Do you want the best moist baked chicken breast? You can use this easy recipe! You can easily make chicken breasts that are perfectly soft, juicy, and tasty. This is great for quick weeknight dinners or healthy meal prep. So simple and so tasty!
This recipe shows how amazing outcomes may come from using simple ingredients and easy-to-follow steps. It’s great for anyone who wants a healthy supper with a lot of protein that doesn’t take a long time to make. This method will definitely wow, whether you’re a newbie cook or an expert searching for a reliable go-to. So, let’s get started on making chicken breasts that are not only juicy but also full of taste!
Don’t forget to read our guide on Making Healthy Meal Prep Easy, or try our Quinoa Salad with Roasted Vegetables if you’re going to be making healthy meals this week.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Baked Chicken Breast
- Moisture that can’t be beat: We pay attention to the little things that make sure the food is always juicy and delicious.
- Amazing Flavor: This simple but powerful seasoning mix brings out the natural flavor of the chicken.
- Easy to Prepare: Doesn’t take much active time, therefore it’s great for busy people.
- Healthy & Versatile: A great source of lean protein that goes well with almost any side dish.
- Great for Meal Prep: Make a batch on Sunday and you’ll have nutritious protein for salads, sandwiches, and other meals all week.
The fact that this recipe is so easy is what makes it so amazing. It only takes approximately 35 minutes from start to finish, including resting time, and only a few things from the pantry. This means that even on the busiest nights, you can still have a tasty and healthy dinner ready. It also makes a great canvas for diverse flavors, so you can be as creative as you want in the kitchen. Let’s begin making chicken breasts that everyone will love.
You might also like our Baked Salmon with Lemon and Dill or our Quick Vegetable Stir-Fry for more quick and healthy meal options.
Easy Baked Chicken Ingredients
The first step to cooking well is to get all of your components together. You only need a few things to make this easy baked chicken breast recipe:
- Four chicken breasts without bones or skin (approximately 6 to 8 ounces each). For even cooking, look for chicken breasts that are around the same thickness.
- Two teaspoons of olive oil. This helps the seasonings stick and makes the food brown.
- 1 tsp. of salt. Important for making food taste better.
- 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Adds a hint of spiciness.
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder. A basic taste for a lot of chicken meals.
- 1/2 teaspoon of paprika. It gives food a nice color and a bit of sweet pepper flavor.
- 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme (optional). Thyme adds a subtle, earthy flavor that goes well with chicken.
- Optional: lemon wedges for serving. Fresh lemon juice makes things brighter.
How to Cook Baked Chicken Breast That Is Juicy (Step by Step)
To make the greatest moist baked chicken breast, just follow these easy steps. This procedure is meant to make the food taste great and be soft with as little work as possible.
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Step 1: Get ready for crispy wings by preheating
Set your oven to 400°F (200°C). Put aluminum foil or parchment paper on a baking pan. This not only makes cleanup easy, but it also keeps the chicken from sticking, which makes for a clean release.
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Step 2: Dry and season the wings to make them taste good.
Use paper towels to dry the chicken breasts completely. This may seem like a tiny step, but it’s very important. Taking out extra moisture makes the seasonings stick better and helps the sear and browning be more consistent, which improves both flavor and texture.
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Step 3: Mix the seasoning mix
Mix the olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and dried thyme (if using) in a small bowl. This easy mix of spices makes a tasty crust that keeps moisture in. The paprika gives the chicken a lovely golden color while it cooks.
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Step 4: Put a coat on the chicken
Put the dried chicken breasts on the baking sheet that you have prepared. Use your hands or a pastry brush to spread the olive oil and spice mixture evenly over all sides of the chicken breasts. Make sure that every piece is well-coated so that the taste spreads evenly.
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Step 5: Bake till it’s perfect
For 20 to 25 minutes, bake. How long you need to cook the chicken breasts will depend on how thick they are. Using a meat thermometer is the best way to make sure they are fully cooked and moist. Put it in the thickest area of the breast; it should read 165°F (74°C).
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Step 6: Let the Chicken Rest
Take the chicken out of the oven when it reaches the right internal temperature. Before cutting, let the chicken breasts sit on the baking sheet or a chopping board for 5 to 10 minutes. This time to rest is very important because it lets the liquids spread out through the meat, which makes it moist and soft.
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Step 7: Serve your tasty chicken
Warm up your simple roasted chicken breast before serving. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice on top may really bring out the taste. This chicken is quite flexible. You can slice it up and serve it as is, or you can utilize it in many other ways.
Our Hearty Shepherd’s Pie or Comforting Vegetable Soup are two more ideas for dinner.
How to Get the Most Moist Baked Chicken Breast
To make sure you always get the greatest juicy baked chicken breast, remember these suggestions from the pros:
- Pick Breasts That Are the Same Size: If your chicken breasts are quite diverse in thickness, the thinner sections can cook too long before the larger parts are done. You can pound the thicker areas a little to make them more even.
- Don’t cook too long! This is the worst thing you can do to chicken breast. A meat thermometer is the best thing you can use. Take the chicken out as soon as it reaches 165°F (74°C). While it rests, it will keep cooking a little bit.
- Resting is a must: Don’t neglect this stage! When you rest, the muscle fibers relax and soak up the liquids again, which keeps them from running out when you cut into the chicken.
- Different Flavors: You can try out other spices if you want! Use Italian herbs, chili powder, smoked paprika, or your favorite spice rub. Try marinating before baking to get a distinct taste.
- Add fat for flavor: We’re using olive oil, but a little touch of butter warmed with the oil can make it taste richer. Our Juicy Baked Chicken Thighs recipe is naturally more forgiving, so you might want to try it for an even richer result.
Our Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup and Hearty Lentil Soup are both great ways to get more protein in your diet.
Common Questions About Simple Baked Chicken Breast
We thought of some typical questions to help you make this recipe work.
Outside Help for Cooking Chicken
To learn further more about how to prepare chicken, check out these reliable sources:
- The USDA’s Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart has all the information you need about chicken breast temperatures and safety.
- Healthline’s page on chicken nutrition will tell you more about the health benefits of lean protein like chicken.
Your Go-To Recipe for Perfect Baked Chicken Breast!
This easy recipe for baked chicken breast is sure to become your new favorite. It’s really easy to make, always moist, and well-seasoned, so eating healthily is a pleasure instead of a chore. This recipe can help you get ready for the week ahead or make dinner quickly.
We really hope you love creating and eating these chicken breasts as much as we do! Please tell us how it went if you make this recipe. We’d love to know about any changes you made or how you served it. Don’t forget to use #[YourBlogHashtag] and #[YourBlogName] to tag us on Pinterest and Instagram. We can’t wait to see what you make!
