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….
Oooh we have some Global knives but this is a work of Art and Function! We would love to have this in our kitchen 😀
Wow, thank you for the beautiful recipe and for the opportunity to win these knives! They look great…
I need a really good knife for my very own. My husband tends to try and cut frozen steaks (bone in) and the result is a damaged knife. I will hide the new knife if I win!!
Love your recipes.
I need to win this knife because my 19 year old son who is an aspiring chef plans on taking all my best kitchen wares with him when he moves out!
Love the recipes and the presentations.
For your next giveaway I would love to have a really nice food processor. 🙂
Thank you.
Hello!
I would LOVE to win this knife! I promise to give it a good home 🙂
The chicken looks so tasty! I look forward to your emails, keep them coming.
xx
We love to cook in our household and of course, we love to eat☺
From our selection of Asian, Italian, and Anerican recipes and favorite bloggers, I am sure we would enjoy this knife to up our efficiency and skill in the kitchen.
I am making your chicken recipe for dinner!! It looks juicy and delicious.
I would love (NEED) to win the handcrafted Japanese knive!
It’s 10:21am here in my corner of the world and my mouth is watering for chicken. Jeesh. A change in this week’s menu coming right up. As for future giveaways, I’m happy with the steady stream of deliciousness in my inbox several times a week. Well, that and Dozer pictures–kinda strange to love a dog you’ve never met but whatever.
Japanese knives are possibly the best in the world. I would love one!!, who wouldn’t . It would be brilliant knowing that the knife you are using has an excellent razor sharp blade, and if used properly it would be a lot safer than trying to hack away with any old knife.
Love your website and recipes, especially the life of Dozer. Would be really great to win a real chef’s knife, cause all my knives are dull and cheap.
I would love to give this knife a happy home in my kitchen😍 🤗
Thanks so much for all the great recipes.
Monica
This knife is beautiful and I would really like to have one. Good knives are expensive!
I simply NEED this knife!
This chicken looks delicious! Pinning!
I have one almost decent knife lol. I would love to win this one. Thank you for the chance!
My OCD personality yet lame dicing skills would certainly get a boost from this sweet knife!
I would love such an amazing knife!
On another note, this recipe looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it.
Hi Nagi –
There is no rival to Japanese steel. I would love to win this knife.
Thank you for your wonderful blog and great recipes.
Just a quick question – did you actually get Dozer to wear the outfit?
I would LOVE this knife. Totally agree that Japanese knives are the best but sadly unaffordable in SA. Can’t wait to try the delicious recipe, sounds totally YUM.
I have been cooking for my family for 47 years and I have never owned a truly beautiful sharp knife. My father was obsessed with having very sharp knives in the drawer when he was carving and he used a stone sharpener to hone them. He was an artist with that stone. My husband doesn’t carve. Need I say more? I would dearly love this very expensive very sharp knife as I do all of the carving and cooking in the family. Thank you for reading.
This recipe sounds so good. Could I make it with boneless chicken thighs – that’s what was in my grocery cart today! Thanks for the give-away, I would love that knife.