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 always wanted to “up my game” by using a great knife. Like painting, there’s nothing like the best tools. It would be loved and have a good home.
What a beautiful knife! I do not know if it would be best to frame it and put it on the wall so I can watch it every day or to use it…
But I do know that I want it!
I would love to win this knife, gives me a chance to handle a big knife. I’m so afraid of big knife and I attempt to show off in the chicken using little knives. Thank you and good luck to you all.😂😂😂
My family truly appreciate your great Nagi recipes which I use every week, and I would love to have this caliber of knife in my kitchen to aid in my meal preparations!
I love cooking & have only been on your website for a short time recommended to me by a friend. Just loving your recipes, tried the meat loaf last week, delis. Making the lemon cake for coffee & cake on Thursday.Being elderly with arthritis in both my hands it would make life so much easier if I had a knife that had a really good grip, was easy to use and sharp. Just love reading your news snippets when you share your recipes. Thanks for sharing part of your journey with us, your followers.
I love your recipes, try them very often. I would love to win that knife!
I love your recipes and your writing style. So much fun to read. And you always make me smile.
I would love to be included in this awesome giveaway. I am desperately in need of a good knife to ‘sharpen’ my culinary skills! 😝
Elaine
I enjoy the recipes. Would love to win this knife.
I cannot tell you enough how much I would like to win this knife. Mine is dated prehistoric ages, so I really need a new one. Fingers crossed. It would help me cut the chicken of this recipe in a very good way.
Thank you in advance
If I do not win I will keep making your recipes anyway, I never had one bad.
Have a good day,
Nicolego
Dear Nagi, I would love to win this knife. Good knives are essential in the kitchen and the Japanese ones are the best. I just gave away a set of four to my mother as a present. she already cut herself with it….
Need and want this knife! Thanks for the awesome giveaway! Love watching your videos….makes all recipes look so easy
This looks delicious. I use your oven baked pork chops marinade recipe for chicken ALL THE TIME. In fact I may need to change it up I use it so much, so this is perfect. As you stated, it is done when it is golden, but I am very curious to see if I will get the same color on my chicken and it not be overdone. I also tend to cook things by color instead of recipe timing b/c brown food is good food! Thanks again. PS that is a great looking knife. Please enter me for a chance to win!
I would love this knife! I am a Japanese Canadian so I know how good Japanese knives are. I’ve always wanted one but have never had one. My friend just got one of those blow torches to make creme brulé and we’ve been scorching salmon and eating it in temaki. The heat makes the natural fish oils ooze into the rice. I can just imagine how slicing through the fish would feel with such a high quality knife! Also, my mom would be so jealous 🙂
I have been married for 53 1/2 years and have only tried new knives a few times. This one looks like it would be an amazing one to try. Thank you.
Love to have this knife . Thanks for opportunity to win .
Just yesterday gave my oldest son a kitchen knife to take home and see if he could repair the handle for us. Has a wooden handle, and I guess over the years, there has been some water damage and a piece came out between one of the rivets and the beginning of the knife blade. Hopefully he will be able to repair it, if not your gift would be most welcome.
Dozer – a gem – looks much like our Maggie….who had a ball running around on the ice yesterday..with her friend Max. Max weighs 11 lbs. Maggie weighs about 70……it gettings interesting! Thankfully Max is really really resilient :). Thanks for the photo’s of Dozer…..always brings a smile and of course the Recipes – love them and have tried many of them with great success. Thanks. (Ooops! I haven’t tried the recipe yet, so difficult to rate it…..but will do so when I’ve ‘whipped it up’.
I had been to Japan as a young man and seen the use of their knives and did not understand the value of a great
kitchen knife. I love your food and struggle in the kitchen with less than kitchen knives. It would be an honor
to receive this gift from you as you mentor me through cooking great recipes. Thank You.
Nagi, I would love to have this knife. I love to cook and love your blog and recipes!
If I won that knife, I would vow to cook much more often! Fingers crossed…
I would love this knife. What a great gift!
And thanks for all the delicious recipes. I’ve made over 15 of them since discovering your website.
Greetings,
Daphne (The Netherlands)
Wow! the knife is beautiful. I love to cook and it´s very helpful to have a good knife. Thank you for this opportunity.