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….
Hi Nagi, my family really enjoy your recipes, we feel you are a marvellous cook. We would be blessed to win your knife.
Have a great day!
I NEED a new sharp knife as my one is blunt as my husband uses it to cut branches in the garden!!!!!!!!!!!
Love your recipes – they are so simple to follow and the results are great
I would love to be able to use this knife….
Hi Nagi, thank you for your hard work. I don’t need a knife, however that knife does look stunning.
I will offer a recipe that is neither Japanese or really needs such a marvellous knife, At a stretch I can say the Miso paste is the link to Japan.
I work with some South Africans, who are hundreds of miles away from a Nando’s who really miss their chicken livers. I, for unfathomable reasons decided to make them happy. I flew to Johannesburg, for business, making sure I tasted the chicken livers from Nando’s.
After several attempts, this recipe produces the most praise. I look forward to seeing your rigour in testing and adaptations to ingredients. The secret is baking, not frying the livers. This stops them from becoming tough.
Chicken Livers
INGREDIENTS
∙ 500 g chicken livers
∙ MARINADE
∙ 45 ml vinegar (combined apple cider + balsamic)
∙ 45 ml olive oil
∙ 15 ml lemon juice
30 ml Miso paste
∙ 2 cloves garlic, crushed
∙ 5 ml Peri Peri powder
∙ 5 ml ground cumin
∙ 5 ml ground coriander
∙ 2.5 ml Chinese 5 spice
∙ salt and freshly ground black pepper
∙ 2 bay leaves
SAUCE
∙ 30 g butter or margarine ( I used bacon fat)
∙ 1 onion, thinly sliced
∙ 15 ml tomato paste
∙ 30 ml Worcestershire sauce
∙ 125 ml chicken stock
∙ 125 ml red wine
PREPARATION
1. 1. Trim chicken livers of any membranes and all discoloured bits. 2. To make marinade: Combine all ingredients and marinate chicken livers for 1- 2 hours or overnight. Drain livers and roast on an oven tray at 210°C for 8-10 minutes, reserving the marinade. 3. To make sauce: Heat together butter. Sauté onion until soft. 3. 4. Reduce heat and add tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock and reserved marinade. 5. Simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add the chicken livers, simmer for 3 minutes.
Serve with crusty bread
This can also be served over pasta.
Pasta Sauce
Saute a small onion and a shallot, both finely diced with a tablespoon of minced sage leaves. Stir in 100ml of mushroom soup powder, allow to brown. Make a sauce with 1 cup chicken stock, and ½ cup of creme fraiche. Stir in the chicken livers.
WOW, WOW, WOW i can only dream of owning a knife of that calibre. Would absolutely love to win this knife Nagi. It looks like samurai sword in the box! Beautiful and refined! Thanks for offering this giveaway
I’m not a safe knife handler and my son is always on about the poor quality of my knives and is slowly upgrading them. I would love this knife to be a gift to him a young man who trained as a chef and enjoys his craft.
Thank you for your flow of easy to prepare variety of home based recipes.
Pick me! Pick me! I would love to win this knife! Thanks Nagi
What a fabulous prize! I would like to have this for my husband who loves to do all the chopping for me!
BTW, I love how you slip in cooking tips and how you explain the reason for doing something your way! For example how you explained the reason you add brown sugar to the chicken seasoning. I would have never done that without knowing your reason. Thank you for doing that!
I would love that knife! If I had the knife, would my cooking turn out to look like yours? All the recipes of yours that I have tried are delicious.
This knife sounds and looks amazing. Please enter me as well.
Thank you for the chicken recipe too.
Nagi, Not sure what wonderful item to compliment you on first. The Chicken Breast looks supurb to say the least, and
YES, I WANT THE KNIFE, YES, I WANT THE KNIFE. Also, where did you get that wonderful outfit for DOZER?
if i can buy it on-line from where-ever, I want my Cody to have one also.
Please let me know of the store and what country it is in, or if you have a web address, that would be perfect.
Nagi, your always treating us like “top drawer” and your recipes never fail, as with your Mom’s. She taught you well.
Be well always, and God Bless you, Dozer, and Mom XX
Hi Nagi, Another fabulous recipe! Thank you – another dinner sorted. I would love to win a top of the line Japanese knife. Thanks for the chance.
Oh wow Nagi, that knife is GORGEOUS! I also agree that Japanese steel is second to none. I would love to be in the running for this comp, please and thank you!
Also, could Dozer be more adorable. Golden retrievers are my crack (I dream to own one where I am in a rental that allows pets) and I love ending each recipe with a pic of him <3
Thank you for the opportunity to go in the draw for this stunning knife. Your recipes are great and I cook most of them as they arrive in my inbox. And they are always popular with the family.
I’m here for both the recipe AND the giveaway! That knife looks incredible and since I’ve gotten used to a santoku knife I’m intrigued about trying a real Japanese chef’s knife! I hope you can ship to Canada if I win! 😀
Gorgeous knife and I’m in need of a good knife! Would love to win this.
Oh, Nagi, there is an empty spot in my drawer just waiting for the perfect knife! I try almost every one of your recipes (and LOVE them and pass them to my daughter who also loves them), and there are very few that don’t involve a chopped or sliced or minced ingredient. I can’t express how much I would love to win this knife and sharpener!
This chicken was divine! Juicy and flavorful!
Hi, I would love to win this knife, because I am so tired of having to saw through food to try to cut it. It would be such a joy to use a knife as this Shun knife that cut through the paper so easily. I love your recipes and am a faithful reader since I enjoy cooking and make something new everyday. Looking forward to many more recipes. Thank You.
Hi Nagi. I really want a super sharpe Japanese knife. What a way to impress my family and friends. I will probably feel like I’m in a Samurai movie!!! Cheers👍👍
Nagi, I would love to have that knife in my kitchen to use. All my knives are so old and do not hold an edge very long at all.
arigatou gozaimasu