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 am a total foodie – scouring the internet and tons of cookbook for recipes, shopping for it, preparing it and eating it! I am also a lover and admirer of all things quality, including the equipment I use in the kitchen. While I would love a knife like this it is unfortunately beyond what my pocketbook will allow. I can’t even begin to imagine what a dream come true something like this would be in my kitchen after decades of using inferior knives (one mishap even requiring a trip to the emergency room and several stitches!) I have no doubt I would be amazed at the “like night and day” difference this knife would make!
Wow, that looks like an awesome knife. I have been practicing hand sharpening on whetstones. Would love to sharpen that knife and use it!
I am a housewife and the kitchen is my favorite place. I cook and bake a lot for my family. I would love to have this Japanese knife, always have a fight cutting with meats either cook or uncooked. It is frustrating. I don’t have one yet. Thanks, I love your site.
I would absolutely love this knife! I am not trying to influence anyone but we made your roasted chickpea salad the other day and it really is fantastic!
Dear Nagi,
I just found your blog a couple of weeks ago and have recommended it to all my friends since then. I love the way you write, your witt and your passion for food, but mostly that you put taste above everything. I loved your risotto with bacon and chicken and the roasted chickpea salad and for sure will try the chicken breasts too.
As you can assume by my poor English I am from the other side of the world. A little town in Austria, when I look out the window and there is nothing but snow and ice right now.
I am from a family of pup owners and wine makers. The last restaurant in our family was run by aunt Gerty, but at the age of 80, she decided to close ist down. She asked me, if I would love to have a memory from her restaurant – an offer I happily accepted. So I went there, helped her to clean the place and got a huge gastro size gullash pot in return. I had actually hoped for a knive, as you must know …a big chef´s knive was and still is my biggest dream… but there were no knives in sight.
“Where are the knives?”, I asked eventually.. I did not want so seem too greedy, I just had got a pot. But aunt Gerty just smiled and said: “There are no knives, because every chef always keeps the knives with himself. No chef ever leaves his knive behind or would give it away ever.”
Therefore I find it super special, that you choose such a personal giveawy and I would be over the moon if I could give your knive a new home in Austria and look after it. I think Aunt Gerty would be astonished too… she just wrote her first private cook book at her computer after she had learned to use a computer at the age of 80… we sometimes cook together and using a Japanese knive in all this beauty – something she has not seen in her whole life – would be another virgin happiness for her too..
lots of love and big hug
Martina from Austria (yes the… there are no kangaroos in Austria …Austria 🙂
I would LOVE to have this knife in my kitchen. I would make good use of it chopping vegetables for one of my favorite recipes ever – your one pot Mexican chicken and rice 😍
Hi Nagi,
I would love to have a “real” knife in my kitchen. I have all those cheap “knives in a block” as well as one of those Teflon coated knives with the holes in them. It would be awesome to be able to use a knife like a professional instead of feeling like I’m using a plastic knife from a fast food joint 😉
I love your site and your dog. Thank you so much for sharing both. Winning the knife, (I NEVER win anything) would be beyond awesome.
I would cherish this great knife if selected. I used to live in Hawai’i and one of my favorite stores was Daiei (is now a chain called Don Quijote). After having left Hawai’i in 2007 to move to Florida to help care for my father, I TRULY miss being able to browse the store and buy authentic Japanese ingredients and cutlery.
Cheers!
Robert
macguru @ tampabay.rr.com
I enjoy reading and using your recipes. I am diabetic 2 and my husband obese so I always find recipes that appeals to our Needs. Pls add more.
Again thank for entering me in knife giveaway.
What does it mean “my comments awaiting moderation”?
Hi. Yes I want that knife! You use chopped parsley to garnish and make everything look so good. Chopping parsley is hard for me to do. Hopefully this knife would make it a lot easier. Looking forward to making the oven baked chicken breast recipe with some rice. As a suggestion for a topic, or maybe you already covered it, go over the different type of rices, I am new to rice and find in stores white rice, long grain white looking rice, balsamatic rice, jasmine rice, and sometimes brown rice. Thank You for your recipes.
HI Nagi, I really appreciate a sharp knife and my husband loves to sharpen them. It really helps to keep my fingers intact!
Hi Nagi,
I use some many of recipes all the time. I would love to have a Japanese knife.
Thanks Nikki from Cherry Valley, IL USA
Thank you for all of the great recipies. I will be making this chicken tonight. I have never used a Japanese knife before but it looks almost too nice to use 🙂 It will certainly be the nicest knife I own if I were to win!
I would love to have this excellent knife. Thank you for this wonderful giveaway. Plus I love your blog and all of your recipes.
Oh, how I love this blog! I cook from your recipes a couple of times a week and some of our favorite dishes are yours! So for your next giveaway, you should give away a week of you in someone’s kitchen, cooking for them. 😉
Thanks for all your recipes. I’d love the knife!
Hola Nagi,tambien quiero el cuchillo!! seria un lujo tenerlo aqui en Barcelona y poderlo usar de mi grupo de cocina,,nos reunimos una vez a la semana con una receta diferente,,y logico yo preparo las tuyas!!me encantan tus recetas y he preparado algunas ,mi familia queda alucinando del sabor.
This knife is truly beautiful, no other nation in the world makes such an artform out of everyday things. I would love to own this knife, I would take such care of it.
Yes! I want that knife. Thanks so much for this giveaway 🙂