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 the chance to prep with this knife pick me pleaseeeeeeeeeeee
Hi, I second everyone’ emotion… “A chance to win a Japanese knife!” Great! Thank you!!
I’d love to win the knife to pair it with Aritsugu knife I have 😉
Hi Nagi! What a beautiful knife! ♥ I’ve got chicken breasts out for dinner tonight, so this recipe came along at just the right time 🙂 Looks very appetising and has my taste buds going atm! 😉 hehe Thanks for the great opportunity to own an authentic japanese knife…. always wanted never attained a dream come true!
sharonboyton@yahoo.com.au
Hi Nagi
Well done you sorting Yumiko out for further shopping. I quite love good knives even if my cooking doesn’t reflect the expertise!! Catch up “soon”! Di
I want this knife in my life. Awesome giveaway! Love you’re recipes.
That knife looks amazing! Been cooking a lot more recently but not with great knives:(
I just recently found some of your recipes and they are all delicious to my taste! Thank you for introducing your great cooking to everyone. I’d also love to have that awesome Japanese’ knife please!
Hello! I really appreciate all of the content and recipes that you’re showing us! I definitely would love to own this knife since I’ve recently started seriously cooking! I’ve turned to several of your recipes to learn more about Asian cuisine and general recipe structures and I must say that I’m excited to see more of your future posts! Thank you for it all!
I would like to have this knife
Absolutely would love this knife!!
I would love to have this knife! What a difference it would make in my kitchen! Alex from Honduras
To be able to get a Japanese hand crafted knife is a life dream of mine and would serve me like how a doctor uses his scalpel. I’ve been looking up these knifes and knife kits since i began my journey in cooking due to my mom which has been around 14 years so far and soon ill be opening up a restaurant of my dreams and fo be able to have this knife with me till then would be an honour. Even if I don’t get I’m still planning on getting on once i have more money and don’t spend all of my money on one yet. It would make my world to be given this knife and be able to cook with it and have one to myself and hold one. Also i love your videos and glad i found you on insta a while back. I also hope sometime if you want to you could do vegan recipes I recently turned vegan but either way I’m still cooking all that you make for my family cause I love to cook everything and i cooked this chicken dish for my dad and he loves it. Love all your recipes so much its amazing!! ❤😊
Oh wow, I would love to win this knife!! 🙂 thank you for the wonderful recipes and videos you’ve shared, and also for this generous giveaway 🙂
HIII!
I seriously want this knife c:
it’s so nice which is nice °~°
I will love cooking more than ever if I have this knife, it’s so sharp which is great.
now, bye bye.
if I don’t win, I hope the winner use the knife carefully. ☆-☆ good luck for you all .
Oooo I would really love this knife 😍🔪
Hello!!!
This is an awesome giveaway and I would love to be one of the lucky ones.
Thanks for sharing all you amazing recipes. I am originally from Bangladesh but living in US. My mom is an amazing cook like yourself but while I was young never paid any attention to her cooking. And recipes are all I get to follow now. I am not a fan of cooking in general (I don’t like the heat from the stove, I know lame excuse coming from an Asian descent- but my defense, just because I was born in a warm country, doesn’t mean I have to love it) but your recipes look delicious and you make them look so easy.
The Chinese Lettuce Wrap is my favorite!
Thanks again!
My Dad was a butcher and he used Japanese knives for all his small work. This post reminds me of him. I would love to win it. Tried the chicken-we all loved it. Thanks for plenty of easy go to recipes.
Hi Nagi – What a great prize, to top the excellent selection of recipes that my family have come to ask for the next installment of. I would LLOOOOVVEEEE this japanese knife – my significant other dropped my beautiful German version the other day and bent the tip, so that is hers now, so I need a replacement 🙂
Cheers
This is so awesome! I love your recipes and videos! I get so many ideas and helpful tips from you. It would be very cool to win but just keep those recipes coming. Have a fantastic day!
Hi Nagi! That knife looks fantastic! It would be a great addition to, and an even better knife than the one I have now. I would really love to win! Also, that chicken dinner looks super yummy! I’m definitely going to try it.