Juicy Oven Baked Chicken Breasts

Tender, juicy, and flavorful, oven baked chicken breasts are perfect for an easy weeknight dinner or meal prep. Seasoned to perfection and simple to make, this classic recipe won’t disappoint! Ready in just 20 minutes.

For families with busy weeknight 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. But the great thing is that this recipe is ready in just 20 minutes, making it an easy addition to freshly prepared dinners any night of 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. You’ll love how the chicken melts in your mouth.
• Full of flavor. The simple spice mixture of garlic, onion, paprika, and Italian seasoning adds a ton of flavor and fragrance to the chicken. But feel free to customize the spices to your liking. Try adding some lemon zest, rosemary, or cumin for a different twist.
• So easy. This recipe is super easy to make. 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!

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!

Recipe Tips For Perfectly Baked Chicken Breasts

• 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.
• Internal temperature. Use an instant read 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 Oven Baked Chicken Breasts

Chicken is a protein that goes well with just about anything. You can prep a batch of these for sandwiches (I love a juicy chicken sandwich!) or use it as an ingredient in other chicken-forward dishes. Some of my favorites are chicken bacon avocado salad or chicken bacon ranch pasta. You can also pair baked chicken breasts with any kind of pasta, potatoes, veggies, soup, or salad. Sometimes I really just want a simple weeknight meal of baked chicken breasts, romano beans in garlic butter sauce, and easy oven roasted potatoes. But get creative! Chicken is a great base to develop any kind of meal you’d like!

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.
• To freeze. To freeze leftovers, allow the chicken to cool completely. Then, store them in an airtight container and freeze for up to 6 months. A trick for easy portioning is to wrap each individual chicken breast in wax paper. Now you’ll have single serve, precooked frozen chicken breasts!
• To reheat. When reheating, you’re going to want to go low and slow for the best results. Let the chicken come to room temperature, then place it on a baking sheet tented with aluminum foil, and bake for about 25 minutes in a 225˚F oven. You can certainly reheat in the microwave, but this method has a tendency of drying out the chicken.

More Easy Chicken Recipes to Try

• Chicken Pot Pie Soup
• Crockpot Chicken Fajitas
• Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi