This is the most popular of all chicken breast recipes that I’ve ever published. It’s a JUICY Oven Baked Chicken Breast sprinkled with a magic simple seasoning, baked until caramelised. It’s simple, fast and incredibly tasty! This is a reader-favourite alongside Honey Garlic Chicken, this epic Parmesan Crusted Chicken and crispy Garlic Chicken.
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
A JUICY Baked Chicken Breast!
Though I always stand firm that brown meat is better than white – more flavour, more juiciness – lean chicken breast is a regular in my shopping trolley, week after week.
So today, I’m sharing my recipe for how I make Oven Baked Chicken Breast.
We can never have too many really great quick chicken breast recipes!
As simple as it sounds, if you whack a seasoned breast in the oven without thought, the chances are you’ll be chewing your way through dry chicken, furiously squirting over copious amounts of ketchup to try to salvage it.
It doesn’t need to be that way. Enter – a fabulous simple, magic chicken seasoning for baked chicken breast:
The Chicken Breast Seasoning
Made with just brown sugar, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper, the secret ingredient in this is brown sugar:
Makes more seasoning, so you can coat the breast thoroughly and give it a beautiful crust without overpowering it with lots of spices that need longer to cook than chicken breast does; and
Makes it juicy – the chicken sweat while it bakes, so you end up with wetness that makes the chicken more juicy than the usual baked chicken breast.
Yes it adds sweetness but don’t worry, this baked chicken breast is still savoury!
How long to cook chicken breast
A medium chicken breast will take 18 – 20 minutes to bake at 220C / 425F. Cooking it hard and fast at a high temperature is the secret to gorgeous caramelisation and ultra juicy chicken inside. No dried out breast around here!!
The seasoning for this chicken is actually a really great indicator for when the chicken is cooked to perfection. Basically, once the surface of the chicken is caramelised, it’s cooked to perfection inside so get it out of the oven!
My last tip for a truly great Baked Chicken Breast is to pound it to even thickness, either with a rolling pin, meat mallet or even with your fist (very therapeutic). This has the double effect of even cooking as well as tenderising the meat.
The secret behind this baked chicken is the simple, magic seasoning
Most popular of all chicken breast recipes!
This Juicy Oven Baked Chicken Breast is the single most popular of all chicken breast recipes I’ve ever shared.
But don’t believe me. Have a browse below of what others have to say!
Try serving this with a side of Garlic Butter Rice with Kale, pictured in post. One pot carb + veg side, with kale made delicious! Otherwise, try a flavoured Rice Side like Tomato Basil Rice or Mushroom Rice.
If you’re in the mood for potatoes, try this Lemon Potato Salad, a classic creamy Potato Salad or a lighter No-Mayo Red Potato Salad with Charred Corn and Bacon.
And for something fresh, Spring Salad or Creamy Cucumber Salad with Lemon Yogurt Dressing would go with the chicken beautifully. Else, simply drizzle steamed greens or a garden salad with Italian Dressing, Balsamic or French Vinaigrette. – Nagi x
More chicken breast recipes readers love!
Honey Garlic Chicken Breast – Super easy, super delicious!
Crispy Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breast – No breadcrumbs needed!
Chicken Kiev – A retro classic! Crumbed and fried chicken breast stuffed with oozing garlic butter …
Browse all chicken recipes
Baked Chicken Breast recipe
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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Oven Baked Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts , 150 – 180g / 5 – 6 oz each (Note 1)
- 2 tsp olive oil
Seasoning:
- 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano or thyme , or other herb of choice
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
Garnish, optional:
- Finely chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F/220°C (200°C fan).
- Pound chicken to 1.5cm / 0.6″ at the thickest part – using a rolling pin, meat mallet or even your fist (key tip for even cooking + tender chicken).
- Mix Seasoning.
- Line tray with foil and baking / parchment paper. Place chicken upside down on tray. Drizzle chicken with about 1 tsp oil. Rub over with fingers. Sprinkle with Seasoning.
- Flip chicken. Drizzle with 1 tsp oil, rub with fingers, sprinkle with Seasoning, covering as much of the surface area as you can.
- Bake 18 minutes, or until surface is golden per photos and video, or internal temperature is 165°F/75°C using a meat thermometer.
- Remove from oven and immediately transfer chicken to serving plates.
- Wait 3 – 5 minutes before serving, garnished with freshly chopped parsley if desired. Pictured with a side of Garlic Butter Rice with Kale.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Recipe originally published March 2018. Updated for housekeeping matters in March 2019, no change to recipe.
* The story and details of the Handcrafted Japanese Knife giveaway that originally accompanied this recipe when published was moved into a separate post because the Giveaway has finished.
LIFE OF DOZER
It’s just hanging there, taunting him. He sniffs at it, suspiciously….
This recipe is divine and so tasty. I would love to win this knife, and hide it from my partner, because he keeps stealing my ‘ok’ knives and using them for fishing or cutting open boxes (or, oh dear, putting them in the dishwasher after I have told him many many times they don’t go in. It would be brilliant to have a knife he actually respects enough not to abuse.
Hi Nagi. The chicken breast looks great. I usually try not to leave a comment before I’ve made the recipe but I promise I will give it a try soon. Also, I would LOVE to own that knife. Have a great day 🙂
Great timing – I didn’t know what to cook for company on Wednesday; this recipe will be perfect!
About the accompanying pilaf – would it be made in a similar way as your Lemon Rice Pilaf recipe but adding chopped almonds and spinach?
Having cut myself twice (1 ER trip), I could use a safer = sharp knife.
To win would solve the problem of which knife to buy. I never know if I’m going to be ripped off or you get what you pay for.
As a lover of japanese culture and food, your post caught my immediate attention. This is an absolutely stunning knife! Being so far from Japan (I’m in California), the only way I’m able to purchase anything remotely close to this is in Little Tokyo in downtown Los Angeles. My son Ronin and I drooled over the pictures of this chicken; definitely going to make it this week. Happy spring!
I was pulling together this week’s menu and saw this in my inbox. Only 6 more meals to go. I’d love to have that knife too, put my name in the hat.
I WANT THE KNIFE !!!!
Hi Nagi,
Really enjoy your blog and trying your recipes. Would love to win this knife!
Having a Japanese knife with which to work in the kitchen, made food preparation so much more enjoyable. I prompted me to attend a knife handling course and learn appropriate techniques . One gift from my son in law, radically changed my experience in the kitchen. Thanks for your tips.
I have been following your website now for over a year and have made all your recipes. I enjoy that you give readers from different countries different options and the great videos. Sharing your home family love if cooking and if course Dozer. The knife you show us what every cook should have. It would be a huge welcome to my cooking.
Keep up the awesome interesting talks and recipes
I wish I have a decent knife like that, I’ve been using my $30 knife and has been sharpening it for 5 years now but still can’t cut tomatoes easily lol
Hi I want to enter this contest because I have realised I enjoy cooking only a few months ago. Since then I’ve gotten a decent king stone to sharpen some knives and enjoy prep work more so than the cooking. I would love a nice knife and the stone too. I’ve narrowed my choice of first knife to a gyuto style knife and this would be awesome!
I would appreciate winning your chef’s knife as I really do not have a decent knife to use when I’m preparing dinner for my family as I do have pot luck dinner’s often at my home. I’m on a limited income which does not allow me to buy things that I often need – usually I’ll think of my family before myself. By the way, I love your recipes.
Hi Nagi,
Thank you for such great recipes- you make me want to cook again- cooking was turning into a drudge!
Yes yes please I would love to win the knife- both to use and to bring your spirit into my kitchen.
Best wishes to whoever is fortunate to win!
that knife would really find a good home in my kitchen and inspire me to try more of your great recipes
Hello Interesting and enjoyable recipes. even though I cook for just me I see no reason to not to eat well The recipes that you publish are not complicate and as such encourage their use,
Lovely knife Count me in..I would love to have it.
I think your blog and recipes are great The ingredients are easy to make, to obtain and economical to buy ! This is important to me because I am a pensioner living within a tight budget Also I have a very fussy husband where meals are concerned and am happy to say he doesn’t do much complaining since I have been using your recipes So dear girl those recipes coming !!!
Hi Nagi! I’d love to win this knife! At the moment I’m struggling in a 1950’s kitchen in a little rental house – no bench space, unfamiliar oven, a pantry designed for giants ( most of the storage is so high I need a stepladder to reach), and most of my “essential” kitchen tools still stuck in moving boxes somewhere. A beautiful knife would make the whole experience a whole lot more enjoyable!
And just as an aside – I love that most of your recipes are so “do-able” that I can still make them even with my current facilities!
What a stunning work of art and magnificent tool.
I would love to use it to produce the recipes you lovingly present.
Now ‘That’s a Knife’! Mick Dundee would be
impressed and I would be very very impressed
and proud to display this wonderful knife
on my kitchen bench! Love your receipes
Nagi – easy no fuss, super tasty and present
beautifully.