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 never knew it was possible for breast chicken to be so tender, tasty and juicy. I have tried many recipes none turned out so good. I followed this recipe exactly as outlined. We had the choice of oregano or thyme, I used oregano. My family loved it. Thank you!
I make the recipe and was superb
Thanks
Just made this for dinner tonight. It was so good and the flavor was amazing. Will definitely be making again!
Excellent flavor and easy to prepare. Thanks!
Would like to try this but the shop was out of Brown Sugar, do you reckon I could sub for caster? Would the proportions change? Don’t want to end up with candied chicken breast 😀
If I double the amount of chicken (still slicing down the middle but will have 8 pieces instead of 4), will the time to cook be doubled?
Hi Cheryl, no because you’re cooking the chicken based on it’s size alone. Doubling will overcook them so cook as per the recipe. N x
Can I replace the olive oil with butter?
So, when I started making this, I had a pack of 3 chicken breasts. I planned to put 2 in the freezer for later and experiment with this recipe with 1. I put the breast on the chopping board, start hammering away with the rolling pin, and it starts falling apart on the board… so, I think to myself “that can’t be how you tenderise chicken…”
I look it up and find out that you’re meant to wrap it in parchment paper or cling film first. So, I throw away the failure and tenderise the next breast. Then my flatmate says he’d like to try one, so I decide that I’ve got one more, might as well use them all up.
Once it was cooked, I put mind on my plate and took it through to my bedroom, put it on my desk, and decided to wait until I’d finished my workout before trying it. Sweet Gods above and below, this is absolutely delicious! I love this recipe! It’s sweet but not overpoweringly so, tangy, just a hint of spiciness, and the meat is so moist and cuts like a dream.
I docked one star because the flavour seemed to only be restricted to the outside. Perhaps rubbing the seasoning in and leaving it for a few hours might help the flavour seep into the meat a big further?
But other than that, this was absolutely delicious, and I will definitely be doing it again!
Chicken turned out fabulous! The young ones and old ones in my family enjoyed this recipe very much. I always thought cooking chicken breast would leave a dry-ish effect until this recipe. Very moist and delicious. Thanks Nagi.
Hi Elaine, I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe! N x
Chicken turned out fabulous! The young ones and old ones in my family enjoyed this recipe very much. I always thought cooking chicken breast would leave a dry-ish effect until this recipe. Very moist and delicious. Thanks Nag.
Wow! If I’ve had better chicken ANYWHERE I can’t remember it. This reminds me of chicken that my grocery store used to sell in the salad as chicken fajita strips. I always wondered how they got it to taste so good and be really tender and juicy. This is actually Better! Thank you for this recipe! (Can a recipe make your life better? I say, “Yes!” ) This will be my go to recipe for chicken just as it is and for chicken salad and pot pies, etc! I plan to try other recipes on this site!
I found the “secret” to juicy tender chicken breast is to first quickly SEAR it in a pan to seal in the juices before baking.
You can do that if you like S.J but this recipe yields the same without the extra hassle of dirtying a pan and transferring chicken 😉 N x
I rarely enjoy chicken this much! This was simple to do, and really delicious. I paired it with Mediterranean roast veg and tender-stem broccoli. The juicy sauce from the chicken was perfect!
Thank you for the delicious chicken recipe! My kids loved it!
That’s great to hear Alice, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! N x
Ok, what?! I have made chicken so many different ways and tried so many different seasonings and marinades and NONE compare to this one! I am ecstatic that I now have this recipe because it is my chicken go-to recipe from now on! My husband even LOVED it. I always skeptical because of the brown sugar but I think that’s what made it phenomenal. Thank you for this recipe, Nagi!
The absolute BEST chicken breasts I’ve had ever had!!! Amazing and super easy to make thanks to Nagi
The video shows a lot more seasoning that I did so I looked into it are you supposed to do teaspoons or tablespoons ? I did teaspoons and it wasn’t rlly enough for all of them ?
I was skeptical about this recipe because of the brown sugar but it was amazing! I cooked it about 5 minutes longer than recommended and broiled it a bit. It was delicious 😍 whole family loved it! Thank you!
The chicken was tender and delicious. Your recipe called for 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. I didn’t see you put pepper in video. Wondering if pepper was called for since it was a bit spicy. I really enjoyed recipe but will half the pepper.
I tried it
Super easy
Super delicious
My son so picky and he liked it ❤️
Oh goodness! This is the trifecta of baked chicken: easy, quick, yummy! Uses simple on-hand ingredients, comes together quickly and yummy to the max. Thanks for sharing — this is a definitive addition to my dinner rotation!
I loved it!! So easy to make!! not a big fan of oregano but maybe next time I’ll use less, to each their own. My husband loved it
That’s great to hear Tyra! N x