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….
PS ⭐️🌟✨☀️💫
I really really liked the way this turned out!!! I had looked at other recipes and decided to add a step: I brined the chicken breasts after pounding. I have always cook dry chicken breasts and thought it couldn’t hurt – extra insurance. I doubled the basic seasonings and added a lot of Za’atar, which I recently discovered and now put on almost anything savory. Left out the sugar because I’m diabetic and would rather have brown sugar in a cookie. (But I’ll do it your way next time!) Also, my microwave convection oven only goes up to 425, so I baked it for about 4 minutes longer. It was perfect! SOOO tender and juicy. Thank you! 🙏
This was delicious. Made it exactly like the recipe says. So juicy and flavorful. Super easy. I made mashed potatoes on the side.
Amazingly juicy! This is such a simple amazingly quick and delicious recipe I am perfect even for a weeknight meal. I myself Tripled the seasoning and chose to use 2 teaspoons thyme and 1 teaspoon basil. Absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for sharing!
I cannot get over how good this tastes! I’ve been living the hashtag fit life for years now and I was getting so sick and bored of eating chicken I could barely stomach it anymore. This is honestly the best flavored chicken I’ve ever made. I was a little worried about the sweet flavor but shocked that there isn’t much, just a little bit and it perfectly balances the subtle spicyness of the paprika. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
I was looking for a quick fix for some chicken breast I needed to prepare. 18min baking time? Great. Instructions are to the point. Seasoning was really good and yes, the chicken was really juicy! You have a new subscriber. Will explore what else you got.
Delicious! My flatmate and I were looking for a new way to literally spice up our dinners.. we loved this recipe, we’ll cook this again!
This is my go to chicken breast recipe. Always flavorful and juicy. Great for leftovers. I love your recipes and the excellent instructions. Love Dozer too! So like our beloved Golden.
Best chicken I’ve ever made! Even my bf, who rarely gives compliments, said it was really good.
That’s awesome Lindsey!!! N x
This is a completely random rate/review, made this for chicken loving S/O tonight, had only 3 chicken breasts, so had a little seasoning left over, threw it on my sol cuisine veggie burger and cooked same about of time in over. GAME CHANGER I will use this on every veggie burger I will eat! Cannot wait to try on the BBQ also
Me and Dozer should be friends, I love fancy dress 🙂 Made this chicken on Sunday, had a very late night on Saturday so needed something easy, and yes it was super easy but tasted amazing and I will use this all the time when I´m not in the mood for standing in the kitchen for hours on a Sunday (wich I normally like actually) had steamed veg with it, yorkshires, roast spuds, gravy and stuffing balls, slurp 🙂 x
This was so easy to make and absolutely delicious!
We will be making this again very soon… possibly a weekly staple! Loved the seasoning and juiciness of the chicken! Thank you!
This recipe is so simple yet so delicious! I use the extra greece from the chicken and I drizzle it over some roast potatoes and it is so fab! Definitely my favourite recipe!!
I cooked it on a pan with just parchment paper, and it turned out great. I was wondering why you used both foil and parchment?
This is just a guess but I believe it’s for an easier clean up.
Parchment doesn’t always keep the juices from leaking through, and because there’s sugar in seasonings, it can become a really “sticky” mess have to clean.
So good! Even my picky eater loved it!
Wahoo! Winner winner chicken dinner! N x
Great recipe. No tough baked chicken. Chicken can be used in thousands of other dishes! Fantastic
completely and utterly yum-a-ratto, served it with steamed cauliflower tossed in butter and coriander…. the secret, you’re right, is cooking at the higher temperature. Very inspiring site by the way… keep up the good work !
Came out perfectly! Spices were good. Excellent
The chicken came out great. Thanks for the recipe.
That’s great to hear Michelle, thanks so much for the feedback! N x
You’re welcome