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….
I would love to own a knife like this. Thank you so much for this giveaway.
Hi Nagi, I would love this knife it looks beautiful to work with and would look great in my new kitchen. Love your recipes and I am a devoted fan. Chicken looks great will cook this tonight and let you know. Brown sugar was a good idea.
I would love to win this knife. What a lovely generous gesture. I love your hilarious stories.
Wow, what a fantastic looking knife! Would love to be its proud owner 🙂
I really could use a wonderful knife, especially since my 90-year-old mother is now unable to eat so many
foods. I have to make three from-scratch meals a day for her. That’s a lot of cutting!
All I can say is what a knife. I saw a program on TV about making Japanese knifes and I can remember saying that I would love one of them in my kitchen. We’ll just maybe I will get my wish.
I would love to use this knife in my kitchen! I love to cook and most of my knives suffer from being way to dull to be useful. This knife looks gorgeous and I would love to have it in my kitchen!
Oh! I love Japanese knives. They’re so beautiful. The closest thing we have to a good knife is my old Global, which I’ve been carrying around with me for years. I’d love to have this knife!
Hi Nagi, as the chef of the house my wife comes home from work to her dinner on the table every night. The kids love the dinners from recipes I am fortunate enough to receive from yourself.
We had a knife set given to us as a wedding present some 13 years ago, I would love to replace it with a Japanese knife.
Love your site so much Nagi. Thank you for helping me to prepare so many great and tasty dishes that people just love to eat. Now this! Wow what an opportunity for a lucky winner! I so hope that it is me.
I NEED THIS KNIFE IN MY LIFE!!!!! Hi Nagi, my fiance and I are obsessed with good food and prepare meals for our family and friends regularly. They love our cooking and we love doing it! I have tried lots of your recipes, (I follow you on Pinterest) and they never disappoint! This chicken recipe will be made very, very soon. We know the value of a good knife, and have bought each other nice knives in the past, but nothing like this one!!! I would love this so much!!!! It is gorgeous! Please, please consider me when choosing the winner. I promise to take tender loving care of this beauty, and I would use it daily!
Nagi your site is awesome and I cook your recipes weekly as they are quick, easy and delicious.
Thank you for making my dinners less stressful.
Would love to be entered into your knife giveaway competition. Thank you
Yes please, I would love to be the happy owner of this lovely knife!! I agree it makes spending time in the kitchen much more enjoyable when you have a great knife to work with 😃😃
Hello Nagi
Love your recipes I rarely use any other these days
I have a knife so blunt that my mother used to say I could ride to China on it! So I would absolutely love to win your Authentic Japanese knife to show off in my kitchen. I turned 71 this year it’s about time I had a great knife ❤️
would love the knife as I love to cook and the drama of using it could only add to the flavour .I could also use it to keep my wife away while I am preparing dinner.
I’d love to win the knife as I’ve never had a good sharp knife before but I do a lot of cooking and sometimes it’s a struggle cutting my ingredients. Whether I win or not, I’d like to know where to go in Japan to get good knives.
I would LOVE to surprise my Japanese daughter-in-law by presenting this knife for her to use when she & my son visit! She always cooks at least one Japanese meal for us when they visit from Fukuoka.
I would LOVE to win this knife! Mine is broken and it’s not easy chopping with a knife when the tip has broken off. I’ve put off buying a new one because I want good quality, so this would be perfect!
Thanks for all your great recipes, you are my go to now.
I love to cook and do it all at a million miles an hour. Combine this with bad knives and the result… regular carnage to fingers!!! Please save me!!!
Love your recipes and your adventures with Dozer! I could use new knives that are that sharp!!! Thank you!
Hi Nagi, you should next give away a….yakitori grilling station 😂 In the meanetime I would love this beautiful knife!
Thanks for sharing this recipe and all the others that are my go to every Friday when I meal plan for the week.