Oven Baked Chicken Breast (Printable)

Tender, juicy chicken breasts seasoned with aromatic spices and baked until golden. An easy, protein-packed main dish ready in under 40 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 6 to 8 ounces each

→ Seasoning

02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
04 - 1 teaspoon onion powder
05 - 1 teaspoon paprika, smoked or sweet
06 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning
07 - ½ teaspoon salt
08 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper

→ Garnish

09 - Lemon slices
10 - Chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

→ Simple Marinade

11 - ¼ cup olive oil
12 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
13 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
14 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
15 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
16 - 1 clove garlic, minced
17 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease a baking dish.
02 - Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Place between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper and gently pound to even thickness of approximately ¾ inch using a meat mallet or rolling pin.
03 - In a small bowl, combine olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano, salt, and black pepper until thoroughly mixed.
04 - Rub seasoning mixture evenly over both sides of each chicken breast. Alternatively, marinate chicken in the simple marinade for 30 minutes to 2 hours in the refrigerator, then pat dry before seasoning.
05 - Arrange chicken breasts in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, ensuring they are not crowded and have adequate space between pieces.
06 - Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F.
07 - Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Garnish with lemon slices and chopped parsley or cilantro if desired. Serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The meat stays tender and juicy because even thickness means even cooking, no more dried out edges with raw centers.
  • You can season these a hundred different ways and they still turn out perfect, which means less thinking on busy nights.
  • Leftovers slice beautifully cold for next day lunches, and they taste better than anything from the deli counter.
02 -
  • An instant read thermometer is non negotiable, guessing by time alone is how you end up with dry chicken or undercooked centers.
  • Pounding the chicken to even thickness matters more than any seasoning you use, it's the difference between mediocre and perfect every single time.
03 -
  • If your chicken breasts are really thick, butterfly them in half horizontally before pounding so they cook faster and more evenly.
  • Let the chicken sit at room temperature for fifteen minutes before baking, it helps the meat cook more uniformly and stay juicy.
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