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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!
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!
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
- Prep. Preheat your oven to 425˚F degrees. While the oven is heating, lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
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
Juicy Oven Baked Chicken Breasts
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
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How much pepper?
Easy Pleasy! This is a great recipe for when I need something to whip up for supper in a jiffy!
I hope you’ll love it! Thank YOU! 🙂