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These easy baked chicken breasts are tender, juicy, and all-around perfect. This is the only baked chicken recipe you’ll ever need!
But wait, there’s more! If you’re looking to switch things up a bit, I’ve got two more mouthwatering chicken recipes for you to try: Slow Cooker Chicken Breast and Yogurt-Marinated Baked Chicken! Both are juicy and so tasty!
Friend, this is your ultimate guide to baking chicken. It sounds simple, right? Just season the chicken and pop it in the oven. But there’s a golden tip that ensures your baked chicken breasts are always moist and juicy! While the process is as straightforward as it sounds, adding this one extra step has never failed to yield perfectly tender chicken, regardless of the variety of seasonings and flavors I experiment with. It’s an easy, fail-proof method that’s made this recipe a weeknight dinner staple in my kitchen.
How To Bake Chicken Breast Without Drying It Out?
Parchment paper is the secret to baked chicken breasts that don’t dry out in the oven. The pat of butter on each breast does help with flavor, but the parchment paper does the heavy lifting here. It seals in the juices instead of letting them steam off, so basically, the parchment paper allows your chicken to baste itself as it bakes.
The result is tender, juicy chicken breasts that you’ll actually look forward to eating. You can use this method pretty much any time that you need to bake up some chicken breasts. It’s a tried and true technique taught in culinary schools, and it works every time with whatever seasonings you wish to use.
Ingredients You’ll Need
A couple of seasonings, chicken breasts, and butter are basically all you need to make the juiciest, perfectly baked chicken. Please see the recipe card down below for full instructions.
- Olive oil cooking spray – For coating the baking dish.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – Wash them, pat them dry with a paper towel, and trim them.
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper – To enhance the flavors of the chicken.
- Garlic and Garlic powder – The combination of fresh garlic and garlic powder results in super flavorful baked chicken breasts!
- Seasonings – Dried oregano and Italian seasoning
- Butter – You can use salted or unsalted butter; if you use salted butter, use less salt when seasoning the chicken.
- Parchment paper – Don’t use wax paper; it needs to be parchment. If you don’t have parchment paper, you can use aluminum foil.
How to Make Juicy Baked Chicken Breasts
Below are the simple steps for achieving perfectly juicy and tender chicken every time. Follow this foolproof method for a delicious and easy meal.
- Prepare. Preheat your oven to 400ºF and lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Season the chicken. Arrange the chicken breasts in the baking dish and rub the minced garlic all over each breast. Add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and Italian seasoning to both sides.
- Add the butter and parchment. Set a pat of butter onto the center each chicken breast. Then, place a sheet of parchment paper over the chicken breasts and tuck the edges under the chicken so it’s snug; this is what keeps the steam in.
- Bake. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 30 to 33 minutes, or until chicken’s internal temperature reaches 165ºF.
Recipe Tips
- Use an instant-read thermometer. It’s the only way to know for sure when your chicken is done and safe to eat. You can find inexpensive thermometers on Amazon.
- Don’t overcook it! The chicken will continue to cook after you take it out of the oven, so pull the chicken from the oven when the thermometer registers 165ºF.
- Browning. For a golden, crispy touch, briefly place the chicken breasts under the broiler to achieve that perfect browned finish on top.
- Let it rest. After you take your chicken out of the oven, let it sit for 5 minutes before slicing or serving. That lets all of those juices settle and keeps your chicken juicy!
Serving Suggestions
The beauty of baked chicken breasts is that they can be flavored with a variety of seasonings and served with a number of sides. Slice it and serve it over this Jeera Rice, or lighten it up with my Coconut Lime Cauliflower Rice. Serve it over my Creamy Garlic Butter Pasta with Spinach, or chop up the cooked chicken and mix it in with these Roasted Mushrooms with Parmesan and Pine Nuts during the last few minutes of cooking.
These Sautéed Garlic Broccolini are pretty impressive, served up with any protein! Air Fryer Baked Potatoes, Parmesan Truffle Fries, or Crispy Smashed Potatoes are all delicious and worth a try!
Storage
Fridge. Let the cooked chicken breasts cool completely, then refrigerate them in an airtight container or wrap them tightly with plastic wrap; they will last for 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator.
To reheat. Place the chicken on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes or until heated through. You can also microwave them, but be careful to avoid overcooking. A few short bursts of heat should do the trick.
Can I Freeze Baked Chicken?
Yes, you can freeze cooked chicken breasts. Wrap the cooked chicken tightly in plastic wrap and add a layer of aluminum foil over the plastic. Please place them in a freezer bag; seal the bag, pressing out as much excess air as possible. Set the bag in the back of the freezer, where it is the coldest, and store it for up to 3 months. When ready to use, remove from the freezer and set in the fridge overnight to thaw before reheating.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
- Italian Dressing Chicken
- Grilled Barbecue Chicken and Vegetables in Foil
- Italian Chicken and Vegetables in Foil
- Chicken and Rice Fajitas in Foil
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Easy Baked Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- olive oil cooking spray
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts,, fat trimmed off
- 2 cloves garlic, , minced
- salt and fresh ground black pepper,, to taste
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder,, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano,, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon Italian Seasoning,, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter,, cut up into 4 pats
- parchment paper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400˚F.
- Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Pat dry the chicken breasts with paper towels.
- Transfer the chicken breasts to the baking dish and rub a bit of minced garlic over each chicken breast. Season chicken on both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and Italian seasoning. Place a pat of butter over each chicken breast.
- Place a sheet of parchment paper over the chicken breasts. Tuck the edges so that the parchment paper is snug around the chicken.
- Bake for 30 to 33 minutes or until the chicken's internal temperature registers at 165˚F.
- Remove from the oven and transfer the chicken to a serving plate; let rest for 5 minutes before serving and cutting.
Video
Notes
- Chicken Breasts: This recipe uses boneless and skinless chicken breasts. If you want to use chicken thighs, please check out this recipe: Oven Baked Chicken Thighs.
- Parchment Paper: This will help retain moisture, resulting in tender and juicy chicken. Aluminum foil can be used in place of parchment paper.
- Seasonings: Chicken can be flavored with various herbs and spices. My go-to’s are almost always garlic powder, onion powder, some paprika, dried oregano, dried thyme, or dried rosemary. Feel free to get creative using your favorite seasonings.
- Golden Brown Finish: To add a touch of golden crispiness, give the chicken breasts a quick broil to achieve that beautifully browned top.
- Instant Read Meat Thermometer: Please use a meat thermometer to check the chicken for doneness. Chicken is cooked through when its internal temperature registers at 165˚F. Also, let the chicken rest for 5 minutes after you pull it out of the oven and before slicing and serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
This was such a tasty meal! I thought it would be dry but I was pleasantly surprised! Great recipe! I paired it with fresh fruit and baked potato.
That sounds like a wonderful meal! I’m glad it turned out moist and tasty for you. Fresh fruit and a baked potato make for perfect sides! Thank YOU! 🙂
I just tried your recipe for the first time. So easy and so perfect!! My chicken breast came out perfect. This will be how I make them always!
I’m thrilled to hear the recipe worked out perfectly for you, especially with the chicken breast turning out just right! It’s wonderful to know this will be your go-to method. Enjoy your cooking! Thank YOU! 🙂
I’m thrilled to hear the recipe worked out perfectly for you and that the chicken breast came out just right! It’s great to know this will be your go-to method from now on. Thank YOU! 🙂
Very moist and flavorful. It was a hit with my guest who usually prefer chicken thighs.
I made this chicken recipe and it was very good. Boneless, skinless chicken breast can be dry. Using parchment paper made all the difference. I’ll definitely make it again.
I’m very glad you enjoyed it! It’s great that the parchment paper worked well with the chicken! Happy to hear you’ll make it again. Thank YOU! 🙂
I have difficult time eating chicken breast because it always ends up too dry to swallow. This is the first recipe that I absolutely love. So moist and no trouble eating it.
That’s wonderful to hear! It’s great that you’ve found a recipe that keeps the chicken breast moist and enjoyable. Thank YOU! 🙂
I’ve made these several times now, and they are so delicious! Moist and perfect every time! Thank you so much!
You’re very welcome! I’m delighted to hear that you’ve had consistent success and are enjoying the delicious results. Thank YOU! 🙂
Great way to cook moist chicken breast.
I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I don’t often buy white meat/ chicken breast because I find it to be dry and boring. Not so if you prepare it with this recipe. WINNER winner chicken dinner! I’ve already shared the recipe with my extended family.
Mine was still dry I😔 should I have tenderize first?
No, it just means you baked it for too long. I highly recommend using an instant-read meat thermometer and pulling the chicken out of the oven as soon as its internal temp registers at 165˚F.