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 love to win, as my daughter loves cooking and anything Japanese, as when she started school, in Brisbane they were teaching her Japenese. She had a couple of Japanese girls stay with us when we lived at Wyong. I am dying of heart disease, and it would be a great birthday present to give her before I go. Every time she is cooking in the kitchen
using the knife she would think of me.
Me!! Me!! Me!! Pick me!! 🖐️🖐️🖐️
I would love to have the knife!!! ♥️🔪
Hi Nagi. If you saw the state of my current knives – cheap “Stay Sharp” Wiltshire knives – that are anything but – you would be thinking “Man this girl needs this knife!” Having said that, even if I don’t win, I will still devotedly follow your blog and try your recipes. This last week EVERY night I cooked one of your recipes! I love your simple approach to cooking and your chatty and friendly style of writing. Cooking is an escape for me from the daily grind of being a high school principal. Mind you, there are times a sharp knife would come in handy at work…!!! :0
It’s simple: I want this knife!! 🙂
I would love to win this knife. My good knife is a bit heavy in the hand for lots of chopping. Thank you for your recipes – the wild rice salad is on weekly rotation since I discovered it at Christmas !
Would love a good knife.
Love the knife, love the chicken.
Double love flowing your way!
i would love to win this knife for my husband he is a chef at a very high end sushi restaurant, sushi fix in Mn. this would be the perfect knife for him to whip out the Japanese entrees!
Hi Nagi, you are very generous. I would love to win this beautiful Japanese knife – I love to cook, its the linchpin of my beautiful family and I love your wonderful recipes. Thank you.
I love to cook and that beautiful knife would be a lovely thing to add to my knives.
I need this knife in my life, it looks gorgeous 🙂
It would be an honor to receive the knife.
hi nagy, thanks for all the great recipes
WOULD LOVE THIS KNIFE!!!!!!
This knife will allow me to cut meats and slice vegetables professionally. I love to cook but have never been able to purchase expensive knives. I can use this for almost everything .
Please surprise me with this giveaway as I never win anything.
Pick me!! Pick me!! Pretty please pick me for the knife giveaway! Sharp knives are one of life’s little, but great, pleasures. I can’t tell you the number of times a dull knife has nearly caused some serious injury.
*and I LOVE the roasted Parmesan potatoes!
I do not recall I ever owned a Japanese made knife. I was told that they are of superior quality. Most of my knives are either made in U.S.A. or Germany. However, I also have a few chinese made Knives.
I would love to have one of these Japanese knives and to personally see it in action in my kitchen.
Thank you for the wonderful recipes! I have many that I reuse time and time again. 🙂 I look forward to each and every time I get an email because I have a new recipe from you!
I would love to get this gorgeous knife but I would not keep it for myself. I would give it to my dad. He loves to cook and is the best cook in the family.
Thanks, again!
Blessings
After telling my husband not to dig frozen ingredients out of a jar with our large chopping knife he finally took the tip off it, grrr. That knife of yours looks glorious and my husband, if it made it’s way to our kitchen, would not be allowed to touch it. We enjoy your recipes, especially the Asian one, though my 10 year old whipped up that delicious lemon cake of yours on the weekend. Thankyou…
I NEED this knife in my life!!!
Anita dot Sharp a gmail dot com!
I was going to say that I’d kill for this knife and then rethought the use of that phrase and say I’d love this knife. I can’t even imagine the luxury of using something so fine. (I’d also love to have it to prepare the side you show with the chicken breast…I’d enjoy having the recipe and hope you’ll share it.)
Yes I would love the knife!!!!