Oven Baked Chicken Breast (Printable)

Tender, juicy chicken breasts baked with aromatic spices. An easy, protein-packed main dish ready in under 40 minutes.

# Required Ingredients:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 6-8 ounces each

→ Seasoning

02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
04 - 1 teaspoon onion powder
05 - 1 teaspoon paprika, smoked or sweet
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

# Directions:

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

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It transforms boring chicken into something you will actually look forward to eating, with a golden exterior and juicy center that doesn't taste like cardboard.
  • You can season it a hundred different ways depending on your mood, and it still comes out perfect every single time.
  • Cleanup is almost nonexistent, and you can double the batch without any extra effort for lunches all week long.
02 -
  • Do not skip the pounding step, because uneven thickness is the number one reason chicken comes out dry on the edges and undercooked in the center.
  • Use a meat thermometer instead of guessing, because every oven runs a little differently and five extra minutes can be the difference between juicy and jerky.
  • Let the chicken rest after baking, or all those beautiful juices will end up on your plate instead of inside the meat where they belong.
03 -
  • Invest in a cheap instant-read thermometer, because it will change the way you cook chicken forever and eliminate all the guesswork.
  • Don't crowd the pan, because the chicken needs space for the hot air to circulate or it will steam instead of developing that golden, slightly crispy exterior.
  • If you are meal prepping, cook the chicken plain and add different sauces or seasonings throughout the week so you don't get bored eating the same thing every day.
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