Perfectly Juicy Baked Chicken Breast: Your Go-To Recipe for Easy Weeknight Meals & Meal Prep

Transform simple boneless, skinless chicken breasts into an incredibly flavorful and succulent main dish with this ultimate baked chicken breast recipe. Whether you’re looking for a quick and healthy weeknight dinner or an efficient way to prepare protein for your weekly meal plan, this method guarantees perfectly cooked chicken every time. Say goodbye to dry, bland chicken and hello to a dish that’s bursting with flavor and moisture, ready to be enjoyed on its own or easily incorporated into countless other meals.

Elevate Your Meals: How to Use Baked Chicken Breasts

This baked chicken breast recipe isn’t just easy and delicious; it’s incredibly versatile, making it a cornerstone for a variety of culinary creations. Its rich flavor and tender texture mean it shines as the centerpiece of a meal, but it’s equally fantastic when chopped, shredded, or diced for other dishes. This makes it an invaluable asset for busy home cooks and meal preppers alike.

• As a Standalone Main Course: Serve the freshly baked chicken with a side of vibrant roasted vegetables, a crisp garden salad, fluffy quinoa, or creamy mashed potatoes for a complete and satisfying dinner.
• Effortless Meal Prep: Cook a batch at the beginning of the week and have ready-to-use protein for days. Slice or shred it ahead of time for ultimate convenience, saving precious time during busy weekdays.
• Protein-Packed Salads: Cube or shred the cooled chicken over your favorite greens for a fulfilling and healthy lunch. It’s a perfect addition to Caesar salad, Cobb salad, or any simple mixed green salad, boosting both flavor and nutritional value.
• Hearty Sandwiches & Wraps: Thinly slice the chicken for gourmet sandwiches, or shred it and mix with a light dressing for quick and delicious chicken salad wraps.
• Comforting Pasta Dishes: Dice the cooked chicken and toss it into creamy Alfredo, vibrant pesto pasta, or a fresh primavera for added substance and flavor that will impress.
• Nutritious Grain Bowls & Stir-Fries: Add chopped chicken to your favorite rice bowls with roasted vegetables and a flavorful sauce, or stir-fry it with fresh, crisp vegetables for a quick, healthy, and satisfying meal.
• Soups & Casseroles: Shredded chicken is a natural fit for hearty, warming soups like our Chicken Pozole or comforting classics such as Chicken Noodle Casserole.
• Tacos, Burritos & Quesadillas: Elevate your Mexican-inspired meals by seasoning the chicken with Taco or Fajita Seasoning before baking, then using it in your favorite wraps.

Essential Tools for Perfectly Juicy Baked Chicken Breasts

While this recipe is straightforward, having the right kitchen tools can make all the difference, ensuring your chicken is consistently juicy and perfectly cooked. These are my top recommendations for achieving restaurant-quality results at home:

• Digital Food Scale: This is a game-changer for even cooking. Chicken breasts often vary significantly in size, which can lead to uneven cooking—some parts dry out, while others remain undercooked. A food scale allows you to precisely weigh each chicken piece, helping you select or prepare fillets that are roughly the same weight and size. This promotes uniform cooking, preventing any guesswork and ensuring consistent results across all servings.
• Meat Mallet (or Rolling Pin): This is truly the secret weapon for achieving exceptionally juicy chicken! Pounding chicken breasts to an even thickness (ideally around 1/2 to 3/4 inch) is absolutely crucial. This process not only tenderizes the meat by breaking down muscle fibers but, more importantly, ensures that the entire breast cooks at the same rate. This prevents the thinner edges from drying out and becoming tough before the thicker central parts are fully cooked. If you don’t have a dedicated meat mallet, a heavy rolling pin or even the bottom of a sturdy, heavy-bottomed frying pan works just as effectively.
• Cast-Iron Skillet (or other Oven-Safe Pan): A well-seasoned cast-iron skillet is the ideal choice for this recipe. Searing the chicken on the stovetop in a hot cast-iron pan creates a beautiful, deeply flavorful golden-brown crust, which also plays a vital role in locking in the chicken’s natural juices before it even enters the oven. Its robust construction and ability to go directly from stovetop to oven minimize cleanup and make for a more efficient cooking process. Any other heavy-bottomed, oven-safe pan will also perform admirably.
• Instant-Read Meat Thermometer: This is arguably the single most important tool for preventing dry, overcooked chicken. Guessing if your chicken is done often leads to overcooking “just to be safe,” resulting in tough and unappetizing meat. An instant-read meat thermometer takes out all the guesswork, allowing you to cook your chicken to the precise internal temperature of 160°F (71°C). This ensures it’s perfectly safe to eat while remaining incredibly juicy and tender. Remember, carryover cooking will typically raise the temperature to the recommended 165°F (74°C) while the chicken rests.

Mastering the Art of Baked Chicken Breast: Step-by-Step

Achieving perfectly juicy baked chicken breasts is simpler than you might think. This method combines a quick sear with oven baking to lock in moisture and maximize flavor. Follow these easy steps for consistent success, transforming ordinary chicken into an extraordinary meal:

1. Prepare and Even Out the Chicken: Start by thoroughly patting your boneless, skinless chicken breasts dry with paper towels. This crucial step helps the seasoning adhere better and promotes a superior sear. The most critical step for ensuring maximum juiciness is to pound the chicken to an even thickness. Place each breast between two sheets of plastic wrap or inside a large zip-top bag. Using a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy frying pan, gently but firmly pound the thickest parts of the chicken until the entire breast is uniformly about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. This ensures uniform cooking from edge to edge, preventing any part of the chicken from drying out before the rest is perfectly done.
2. Season Generously: In a small bowl, combine all your chosen seasonings (our recipe calls for a delightful blend of light brown sugar, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, along with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper). Drizzle one side of each pounded chicken breast with half of the olive oil, gently rubbing it evenly over the surface. Sprinkle half of the seasoning mix evenly over the oiled side and lightly press it into the meat to ensure every bit of flavor adheres well.
3. Sear for a Golden Crust: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) with an oven rack positioned in the center. Place an empty, large cast-iron skillet (or another heavy-bottomed, oven-safe pan) on your stovetop over medium-high heat for about 1-2 minutes, allowing it to get very hot. Carefully use tongs to place the seasoned chicken breasts, seasoned-side down, into the hot pan. Immediately drizzle the remaining 1-1/2 teaspoons of olive oil over the top (unseasoned) side of the chicken and sprinkle it with the remaining seasoning mix, pressing it lightly into the meat. Sear the chicken for exactly 5 minutes without moving it. This critical searing step develops a beautiful, flavorful golden-brown crust and significantly helps in locking in moisture, contributing to that incredibly juicy result.
4. Bake to Perfection: After the initial searing, do not flip the chicken. Carefully transfer the hot pan with the chicken (which should now be seasoned-side up) directly into the fully preheated oven. Bake for approximately 9–15 minutes. The exact baking time will depend on the thickness of your chicken breasts and the specific calibration of your oven. The most accurate way to determine doneness and prevent overcooking is by using an instant-read meat thermometer. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken; it should register an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C). Remember that carryover cooking will continue to raise the temperature to the food-safe 165°F (74°C) while the chicken rests.
5. Rest and Serve: As soon as the chicken reaches 160°F, remove the pan from the oven. Immediately transfer the chicken breasts from the hot pan to a clean cutting board. It’s crucial not to leave them in the pan, as the residual heat will continue to cook them, potentially leading to dryness. Loosely tent the chicken with foil and allow it to rest for at least 5 minutes. This resting period is essential as it allows the juices to redistribute evenly throughout the meat, resulting in an even juicier and more tender final product. After resting, slice, shred, or dice as desired and serve immediately as part of your delicious meal.

More Delicious Chicken Breast Recipes to Try

If you love the versatility and ease of chicken breasts, you’ll adore these other quick and easy recipes that make the most of this lean protein:

• Chicken Pozole: A hearty and flavorful Mexican-inspired soup that’s incredibly satisfying and can be on your table in just 30 minutes!
• Cashew Chicken: Skip the takeout and enjoy this beloved Chinese-American dish at home, complete with a quick and simple stir-fry sauce.
• Chicken Noodle Casserole: A comforting and classic family favorite, featuring tender chicken, egg noodles, and a delightful crunchy topping.
• Teriyaki Chicken Salad: A refreshing and vibrant salad featuring succulent teriyaki chicken and a homemade, incredibly easy three-ingredient dressing.
• Chicken Curry Rice Soup: A warming and aromatic soup packed with healthy vegetables and exotic flavors, perfect for a cozy evening.

Baked Chicken Breast Recipe

By Chelsea Lords

This easy Baked Chicken Breast recipe makes juicy, flavorful chicken—perfect for any night of the week. You can use it for meal prep or enjoy it straight from the oven. Works in any dish that calls for cooked chicken! Recipe adapted from @sammypur on TikTok!

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Servings: 4 chicken breasts

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Equipment

• Food scale (see note 1)
• Meat thermometer
• Large cast-iron pan
• Meat mallet

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (look for evenly sized fillets, see note 2)
• 3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 4 teaspoons light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C), positioning rack in the center of the oven. In a small bowl, mix all seasonings (brown sugar, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano) with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
2. Use a meat mallet (or the bottom of a heavy frying pan) to pound chicken at the thickest part to be even with the rest of the piece (fillets should be just over 1/2-inch thick throughout). Pat fillets dry with a paper towel.
3. Drizzle 1-1/2 teaspoons oil on 1 side of the chicken breasts. Gently rub in the oil. Sprinkle 1/2 of the seasoning mix on top and gently press it in.
4. If you don’t have an oven-safe pan, see note 3 below. Place an empty, large cast-iron pan on the stove over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Use tongs to place seasoned chicken in the pan, seasoned side down. Immediately add remaining 1-1/2 teaspoon oil and remaining seasoning mix to the other side of the chicken fillets. Cook exactly 5 minutes, then flip fillets and place the pan with chicken in the fully preheated oven for 9–15 minutes or until internal temperature hits 160°F (carryover heat will take it to 165°F).
5. Remove from oven and immediately transfer chicken from the pan to a cutting board to avoid overcooking. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing, shredding, or serving.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Invaluable tools for chicken that comes out perfectly every time:

1. Food scale: Weighing your chicken ensures that each piece cooks evenly since you can make sure all of the pieces are roughly the same size.
2. Meat mallet: Using a meat mallet to pound your chicken breasts is the secret for juicy chicken! Pounding the thicker parts of the chicken can help bring the whole piece to a more even thickness, which means that it will cook more evenly in the oven—preventing dry, overcooked chicken.
3. Cast-iron frying pan: Searing chicken in a cast-iron skillet gives you a flavorful crust that locks in moisture and flavor. Since it’s oven-safe, you can use the same pan from stovetop to oven.
4. Meat thermometer: An essential tool for ensuring that your chicken is cooked to the proper temperature and remains juicy.

Note 2: For even cooking, if you have very large chicken breasts, consider slicing them horizontally to create thinner cutlets or simply pound them more extensively. Four 6-ounce fillets typically cook for 5 minutes on the stovetop and about 10 minutes in the oven. Always use a meat thermometer for accuracy.

Note 3: No oven-safe skillet? No problem! If you don’t have a pan that can go from stovetop to oven, you can skip the searing step and bake entirely. Rub each side of the chicken with 1-1/2 teaspoons of oil, season evenly, and then place them on a parchment-lined baking tray. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 15–20 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160°F. Immediately remove the chicken from the tray and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing or shredding.

Storage: Cooked chicken can be stored for up to 4 days in the fridge or up to 2–3 months in the freezer. It’s best to shred or slice chicken before storing if you are planning on using it in various dishes later.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 133mg | Potassium: 434mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 73IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 0.5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.