated. Very yummy! The hardest part of this recipe was slicing those slippery chicken breasts in half lengthwise and trying to not wind up in the ER. (I'm not that good with knives).
Reply
Edie says
September 11, 2021 at 9:23 am

Super easy to make, healthy, and a huge hit with the family (even the picky eater!). What more could you ask for? Paired them with the buttery green beans and roasted red skins. Everyone cleaned their plate. 😋
Reply
Susie says
October 05, 2021 at 4:29 pm

Okay, I just made these and I think I made them correctly, they were very good. I surmise a picture of HOW you cut the chicken breasts would be helpful. I usually pound the chicken to even thickness, or slice them in half to create 2 pieces which are an even thickness. Saying to cut them vertically, I picture them to look like strips, and that's how I did it, but it didn't look as the picture you show.
Reply
Madelaine Lee says
October 22, 2021 at 10:05 pm

That was FAAANtastic! It was the best baked chicken I've ever made. I ommited chili powder and chili flakes because I can't handle too much heat. Also my chicken breast were already kind of thin maybe half an inch thick once I was ready to put them in the oven, so I put them in for 15 minutes, then loosely covered with aluminum foil for five, then rested for five. Perfect! I also through on some bread crumbs. I'm pretty bad at cooking. I was never really taught. Lol. I'm so thrilled 🙂 Thank you!
Reply
JLemire says
December 20, 2021 at 8:12 pm

We loved how tender and juicy the chicken breasts were and we will definitely use this recipe again and again. Next time, though, maybe we will use regular chili powder rather than hot!
Reply
Stephanie says
January 05, 2022 at 9:11 am

This is absolutely delicious! So moist and flavorful. Anyone else having issues with either the olive oil and/or the butter spattering all over your oven when it goes in uncovered for that first bit of time? If so, any suggestions to mitigate that from happening? My smoke detectors keep going off! Also, I have used Lemon Pepper as a spice, and that is yummy, as well, but less flavorful than the original recipe here.
Reply
Sherry says
February 25, 2022 at 12:23 pm

Made this last night for dinner and it’s a keeper!! Tasty, moist and tender. I will definitely share this recipe 👍🏻 ( I doubled the spices ) Thank you.
Reply
Becky says
July 28, 2022 at 12:57 pm

When you talk about the pink Himalayan salt, you mention that it should be ground in a salt ginger. I think you mean salt grinder =). Also, you don't mention the ingredient in the recipe - you only have what looks like plain salt in the recipe.
Reply
Patti says
July 30, 2022 at 8:47 pm

Very good! Loved not having to marinate the breasts as most baked chicken recipes call for ( and they still come out dry sometimes😡). The sauce was fantastic; hubby said this is a keeper! Thanks for a great quick and delicious recipe.
Reply
Megan says
August 13, 2022 at 10:53 am

No joke this recipe changed mine and my husbands life, ha!! Before this we only ever made horribly dry chicken. This is juicy and flavorful. Thank you!!
Reply
Bev says
September 15, 2022 at 12:00 pm

Made this tonight for tea 15/09/2022 OMG they were delicious I used garlic butter to put on top of the chicken instead of plain butter they turned out absolutely gorgeous served them with sautéed cabbage, onions and fresh garlic and mashed potatoes absolutely one to keep thank you for sharing your recipe.
Reply
Kelly says
October 25, 2022 at 5:39 pm

Easy enough, but wasn't our favorite... The seasoning was overpowering.
Reply
Erica Taylor says
July 11, 2023 at 1:08 pm

I have made this a few times…so delicious. I love spicy and even though this isn’t it gave me the flavors I love, have shredded up left overs and made chicken tacos and everyone loved the! 2 meals, one pan!!!
Reply