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….
Absolutely delicious! This is a new favourite in our house hold
Wow! What an amazing juicy and flavorful baked chicken breast recipe. This is by far the best baked chicken recipe I’ve tried so far, thanks!
It says to line with foil AND parchment paper but I only see parchment paper on the video ? Where does that the foil go ?
It’s there Victoria – just under the paper! N x
Why foil AND parchment paper?
The Foil brings the heat to th pan and the parchment paper keeps your whole pan clean.
THANK YOU for explaining the high temp and short cooking time. I always made dried chicken until this time! This recipe is fantastic!!
YUM! I made this with oregano and its great. Next tine I will try thyme. I didn’t slice my chicken breasts thin so it took about 15 minutes longer than the instructed time but they’re still juicy!
I used 1/2 oregano and 1/2 Thyme and WOWSERS
Wow! I suck at chicken breast and these turn out amazing every time!!!
Great recipe. I used dried thyme as my herb but only used 1/2 tsp then added about 1 tsp of fresh lemon zest. To insure the zest did not burn, I added oil to the rub to make it a paste.
Absolutely loved this chicken! Thank you!! So moist and delicious 😋
This was pretty good recipe!!! I doubled the seasoning amounts and made a honey brown sugar Sriracha honey sauce to go atop my chicken and butter garlic rice
What a tasty dish!!!. Thanks for sharing. I think your dish is very delicious. I will make this recipe for my family and my friend. I hope you have more recipe like this.
I wanted something different but simple to make with chicken and came across this recipe. It came out very juicy and delicious. I doubled the spice mix but didn’t use all of it. Loved it and would make it again. Thank you for the recipe.
Hi,
I like the ease to make this recipe. I’ve made it twice but unlike other recipes that have been a real hit (i.e. swedish meatballs) this one has come out bland tasting and a little dry each time. I figured I made the cutlets a little thin (an inch maybe) and not of enough of the seasoning (though it looked plenty enough). Anything I could be doing wrong?
Thx, keep up the good work
Sorry, stupid of me, didn’t see the . on my screen
15 cm? Perhaps 1.5 🙂
Thanks for a great recipe, well done.
Oh yum, Nagi, another winner. So moist and leftovers were still moist for lunch the next day.
How much of the seasoning when making the mixture?
Best baked chicken breast recipe ever!
My husband loved it.
He prefers fried but enjoyed flavor and tenderness.
Not juicy at all. My adult kids were kind on their reviews. I would not cook again.
Cooked this tonight. Scaled recipe down for 2 and served it with steamed asparagus and potatoes. It was delish! Made a mistake with oven temp, but it still turned out great. Thanks Nagi for another fab recipe.
Hi, is it possible to adapt this recipe without the sugar? If so, is there a substitute spice you would suggest eg cinnamon?
Not this one as written sorry Mike, the sugar helps form a crust keeping the chicken super juicy. N x