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….
Love your blog! Love this knife!
Nagi, I would love a sharp knife in my kitchen, my food might then resemble your pictures.
I love to try out your recipes.
Love your recipes. I would also love to have a knife that would work better than the ones I have. Thank you for sharing your cooking ideas with us.
Definitely would be an awesome experience to own and use such a beautifully crafted knife. Very nice of your mum to bring it back with her. Such a great giveaway Nagi.
And thanks for the brown sugar tip, how unusual. Chicken breasts are a good and easy standby, and this adds a new twist.
I want this chef’s knife – Japanese knives are THE best. They’re fabulous!
Love this chicken recipe – I always have trouble with my chicken drying out. I’m definitely trying the brown sugar with my seasoning- thank you so much!
Nagi, I discovered your blog a couple of years ago and am a huge fan of your writing, humor, recipes, videos, and your adorable dog. I look forward to your emails. You make even the simplest of recipes sound amazing. Never in my lifetime will I ever be able to afford such a fine kitchen tool as the one you are offering. It would be a dream come true to own such a tool. God bless you for your generosity.
i love Japanese knives…they’re the best.
Hi Nagi! I absolutely love all your recipes, the big, the small, even the ones that take me out of my (growing!) comfort zone, like the hot corn dip (still can’t feel parts of my tongue but so good!!) to the yummy lasagna recipe you posted last year (which I still make at LEAST once a fortnight – mince defrosting as we speak!).
I look forward to all your emails and Instagram posts, and love the honest way you write your blogs – some people seem to post to be ‘perfect’ these days, no mistakes allowed, but I find your honesty in how difficult something was to cook, or how long it took to take a successful photo so refreshing and takes the pressure off experimenting, thank you.
I’d love to win the knives, I’m trying to up my game with my adventures in the kitchen this year, and having something so beautiful and personal as motivation in the kitchen would be wonderful.
Thank you again for all the wonderful recipes, I hope I get to meet you one day when I take a break from the kitchen to explore Auz!
All our best wishes,
Cate and Tigger (Dozer’s twin!! https://instagram.com/p/BdOKZWghST6/)
Xxx
What a generous gift for one of your subscribers! I’d LOVE to enjoy this knife in my kitchen. Thanks –
I would love to own a nice looking knife like this. Also love all your recipes.
I love your recipes! They all look so good I don’t know where to start. Got to try this one soon! I’d love that knife! It’s beautiful.
I would love this knife. I have tried a lot of your recipes now and they are so very tasty 🙂
Oh wow, that would be an amazing 30th birthday present :p I think I would use it first on one of your recipes maybe the oven kfc chicken which is one of my favorite of yours 🙂
And as always, this looks delicious I’ve got to try it out this week!
Would love to win the knife! Would be really helpful with your fantastic recepies! <3
I love your recipes so I know I’m going to love the knife.
Hi Nagi,
Wow, I can’t believe that you are giving away a $500 knife…my husband ( who is Japanese) would be in heaven to have one of these knives…he is a butcher by trade, so he knows how important a good knife is…I’m keeping my fingers crossed that you pick my email…I also would like to tell you how much we enjoy your recipes…I can’t wait to try this chicken one…Ann in Canada
As an octogenarian kitchen freak I’ve tried many so-called ‘The only knife you will ever need’. that I’ve lost hope of ever finding the right one. But then. Wow! Nagi comes up with a most amazing offer. Please count me in. If it’s anywhere near as good as your recipes I’m on to a winner. Here’s hoping.
Best regards
Brian C G Sutton
Brown sugar! Love it❤️ So funny because I usually drizzle some honey over the chicken before it goes in the oven (usually thighs, it seems to help the skin render more fat and crisp up, and just be out of this world delicious as a contrast to the salty, spicy seasoning). My honey got all hard and crystallized – so brown sugar to the rescue! Love that it’s your secret ingredient, too🙂
What a beautiful knife! I cook every day and have intended to get myself a really good knife since I’ve been using a supermarket cheapie for years – just got used to it I guess. Thank you for the opportunity to own and use such a masterpiece.
Years ago, I read a book called Kitchen Confidential. It was a chef’s autobiography and in it he said, every kitchen needs one good knife. It was my 50th at the time and someone had given me 50 US dollars to spend whilst on holiday in Greece. I brought the money back home to South Africa and bought a really good knife here. Sadly, it got broken so I am lost without it. It was something I used every day.
Thank you also for all the wonderful recipes. They are delicious.
My husband and I can’t wait to try this chicken recipe, in fact it’s now on the menu for this week. We absolutely love your recipes and your mothers. Her Gyoza is the best! We have made it several times and the family has requested it for special occasions. LOVE your pics and stories of Dozer!
We would love to have this knife in our kitchen.