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!
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
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….
Nagi, I want and would love to have this knife! I use alot of your recipes and now my wife doesn’t have to wait till we go to a major city to get her asian on. We simply do it at home at least twice a week, thanks to your awesome recipes. Now our food is authentic! 😊
Love your recipes and have made quite a few. Hope to win this knife. Thanks in advance from Canada.
Would love to have a knife like this to cook with! This will be a start of my ‘good knives’ collection!
HI am an avid cook. I’ve just updated my kitchen with some of the best appliances. Unfortunately, I’ve never been able to fine a knife suitable to call “professional ” grade. Probably have owned 100 knives in my years. I need this knife to complete my professional kitchen upgrade.
I love these recipes and think this knife would make the perfect addition to my kitchen
Hi Nagi,
Thankyou for your humour and recipes that work. Look forward to seeing what you and Dozer have been up to every week.
I’d love to win knife, who wouldn’t. Please give me the opportunity.
Keep the recipes coming.
Yes please. I would love to win this knife. Thank you so much for the chance to win this beautiful knife.
I would love to have a nicely crafted knife like that! Pick meeeeeee! 😀
I would love to have a knife this sharp, much safer and easier to use than the old, lower quality ones I own now. It’s like a work of art that I could pass down to my daughter and she could pass down for future generations.
Oh my gosh, that knife is almost as beautiful as your sweet Dozer! I have been using an old hand me down set of Chicago Cutlery knives that have lived long past their prime. I would love to see what scrumptious goodies I could create with a magnificent piece of art like this!
Your recipes are always a delicious addition to our meals! Thank you for sharing! Love that Dozer!
i do hope I am the chosen one to receive this wonderful knife.
Oh wow! I badly needed that one coz i am really trying my best to cook for my husband…we just got married and i love cooking for him…thank you and i really love all your recipes…so easy to follow ….more power!
PLEASE, please could I have your giveaway knife?
Sick to death of buying knives on retailers advise, finding out that they’re useless!
I need this knife!!! As I begin my career as a personal chef, good knives are key to food preparation. Great knives are expensive and this would be a blessing for me to start off with this knife.
So want the knife, don’t have many fancy appliances in my kitchen, but always have a good knife.
Learned this from my father in-law when i used to help in his bakery.
Margy
The knife, the knife, my kingdom for the knife! 😁
I be so excited to win this knife! Your recipes have completely changed my relationship to cooking. I first came across your Salisbury steak recipe and now have many go-to favorites on your website. Your recipes are easy to follow and very tasty. Thank you for all of these recipes! Good luck to the winner!
Yes I would love the knife!!! Nagi you are such a gem.
Made your Beef and Rice with Veggies – yum. I also made your Lemon Honey Glazed Salmon.
It passed the test – husband ate and liked it. I am now going to serve it to a nephew who
doesn’t like salmon – trying to convert him – but just in case I’m making the Oven Baked Chicken
Breast as a backup. It’s probably a great leftover so no waste there.
Keep up your lovely work!!!
Please please please let me win this knife. I would go out of my way to tell even more people about how fabulous your recipes are. I might even start stopping random strangers ……. the knife might help with this! 🤣
I would love this knife! Just recently got into cooking and I have learned so much!