What temperature to bake chicken breast at

This is the most popular of all chicken breast recipes that I’ve ever published. It’s a JUICY Oven Baked Chicken Breast sprinkled with a magic simple seasoning, baked until caramelised. It’s simple, fast and incredibly tasty! This is a reader-favourite alongside Honey Garlic Chicken, this epic Parmesan Crusted Chicken and crispy Garlic Chicken.

This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!

A JUICY Baked Chicken Breast!

Though I always stand firm that brown meat is better than white – more flavour, more juiciness – lean chicken breast is a regular in my shopping trolley, week after week.

So today, I’m sharing my recipe for how I make Oven Baked Chicken Breast.

We can never have too many really great quick chicken breast recipes!

As simple as it sounds, if you whack a seasoned breast in the oven without thought, the chances are you’ll be chewing your way through dry chicken, furiously squirting over copious amounts of ketchup to try to salvage it.

It doesn’t need to be that way. Enter – a fabulous simple, magic chicken seasoning for baked chicken breast:

The Chicken Breast Seasoning

Made with just brown sugar, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper, the secret ingredient in this is brown sugar:

1. Makes more seasoning, so you can coat the breast thoroughly and give it a beautiful crust without overpowering it with lots of spices that need longer to cook than chicken breast does; and

2. Makes it juicy –  the chicken sweat while it bakes, so you end up with wetness that makes the chicken more juicy than the usual baked chicken breast.

Yes it adds sweetness but don’t worry, this baked chicken breast is still savoury!

How long to cook chicken breast

A medium chicken breast will take 18 – 20 minutes to bake at 220C / 425F. Cooking it hard and fast at a high temperature is the secret to gorgeous caramelisation and ultra juicy chicken inside. No dried out breast around here!!

The seasoning for this chicken is actually a really great indicator for when the chicken is cooked to perfection. Basically, once the surface of the chicken is caramelised, it’s cooked to perfection inside so get it out of the oven!

My last tip for a truly great Baked Chicken Breast is to pound it to even thickness, either with a rolling pin, meat mallet or even with your fist (very therapeutic). This has the  double effect of even cooking as well as tenderising the meat.

The secret behind this baked chicken is the simple, magic seasoning

Most popular of all chicken breast recipes!

This Juicy Oven Baked Chicken Breast is the single most popular of all chicken breast recipes I’ve ever shared.

But don’t believe me. Have a browse below of what others have to say!

Try serving this with a side of Garlic Butter Rice with Kale, pictured in post. One pot carb + veg side, with kale made delicious! Otherwise, try a flavoured Rice Side like Tomato Basil Rice or Mushroom Rice.

If you’re in the mood for potatoes, try this Lemon Potato Salad, a classic creamy  Potato Salad or a lighter No-Mayo Red Potato Salad with Charred Corn and Bacon.

And for something fresh, Spring Salad or Creamy Cucumber Salad with Lemon Yogurt Dressing would go with the chicken beautifully. Else, simply drizzle steamed greens or a garden salad with Italian Dressing, Balsamic or French Vinaigrette. – Nagi x

More chicken breast recipes readers love!

• Honey Garlic Chicken Breast – Super easy, super delicious!

• Sun Dried Tomato Stuffed Chicken Breast

• Crispy Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breast – No breadcrumbs needed!

• Foolproof Poached Chicken Breast

• Chicken Breast in Creamy Mushroom Sauce

• Chicken Kiev – A retro classic! Crumbed and fried chicken breast stuffed with oozing garlic butter …

• Browse all chicken recipes

Baked Chicken Breast recipeWATCH HOW TO MAKE IT

This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!

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Servings4

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Recipe VIDEO above. My tips for a truly juicy, Oven Baked Chicken Breast: a touch of brown sugar in the seasoning which makes the chicken sweat while it bakes so it creates a semi "sauce", and cooking fast on a high temp! Go by the colour of the crust to know when it's cooked through. 

• ▢ 4 chicken breasts , 150 – 180g / 5 – 6 oz each (Note 1)
• ▢ 2 tsp olive oil

Seasoning:

• ▢ 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
• ▢ 1 tsp paprika
• ▢ 1 tsp dried oregano or thyme , or other herb of choice
• ▢ 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• ▢ 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper

Garnish, optional:

• ▢ Finely chopped parsley

• Preheat oven to 425°F/220°C (200°C fan).

• Pound chicken to 1.5cm / 0.6″ at the thickest part – using a rolling pin, meat mallet or even your fist (key tip for even cooking + tender chicken).

• Mix Seasoning.

• Line tray with foil and baking / parchment paper. Place chicken upside down on tray. Drizzle chicken with about 1 tsp oil. Rub over with fingers. Sprinkle with Seasoning.

• Flip chicken. Drizzle with 1 tsp oil, rub with fingers, sprinkle with Seasoning, covering as much of the surface area as you can.

• Bake 18 minutes, or until surface is golden per photos and video, or internal temperature is 165°F/75°C using a meat thermometer.

• Remove from oven and immediately transfer chicken to serving plates.

• Wait 3 – 5 minutes before serving, garnished with freshly chopped parsley if desired. Pictured with a side of Garlic Butter Rice with Kale.

1. If your breast is quite large eg 250g / 8oz+ each, cut them in half horizontally to form 2 thin steaks and skip the pounding. Make sure they are no thicker than 1.5cm / 0.6″ thick at the thickest point – if they are, pound using fist.

This can also be made with thigh fillets (boneless, skinless). Follow the recipe but cook for 25 minutes for small / medium thighs and 30 minutes for larger ones.

2. Nutrition per serving, assuming 150g/5oz chicken breast.

Serving: 158gCalories: 286cal (14%)Carbohydrates: 4g (1%)Protein: 46g (92%)Fat: 7g (11%)Saturated Fat: 1g (6%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 127mg (42%)Sodium: 403mg (18%)Potassium: 397mg (11%)Sugar: 4g (4%)Vitamin A: 325IU (7%)Vitamin C: 1.7mg (2%)Calcium: 11mg (1%)Iron: 0.6mg (3%)

Keywords: Baked Chicken Breast, Chicken breast

Recipe originally published March 2018. Updated for housekeeping matters in March 2019, no change to recipe. 

* The story and details of the Handcrafted Japanese Knife giveaway that originally accompanied this recipe when published was moved into a separate post because the Giveaway has finished.

LIFE OF DOZER

It’s just hanging there, taunting him. He sniffs at it, suspiciously….