This oven baked chicken breast recipe is coated in a simple, but flavorful seasoning mixture, cooked to tender and moist perfection in less than 20 minutes! It’s a foolproof, delicious weeknight dinner go-to that will never let you down.
A super easy recipe right up there with our Roast Chicken, Grilled Chicken Breast, and {20 minute} Chicken Piccata.
This chicken recipe is one of my standard go-to’s. Paired with a side vegetable and rice, you have a super easy meal on the table in less than 30 minutes!
We’re big fans of chicken thighs, but more often than not, you’ll find chicken breasts in my shopping cart and freezer. They are a standard in my cooking, but they never disappoint thanks to this simple recipe that is a constant lifesaver when I’m struggling with dinner choices.
Baked Chicken Breast Recipe
* Be sure to see the printable recipe card below for full ingredients & directions!
Baked chicken breasts do not need to be boring! Thanks to a wonderful seasoning mixture, they are so delicious that nobody will be complaining about chicken for dinner again.
- Seasoning: the seasoning is made from a combination of brown sugar, Italian seasoning blend, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Your chicken will end up with a gorgeous and flavorful crust, and even though brown sugar is the main ingredient, don’t fret about it being sweet – it’s savory! Pinky promise.
- Moist and Tender: the brown sugar (and high/fast cooking – see below) actually helps the chicken cook up all nice and juicy!
How to Bake Chicken Breast
The key to baking the best juicy chicken breast is in these 3 factors:
Chicken Breast Size
Chicken breasts can vary in size between 5 and 10 ounces, so the cooking time can vary. If baking more than one breast, make sure they’re all the same weight, so they cook at the same rate. Make sure your fillets are all the same thickness to ensure even cooking. Pound each breast out to a little more than 3/4-inch at the thickest part (0.6″ to be exact!)
What Temperature to Bake Chicken Breast
I’m willing to bet you’ve been baking your chicken at 350 for 1 hour, right? I did that for years, as well. Stop doing that! The best temperature to bake chicken breasts at is 425 degrees F. Cooking them fast at a higher temperature seals in the juices and the key to caramelization.
How Long to Bake Chicken Breast
So, you’ve pounded the chicken breasts out to 3/4-inch even thickness and preheated your oven to 425 degrees F. But how long do you bake them for? Large chicken breasts (7-8 ounce) take about 20-22 minutes to cook. Medium-sized breasts (5-6 ounces) take about 18-20 minutes. They are finished cooking when an internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. (I usually take them out of the oven when they reach 162 and then let them climb to 165 as they rest on the pan.) The safest way to test for doneness is with an instant read thermometer.
Let the baked chicken rest before slicing
Watch it Being Made
Storing Leftovers
Cooked chicken should be cooled completely, then stored in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for up to 4 days.
What to Serve with Baked Chicken Breast
Make it a meal served with any of our roasted vegetables or rice dishes. Particular reader favorites include our roasted broccoli or roasted carrots, mashed cauliflower or mashed potatoes, and mushroom rice or rice pilaf. Any of those are a winning combination your entire family will love.
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Oven Baked Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 4 (6 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (cut back to 1/2 teaspoon if using table salt)
- 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- chopped fresh parsley , for garnish
- roasted vegetable and rice pilaf , for serving (or choose your favorites!)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
- Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound each chicken breast to a little more than 3/4-inch at the thickest part. (Make sure your fillets are all the same thickness to ensure even cooking.)
- In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, smoked paprika, pepper, and garlic powder until thoroughly combined.
- Place chicken on the foil; drizzle with the olive oil and massage into the chicken on both sides. Sprinkle with the seasoning, on both sides, coating as much surface area as possible.
- Transfer to the oven and cook for about 18 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reads 165 degrees F. (Times can vary depending on the size and thickness of the breasts and your oven. I usually pull the chicken out of the oven when it reaches 162 degrees, then allow it to climb to 165 as it rests on the pan.)
- You want to allow the chicken to rest for about 5 minutes before slicing to lock in the juices.
- Serve with your favorite sides and enjoy! (Side suggestions, listed in the article.)
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Other Notes
I L O V E this recipe! I make it every few months. I double the seasonings and liberally rub the chicken. Easy make, easy bake, easy clean up
I made this chicken last night and it was DELICIOUS!! The seasoning was perfect and the chicken breasts were so juicy and tender. After over 40 years of cooking chicken at a low temperature for a longer amount of time, I have finally learned the perfect way to cook it! Thank you for this terrific recipe!
This recipe is everything it says it is. Easy, juicy, really flavorful chicken. I’ve made it several times now. It will be part of the regular rotation. Thanks for the great recipe!
Delicious, quick and super easy to make! Love the spice blend. I paired the chicken with some zoodles. Will definitely make this again.
Never baked chicken at 425 before, but now I always will!
This a very simple yet delicious way to bake chicken breasts
This was fantastic! Easy, fast, moist and so tasty!
I made this for lunch vey delicious thanks
Made this recipe tonight. So easy and SO delicious!! Will definitely be making again!
Delicious! Made as directed. Watch time closely, mine was done at the earliest stated times.
Wow I made this as I needed to use some chicken and veggies before they expired. The chicken was so delicious and so easy to make. Halfway in I added some fresh veggies. Delicious dinner will make this chicken again and again.
Quick & Easy, tastes delicious. Will add to the rotation!
This is an awesome recipe and so easy and delicious!!
My first attempt at chicken breasts, and it was easy to follow/make and tasted great!
Thanks for sharing! :)
This was amazing! Followed exaction and family over it! Thank you for sharing.
Super delicious.
This was excellent and fast. I made on one sheet pan and did roasted asparagus on another. Cooked at about the same I removed the asparagus a few minutes before the chicken. Was fast and delicious. Will make again, thought the seasoning might be great on a whole roasted chicken as well.
My family loved it.
I’ve been baking chicken breast wrong my entire life. Wow. This chicken was so moist and tender and the spice blend was perfection. My new go-to, thank you!
Fantastic! Just made this and i think pounding the chicken to uniform thickness is so important. And the seasoning blend was perfect! Thank you!
The cooking instructions were perfect for a moist chicken breast! So great to finally not have dry chicken breast!
This came out just as described. Juicy and delicious! My family loved it! Definitely a keeper!
This was fantastic chicken!! I personally didn’t love the Italian seasoning, but my husband said it was a great contrast. I’ll chalk that up to personal preference more than a faulty recipe. All in all, it was amazing. The chicken was so juicy and full of great flavors. Will absolutely make this frequently. Also, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen you on TikTok and you’re just lovely.
Our entire family loved this recipe!
This was such a delicious recipe! Everyone loved the rub!
This chicken was so juicy and tender. I will make it again. Thank you!
I really loved this chicken. I t was only for one person so I shortened the recipe but it was absolutely the best chicken Zi have made in a while.
So juicy and seasoned perfectly. Maybe the best oven baked chicken I’ve ever tasted!
Quick. Delish
Very moist chicken!
A family pleaser! Easy to make, moist, easy clean up.
I feel like my entire baked chicken life has been a lie. This is how I’ll make it from now on!
Soooo good!!!
Delicious and so moist – and yes, easy!
So simple and delicious. I’ve been baking chicken wrong my entire life. This is my go to from now on!
This is a great quick recipe . It always comes out super moist and flavorful.. Thanks so much.
Chicken perfection!
Ashley I have a quick question do you use dark or light brown sugar ?
Easy and quite tasty
Such an easy, tasty, healthy way to cook chicken! We loved it!
So simple and great tips! It was delicious ?
I have made this delicious chicken! Now I want to know how long it would take with a whole chicken, weighing 3lb. ?
Hi Deborah – here’s our recipe for a whole roast chicken: https://bellyfull.net/roast-chicken-recipe/
Family loved this chicken it was moist and flavour full, made cheesy risotto with broccoli awesome
Thanks for the chicken breast recipe! Delicious & will make it again but next time I’m going to have the spices ready to use in an airtight container! Gotta get a new thermometer though. My chickens almost dried out . Glad I kept checking. I used the Target brand organic chicken. They come already thinned out.
Goodbye dry baked chicken! This recipe was wonderful, I love baked chicken but no matter what I did it would turn out dry. Well thanks to this recipe, those days are over! I used this recipe in your Chicken Pot Pie Cobbler and it was amazing! I am new to your site and I am an instant fan!
Really nice little spice blend, awesome because not only tasty but easy and had all the ingredients. Always looking for a way to change up chicken breasts!
I whipped this up in a hurry tonight and I loved it. Lots of flavor!
I used to really shy away from making chicken breast because it always seemed too dry with little flavour. This recipe changed that, thank you!
I’m currently on the Keto diet due to PCOS which causes insulin resistance so to make this 100% “keto friendly” for me, I used the monk fruit brown sugar and it was VERY delicious as well. Just thought I’d post in case anyone else is doing keto as well :) amazing recipe! Will definitely make again! Kids loved it too and they can be picky!
Thank you… I was 100% wondering if I could sub the sugar for something… yay!!!
This was easy and tasted great! It took slightly longer to cook than the recipe called for but I loved it. Will definitely make it again!
Omg this is the best chicken recipe ever!! And I’ve tried a ton. Thank you thank you for posting this!! Best chicken recipe ever!!
We loved it so much, that my daughter is taking some for lunch.
Excellent flavor! Super Easy too!! The family loved it!
Excellent and so easy!
Omg!!! So simple and soo delicious! I was leery due to the brown sugar but trust me, DO IT! Thank you for sharing this!
Our whole family loved it!
It turned out perfectly!!! I didn’t have any brown sugar, but it tasted great! Thank You!!!
This recipe is the BEST! I have tried so many chicken breat recipes and they always dry out! Thank you Thank you! I finally have a win!
The flavors are amazing! I had to eat some right out of the oven. Im going to use for Chicken salad with grapes and pecans.
Who would ever have thought that baked chicken could be so tender and delicious. Thank you for this recipe.
Thank you for this chicken recipe. My young son absolutely loves it! He fondly calls it “Mom’s best chicken” and asks me to make it at least once a week. He’s a bit of a picky eater, so this one is a “win” in my book.
Amazing! Probably one of the first times I’ve cooked chicken breasts and they weren’t dry or over cooked. My boyfriend and I both loved and will make again.
This recipe is so delicious and delicious! No fuss no mess, I will use it over and over
Very tasty and an easy prep
The flavours were so wonderfully balanced, the chicken nice and moist. I actually just butterflied my chicken breast because there was still bones in them. The entire family ate it and loved it so thanks for this and can’t wait until the next time I make it again. Next time I just have to remember to make leftovers!
This chicken was distinctly better, and I have cooked for years. The seasonings and the olive oil ensured a juicy chicken breast.
Super easy, super flavorful, our new night time treat! Thank you—we needed an easy quick recipe.
I have tried SO MANY recipes to find the best way to cook chicken breast because my husband and I eat them for lunch as part of our meal prep. This is the best, juiciest, yummiest recipe I have found. We use truvia brown sugar and the flavor is amazing. I actually WANT to eat my chicken now lol!
I loved it so much! My husband and two little girls loved it
Super flavorful and super easy! Thank YOU!!
The best chicken recipe I ever made, thanks for sharing.
Was thinking of making this, looks delicious, however I only have the thinly sliced chicken breast on hand. What recommendations do you have for altering the recipe’s cook time/temp, etc.? Thank you!!
Hard to say without knowing the weight of the chicken breast, but if you pound it out as instructed, it will cook the same. Just check it 5 minutes early and in 1 to 2 minute increments until it reaches an internal temp of 165F
The entire family loved! Even the 1yr old!!
This comes out so good every time!
Easy recipe. True to its promise of moist, juicy goodness.
Very moist!
Great, no fuss/mess recipe for juicy chicken breasts. I like to have cooked chicken breast on hand and this recipe makes it so easy and quick.
So easy & so delicious! My chicken breasts were a little bit bigger, so they took about 25 minutes to bake.
Absolutely Delicious! This one is a keeper.
Great new dish for the family
I’m so glad I tried this recipe. My chicken has been disappointing lately. This was so good!
We loved this recipe. It was tender and juicy. It’s definitely a keeper. Thank you for sharing it
Nice flavor. Great information for different size breasts to produce juicy meat.
So good! It really was juicy and flavorful, not to mention easy. Thank you for sharing!
This was very good and easy to make. It was flavorful and juicy. It had a kind of barbecue flavor. I doubled the spices because what it called for wasn’t enough. Instead of Italian seasoning I used a teaspoon of oregano and a teaspoon of basil. I will make this again.
Chicken. Juicy,favorable. Will make again
Soooo good thanks !
Made this recipe last night – it was delicious!!!! Will definitely keep as a favorite!
Probably the most tender moist chicken breast I’ve ever baked! Something so simple, but I’ve been cooking them wrong for so many years. Thank you for this!
I made this for my family of 6, which includes 4 teenagers. Everyone loved it and asked that it be put on our regular meal rotation! By far, this was the juiciest, most tender chicken I’ve ever made. I paired it with cauliflower mash, and some fruit. So good!
This recipe is perfect. I have IBS, so I use garlic infused olive oil instead of adding garlic powder. Chicken comes out perfectly moist and flavorful. So far, I’ve made it twice.
Love this receipe!!!! I was doing 10 tenderloins so doubled the receipe, and I did 2 tablespoons of brown sugar instead of the 1 1/2, gave it perfect carmelized topping. The family Loveddddd it and said I have to make again soon.
I’ made this recipe and it is delicious. I shared it with my sister and she loves it also. Thanks for sharing this.
When you used the tenderloins, did you pound them flat or use them as is ?
My family loved this recipe. I made it on back-to-back nights.
Great Chicken Recipe! I only had 3 breasts and used all the rub so I would make more rub next time if I had 4 breasts.
Quick, easy and delicious