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 have a new found love of cooking and your recipes are helping me develop my confidence!! Our family love them – so thank you!!
I would love love love to have this knife.
Would love to have a good quality knife! Thanks for the chance to win!
What yummy looking chicken, and a beautiful knife! You are my favorite cooking blog and the only one I actually subscribe to! I have tried many of your recipes and loved them all. I would love to win this knife as I don’t have a really good sharp knife, but yet I do tons of cooking daily for my husband and 8 children here in Wisconsin! 🙂
Hi Nagi,
Wow what a gorgeous knife, I would love to win it!
I am our family cook & just putting it out there, your site is my first go to whenever looking for recipes, they always have beautiful flavours, are easy to follow & fail proof!! I’m constantly sharing your details with friends & family because of the consistent compliments! Thanks so much xx
P.S I think chicken is on the menu tonight 😉
This fine Japanese hand crafted knife would complete my woolies knife set haha
Sorry Nagi
I would be very grateful to win this knife, it would be so much easier to cut up ingredients for my stirfrys. I did buy chicken breast when I did my shopping this morning, now I have a great recipe to try them with. Thank you.
I so want and need this knife, I need ( and my family eating it) all the help in the kitchen I can get 👨🍳
would love this knife What’s not to love?
I have one beautiful Japanese knife that I use most of the time. This lonely knife needs a few mates.
Hi Nagi,
This is a lovely recipe with minimal ingredients as is your style of cooking -great! I usually do not bake chicken breast – too dry but will try this recipe. Thank you for the many recipes that never fail to impress. One usually has all the required ingredients on hand.
I would really really love to have this piece of beautiful artwork called a Japanese knife & Sharpener. I have never seen anything remotely close to it with its stunning wavelike watermark! I look forward to holding this beauty in my hand!!
This knife is so very beautiful. I have always wanted to own a wooden handled knife, but never imagined I could ever get my hands on (or afford) a perfectly balanced, handcrafted Japanese knife.
And yes Nagi I agree with you wholeheartedly that Japanese knives are the best…Always.
I am extremely excited about this giveaway and am totally fangirling right now!
Beautiful…just beautiful.
Wow. I would LOVE to be the winner of this knife. Is it wrong to be getting so deliriously excited about an inanimate object?
Hi Nagi!
Wow, what a beautiful looking knife! Amazing craftsmanship, and a very special addition to a kitchen, especially MINE!! I would love the chance to own his beautiful knife.
Love your website and enjoy your recipes, with a dash of humour thrown in, love it!
Cheers, Adrienne from Brisbane
Hi Nagi,
Hello from Arizona, USA and thanks for all the wonderful recipes. I’d love nothing more than to own a professional knife like this.
Such a beautiful knife! I hope I win! Good luck everyone!
Hello Nagi and Dozer from Canada!
Nagi i consult your site at least once a week to find a new recipe to try, thank you for all the great inspiration. I would love to win this knife to use in my kitchen🤗
Oh yes! I’m giving my age away now, but in the early seventies, as in the twentieth century (!), Japanese restaurants featuring a Japanese chef preparing meals directly in front of the diners seated around the cooking top, became very popular. This was the first time I had ever seen or tasted such amazing food prepared in such dramatic dazzling style. The handsome Chef had a spectacular knife and performed . . . . culinary acrobatics with it, flipping the shrimp tails through the air before they landed smartly in a bowl. Everything was sumptuous and lovely and elegant. And delicious from the soup and salad onward to the shrimp and the “Kobi steak, flown in this morning from Tokyo,” he’d say with a twinkle in his eye and a smile! I don’t know if that was true, but why not BELIEVE! I still remember the soy and ginger flavors and oh, I miss that food! My husband and I had our wedding dinner party at that restaurant, I will never forget it — it was called Nikusake of Tokyo, in Albany, New York. It’s no longer there, but I will continue remembering!
So, yes, please put my name in the running, and should I win, I will try to honor the memories!
Thank you for favorably changing our dinner times too, and sharing Dozer with us!
Wow! Just a beautiful looking knife. I put that right up there with jewelry. So fine jewelry piece for the kitchen. Would very much like it in mine! Great recipe for me to try too!
would love this knife!Winner winner chicken dinner
I would love thjs knife!!!
Oops. Didn’t mean to comment twice. sorry!
This knife would be fantastic in anyones
Kitchen, so on the basis of you have to
Be in it to win it!
Here we go……