Oven Baked Chicken Breast (Printer-friendly)

Tender, juicy chicken breasts baked with aromatic spices for an easy protein-packed meal ready in 35 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6–8 oz each)

→ Seasoning

02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
04 - 1 teaspoon onion powder
05 - 1 teaspoon paprika
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 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 It:

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 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 pepper until fully blended.
04 - Rub seasoning mixture evenly over both sides of each chicken breast. Optionally marinate in Simple Marinade for 30 minutes to 2 hours in refrigerator, then pat dry before seasoning.
05 - Arrange seasoned chicken breasts in a single layer on prepared baking sheet, ensuring they do not overlap.
06 - Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 165°F.
07 - Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Garnish with lemon slices and fresh parsley or cilantro if desired. Serve warm.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It takes less time than ordering takeout and tastes like you actually tried.
  • The chicken stays juicy even when you reheat it three days later for lunch.
  • You can season it a hundred different ways and it works every single time.
  • One pan, one mess, and dinner is done before you finish your first glass of wine.
02 -
  • If you skip pounding the chicken to an even thickness, you will end up with one end dry and the other end undercooked, and no amount of seasoning will fix that.
  • Resting the chicken after baking is not optional, cutting into it right away turns your cutting board into a juice puddle and your chicken into something sad and chewy.
  • Use a thermometer instead of guessing, because chicken that looks done can still be raw inside, and overcooked chicken tastes like regret.
03 -
  • Pound the chicken between two sheets of parchment instead of plastic wrap, it doesn't tear and you can toss it right into the compost.
  • If your oven runs hot or cold, invest in an oven thermometer because that's usually the real reason your chicken doesn't turn out right.
  • Double the seasoning mix and keep it in a jar, then you can make this recipe on autopilot whenever you need dinner in a hurry.
  • Let the chicken come to room temperature for 15 minutes before baking, it cooks more evenly and you won't end up with a cold center.
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