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….
Hey, Nagi! Great recipe, as always, and great photos, as always! And it’s always good to find you popping over to my inbox!
Yup, I could really use this knife! Because the one I have is dull and I KNOW for sure that knife masters would took just a quick glimpse at my knife and as polite as they are, but would roll their eyes and have a moment of silence for all the Umami I ruined. So there you go 🙂 And scout’s honour, it’s true.
Nagi! Thanks for the chance! I NEED this knife!
What a fantastic offer, I would love to win the knife. Your baked chicken breast is what we’re having for dinner tonight.
Thank you, keep up the great site.
Will be trying the recipe this week. I’m always looking for new ways to cook chicken with different spices and methods.
Also, the knife would be a prize addition to my kitchen.
I would love this knife. That chicken looks delicious, think that is what’s for dinner tonight!!
Love (most of) your recipes, and I also love really good equipment in the kitchen. I would be most please to give that gorgeos knife a new home and frequent workouts!
Dear Nagi:
Greetings from a little town on the shores of Lake Ontario, Canada!
First of all I genuinely want to thank you bigtime for your AMAZING recipes!! I am always so excited to see your regular “Recipe Tin Eats” email pop into my inbox, and positively love your creations, make lots of them, and then pass them on to my daughter and friends!! Thank you for working so hard to make us all so happy (and our families)!! Your website is also such a lot of fun!
Needless to say, I would be “over the moon” delighted to win this glorious Japanese Knife … what a masterpiece …. a knife to be treasured and used every single day!! Please enter me in your draw!!
I live in a little town on Lake Ontario, Canada.
Thanks for an awesome giveaway!! I would LOVE to win this Japanese knife. Thanks for a juicy chicken breast recipe, can’t wait to try this.
I want the knife!!
Hi Nagi,
I just discovered your website while searching for a buffalo wing recipe. The wings turned out great and I am excited to try your other recipes. I would be so thrilled to win your knife. I love kitchen knives. Thank you for the opportunity.
Found you on my Google now News feed, would love to upgrade my go to kitchen knife, and will be trying this rub next time I do chicken!
Hi Nagi! I would love this knife, but not for myself. My sister is a great cook (much better than me) and she spends so much time in the kitchen, I know that she would love this knife. Thanks for the generous giveaway!!
Oops nearly forgot the offer of the superb knife too focused on the your food ideas.
Its top draw stuff !!!!!!!
Hi Nagy,
I retired a few years ago from an engineering career and have taken up cooking and baking as a new hobby. I love your recipes including all the lovely photos and concise instructions. The one thing that would make a world of difference to me would be a ‘great’ knife, something I don’t have. I hope you can send it to me in Canada (I wonder what Customs will have to say?).
Cheers,
Mike
A year ago my husband and I were in Tokyo. One of my missions (his too) was to purchase a good Japanese knife. I’m happy to say we did but it is a smaller one and I wished I had bought another larger one. I would love to add this to my drawer as well as the stone, I failed to purchase that.
Thanks so much for your wonderful recipes – I love remembering our stay in Tokyo.
I so enjoy trying your recipes Nagi. I would love to win the knife and hope your giveaway includes your international followers!
A great knife would be a great treat. Thank you.
Would love me a Japanese knife!!! Thank you for this promo and I really hope I’m the lucky one!
Hiya Nagi,
I am forever grateful that I stumbled across your blog, your recipes are exactly my kind of food, and even my kids love most of it (they’re kids, it’s their job to be difficult🙄). I recommend it to all my family and friends ALL THE TIME! I have been eying off some lovely Japanese knives for the last 18 months, but just haven’t splurged yet, not knowing which one to buy. Love your work (and Dozer)!
Now I’m off to buy some chicken breast 😀
Cheers!
Eddie Murphy said it all in the movie _The Golden Child_: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLx5C81QZfE
But seriously, thank you, and please give Dozer a hug from us, your fans. 🙂