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, i would loveto win the knife, i agree a great knife in the kitchen is an asset
All of my knives are blunt as my wife cuts cardboard and other non-culinary items with them. This knife would be my very own! Love your recipes and try so many of them as my first choice.
Hello Nagi
I love to cook so I would love to have this knife in my kitchen!
By the way you have a very nice way to represent your dishes, I love it!
Regards
Marah
That’s exactly what my daughter (Dietitian & excellent cook) tells me, “the best tool you can have in the kitchen is a good knife”. Seeing that I love to cook & do not own an excellent knife, I would love to win this. Thank you Nagi for so many fabulous recipes & for this great giveaway!
Hi Nagi,
You are my ‘Go To’ for recipes because I know they are tried and true.
My birthday is the 26th and this world famous knife would be the best birthday present ever!
Bye for now,
Wynne Ann
I would love to receive this knife! I am always using your wonderful recipes.
Hello Naji, I would love to win this knife. Every time I watch cooking shows, and watch the chefs use a professional knife, I just see myself using one of these exceptional knives. Also thank u for opening up my tastebuds with some of your recipes.
I really really really want and need this knife. Recently my husband and I have started cooking and not ordering out for our family of 5 when I first came across you and your delicious recipes I did the lemon cream sauce for my talpia and it was delicious! I am learning how IMPORTANT it is to have a GOOD knife. I am incorporating different meats more vegetables and fruit and other ingredients in our meals and I don’t really have many tools for cooking. This knife would be excellent! Thank you for this opportunity to learn more ways to explore cooking and ways to get very useful free stuff! You are just amazing thank you and you Mum very much!
Upon retiring and therefor having more time, I decided to try and learn how to become a competent cook. Your
recipes and notes have been an integral part of that ongoing journey. A knife such as you describe would be icing
on my personal cake.
We wants a knife Precious!
You’re recipes are such a treat- specially the lentil. As for the knife, YES, I WANT THE KNIFE!! monumentally@yahoo.com.
Hi Nagi, I need that knife! 🙂
Love your recipes!!
Nagi,
I appreciate the giveaways you do along with the great recipes. I am slowly (very) redoing and updating the kitchen. I would love to add a really good knife. My email is dcduffy24@gmail.com.
Thank you again.
Dan Duffy
Hi Nagi, I want to start with your recipes are awesome and I love the updates on Dozer who reminds me of my Jake that I had to have put to sleep and miss so much, so sharing Dozer with us is a treat. I have a daughter in law who is from Yokosuka, Kanagawa (born and raised there) my son was stationed there and they were married and I could not ask for a more loving person to have in my family, her parents are still in Yokosuka and she tries to see them every other year. I would love to win the knife so that I could give it to my granddaughter when my time on earth is done, but in the mean time I would make good use of it as I love to cook and I think I do a pretty good job for being the 70 year old that I am, but following your recipes even makes it easier.
Hi Nagi,
I’m 28 and very new to cooking (I’ve burnt Mac and cheese in the microwave before ☹️). Your recipes have been life changing.
I keep coming back to your Chicken fajitas recipe, and I’ve successfully made it 3 times without burning the house down. Soooo yummy.
I was looking for a new chicken marinade and fortuitously found your newest recipe! Very excited to try this one out tonight.
Thank you so much for your detailed and easy to follow instructions (and pics!). You’re responsible for making a type A person like myself actually enjoy cooking. Now all I need are the right tools in the kitchen 🙂 thanks for hosting a great giveaway!
Sorry Nagi, did not read your instructions carefully and left out my email address in my original comment:
bunnyhop@uwclub.net
I would love to win this very special knife. It would aid me a great deal in the kitchen.
Thanks Again Nagi.
Susan from the UK.
What a beautiful knife! My father use to sharpen my mom’s kitchen knives with a sharpening stone. The blade would be so sharp. I would love to own a Japanese knife for all the cutting and slicing I do for all my meal preps.
I hope to try your chicken recipe this weekend. I enjoy your recipes and recently made the slow cooker pot roast, yum, and tonight is soup night so I am making your lentil soup.
Thank you.
Nagi-
I have been loving this blog since I found it about a year ago. I am not great at leaving comments 😊. But I love the simplicity and substitutions you provide. Oh and the recipes always turned out very tasty 😋. I agree that a chiefs kife is a must have tool in the kitchen ( still don’t have one😊) anyway my email address is: zainabysaid1234@yahoo.com
I hope to hear from you soon.
Hi Nagi!
I emailed you recently to say how delighted I was to find your website, as I am (finally!) trying to learn how to cook! Well, I have been choosing a new recipe each day, and can honestly say I have never had such great success in cooking. Not only am I very proud of the meals I have been producing, but my partner is also very, very happy 😉
The recipes are easy to follow and taste scrumdiddlyumptious!
So happy to have you here with me in my kitchen in the Rocky Mountains. I would, of course, be delighted to also have your beautiful Japanese knife with me to!!
With many grateful thanks for your awesome work,
Love Christine xox
Hi Nagi, I enjoy your recipes and reading about your relationship-adventures with your Kahsan. My mother passed in 2009, and I would love to have a knife from Japan, to remind me of her and the days when she taught me Japanese cooking. Food was a very big part of making memories for us. Have a lovely day. 🙂