Menu
Chicken / Dinner Ideas

Juicy Oven Baked Chicken Breasts

Tender, flavorful, and juicy oven baked chicken breasts are perfect for a quick dinner or meal prep. Seasoned to perfection and simple to make, this classic recipe won’t disappoint!

Photo of oven baked chicken breasts garnished with parsley.

For families with busy schedules, having a set of go-to easy chicken recipes is a must. And when it comes to versatility, oven baked chicken breasts are a big winner! I’m a big fan of preparing a batch (or two) over the weekend, so I have homemade chicken for salads, soups, wraps, or pasta throughout the week.

Why You’ll Love Oven Baked Chicken Breast

  • Juicy and tender. No one likes dry and tough chicken. By pounding the chicken breasts to even thickness and baking them at a high temperature, you’ll ensure that they cook evenly and stay moist and succulent.
  • Full of flavor. The simple spice mixture of garlic, onion, paprika, and Italian seasoning adds a ton of flavor and fragrance to the chicken.
  • So easy. This recipe is super simple. All you need is a few basic ingredients, a baking dish, and an oven – no need to marinate, sear, or flip. Just season and bake!
Sheet of Oven Baked Chicken Breasts

What You’ll Need

  • For the chicken. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
  • For the seasoning. Garlic powder, Italian seasoning, onion powder, paprika, parsley, salt, and pepper.

How to Cook Chicken Breast in the Oven

  1. Prep. Preheat your oven to 425˚F degrees. While the oven is heating, lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish.
  2. Prepare the chicken. Pound the chicken breasts flat with a mallet to an even thickness. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
  3. Bake. Place the seasoned chicken breasts in your prepared baking dish and cook for 17-20 minutes. The chicken is done when the thickest part hits 165˚F on an instant read thermometer.
  4. Rest and serve. Take the chicken out of the oven and let it rest for 5-7 minutes. This will help keep in all the delicious juices. Garnish with a little fresh parsley, and enjoy!
Sliced chicken breast on a white plate.

Recipe Tips

  • Pound the chicken. Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness of about 1-inch. This will ensure even cooking and it also helps tenderize the chicken. If you don’t want to do this step, you can always purchase chicken cutlets, which are thinner than regular breasts.
  • Seasonings. Feel free to customize the spices to your liking. Try adding some lemon zest, rosemary, or cumin for a different twist.
  • Internal temperature. Use an instant read meat thermometer; an internal temperature over 165˚F will result in dry chicken.
  • Resting. Do not cut into the baked chicken right away; let chicken rest for at least 5 minutes so that the juices reabsorb into the chicken.

What to Serve With Chicken Breasts

Chicken is a protein that goes well with just about anything. You can prep a batch of these for sandwiches or use it as an ingredient in other dishes. Some of my favorites are chicken bacon avocado salad or chicken bacon ranch pasta. You can also pair them with any kind of pasta, potatoes, veggies, soup, or salad. Sometimes, I really just want a simple weeknight meal of baked chicken breasts with romano beans in garlic butter sauce and easy oven roasted potatoes.

Tray of baked chicken breasts.

Storing Leftovers and Reheating

  • To store. Baked chicken breasts can be stored in an airtight container and kept in your fridge for up to 4 days or freeze them for up to 6 months.
  • To reheat. When reheating, bake for about 10 to 12 minutes in a 350˚F oven, or in the microwave.

More Easy Chicken Recipes to Try

Sheet of Oven Baked Chicken Breasts
Print Recipe
4.89 from 9 votes

Juicy Oven Baked Chicken Breasts

Tender, perfectly seasoned, and juicy oven-baked chicken breasts are done in 20 minutes and are ideal for a quick dinner or meal prep.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baked chicken breasts, easy chicken recipes, how to cook chicken breast, meal prep, oven baked chicken breast
Servings: 4
Calories: 260kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts,
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon paprika, sweet or smoked
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • cooking spray
  • fresh parsley, for garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425˚F degrees.
  • Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, paprika, onion powder, and pepper. 
  • Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness. Transfer the chicken to the baking dish and generously spray the chicken on all sides with cooking spray.
  • Season both sides of the chicken evenly with the prepared spice mixture.
  • Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, or until the thickest part of the chicken breasts registers at 165˚F on an instant-read meat thermometer.
  • Remove from oven and let it rest for 5 to 7 minutes before slicing.
  • Garnish with parsley and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 699mg | Potassium: 836mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 129IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg

22 Comments

  • Carrie Robinson
    Feb 11, 2020 at 5:16 pm

    4 stars
    These look absolutely perfect! And that seasoning- yum! 🙂

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Feb 11, 2020 at 8:30 pm

      Thanks so much, Carrie! 🙂

      Reply
  • Erin
    Feb 11, 2020 at 5:21 pm

    5 stars
    So simple but so good! Love how juicy they are!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Feb 11, 2020 at 8:33 pm

      Thank you, Erin! 🙂 🙂

      Reply
  • Trang
    Feb 11, 2020 at 5:32 pm

    5 stars
    So juicy! It really is hard keeping chicken breast juicy and not over baking it. I like that I can make a lot and freeze this.

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Feb 11, 2020 at 8:34 pm

      Thanks! Hope you enjoy it! 🙂

      Reply
  • Sara Welch
    Feb 11, 2020 at 9:15 pm

    5 stars
    What a delicious recipe! Definitely adding this to my dinner line up for the week; looks too good to pass up!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina
      Feb 12, 2020 at 9:55 am

      Thank you, Sara! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂

      Reply
  • Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert
    Feb 12, 2020 at 1:45 am

    5 stars
    These Juicy Oven Baked Chicken Breasts are mouth watering!

    Reply
  • Dorothy Reinhold
    Feb 12, 2020 at 1:55 am

    Nothing worse than dry chicken! This method looks perfect. I am loving your spice blend too.

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina
      Feb 12, 2020 at 9:54 am

      Thank you, Dorothy! 🙂

      Reply
  • Toni
    Feb 12, 2020 at 3:19 pm

    5 stars
    I love how juicy it looks! Can’t wait to give it a try!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Feb 13, 2020 at 2:03 pm

      I hope you enjoy them! Thank you! 🙂

      Reply
  • Jacque Hastert
    Feb 12, 2020 at 4:33 pm

    5 stars
    I love how juicy and simple these are when they are done. A great way to meal prep for lunch salads and such.

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Feb 13, 2020 at 2:02 pm

      Thank you, Jacque! 🙂

      Reply
  • Tiffany La Forge-Grau
    Feb 13, 2020 at 2:36 am

    5 stars
    The oven is where chicken breasts belong. They really taste so good baking!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Feb 13, 2020 at 2:01 pm

      I agree with you! Thank you! 🙂

      Reply
  • Martina
    Oct 26, 2020 at 12:41 am

    Hi I saw this recipe a few day’s ago and I thought I would try it. I normally don’t care for ck’n breast usually “too dry” but I followed your recipe to the letter they were jucily delicious. I am converted thanks for showing me how to prepare, make and enjoy.

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Oct 26, 2020 at 7:39 pm

      That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂

      Reply
  • Anmol Agrawal
    Aug 14, 2021 at 10:52 am

    How much pepper?

    Reply
  • Debbie
    Aug 22, 2022 at 3:55 pm

    5 stars
    Easy Pleasy! This is a great recipe for when I need something to whip up for supper in a jiffy!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Recipe Rating