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….
My husband doesn’t really like chicken and he took seconds. I doubled the recipe for topping and added some butter at the end of cook so we could use it as a “gravy” on the rice. Delicious
That’s great to hear Kristina, I’m so glad you both enjoyed it! N x
Had this for dinner and it was delicious just as I suspected. You are so great Nagi and all your recipes are so delicious. Thank you so much 🙏🏻
My family of very picky eaters loved this receipt!
Will definitely make this recipe a family staple. 😍
This was delicious! My family loved it!
So I’m not sure what I did wrong , followed the recipe as directed but all my coating just melted off and left the chicken with really nothing on it… the little was left was really good though. Any tips for making it stick?
pat the chicken dry before adding any seasonings
Holy crap this chicken is amazing!! it’s so juicy and flavorful, but not overpowering. there’s a nice glaze left over after you cook the chicken. soooooo yummy
This was very good. Nice flavors. Very easy to make and no mess to clean up, just fold up the foil and toss. Served with baked sweet potstoes, salad and bread. Yum.
Could you delete this recipe? I told my girlfriend I created it.
😂 I love this Jonny, your secret is safe with me! You better create her a chocolate mousse too https://body-metrics.news/chocolate-mousse/%3C/a%3E 🤫 N x
To funny lol
Delicious! I am not a fan of bake chicken breast. But this recipe is great! This is a keeper.
Just made this tonight and it was beautiful and tender!
Really good! Easy to prepare, low sodium & fat. Husband not a chicken eater but liked it! Will look at all your recipes 😋👍
I changed the spices to paprika, chilli powder, garlic powder and cayenne it was amazing, really moist and then I put it in a brioch bun with mayo and spinach. Amazing
Sounds absolutely delicious Deborah!!! N x
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!