Chicken breasts do not have to be boring and dry. This easy baked chicken breasts recipe will result in juicy, tender and flavorful chicken breasts with just 5 minutes of prep time.
The problem with chicken breasts is that they are easy to dry out and believe me, I have had my fair share of dry chicken breasts. However, this recipe is extremely easy and will result in juicy and tender chicken breasts every time. The key to is to bake the chicken breasts at a higher temperature for the right amount of time along with resting the chicken.
Baked chicken breasts ingredients:
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 4 to 6 ounces each)
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- Paprika
- Garlic powder
- Thyme
- Olive oil
How to make:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Dry chicken breasts with paper towels. Some chicken breasts are sold in bigger pieces so if you have 2 large chicken breasts, cut them in half to make 4 thinner chicken breasts (about 4-6 ounces each).
If you still have any thicker parts, pound them down with a meat mallet or rolling pin to even the chicken breasts out to ensure they all cook at the same rate. Place in a baking dish or a baking sheet.
Add seasonings to a small bowl. Mix seasonings together until well blended. On this step you can easily switch up the seasonings to reflect your taste. For example, instead of the listed seasonings, you can use cajun seasoning, lemon pepper seasoning or even just salt and pepper to keep things simple.
Drizzle olive oil on both sides of the chicken breasts. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture on both sides of the chicken breasts.
Bake uncovered at 400 degrees fahrenheit for 25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees fahrenheit.
Remove from the baking dish or sheet and let the chicken breasts rest for 5 minutes before cutting. This allows the juices to flow throughout the chicken breasts. After the chicken breasts are rested, serve!
Serve up with your favorite sides or on top of a salad. Pair this with my oven roasted broccoli recipe.
Easy Baked Chicken Breasts
Equipment
- 1 Baking dish
- 1 small bowl
Ingredients
- 4 6 oz chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp thyme
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a small bowl, mix together the salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder and thyme and set aside.
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels and add to a baking dish big enough so that the chicken breasts are not over crowded.
- Drizzle olive oil over both sides of the chicken breasts.
- Sprinkle the seasoning mixture on both sides of the chicken breasts.
- Bake in preheated oven uncovered for approximately 25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes before cutting.