This incredibly juicy broiled chicken is easy to make and pairs well with a variety of side dishes.
Ready in 25 minutes and made with just six ingredients, it's the ultimate weeknight dinner!
This broiled chicken recipe takes just 25 minutes from start to finish, and the chicken comes out wonderfully juicy and flavorful. I think it's even better than baked chicken breast!
Just as important, the leftovers are excellent, too - I like using them in salads. So, I often make extra to ensure I have plenty of leftovers.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this broiled chicken breast. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts: Try to pick ones that are not too big. 8 ounces is a good size.
- Olive oil spray: A spray works better than drizzling the chicken with oil because I like to coat it with extra oil after I season it.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
Variations
- Use avocado oil or ghee spray instead of olive oil.
- Add ½ teaspoon of onion powder.
- If you enjoy spicy food, add ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper. This is my husband's favorite version of this recipe!
Broiled Chicken Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
Prepare your equipment. Position an oven rack 4 inches below the heating element and preheat your broiler. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and grease the foil.
Slice the chicken breasts. Slice each of them horizontally into two even pieces.
Season them. Place the chicken pieces on the baking sheet. Spray them with oil, season them with the seasonings, and then spray them with more oil. The extra oil protects the spices from burning.
Broil. Broil the chicken pieces for 3 minutes on the first side. Flip them, season the second side, and spray it with more oil. Broil the second side for 3-5 more minutes, depending on how thick the chicken pieces are and how hot your broiler is. Their internal temperature should reach 165°F.
Rest. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before you serve it. If you slice it too soon, the yummy juices will escape, and it will be dry. Look how juicy it is once you slice it! Perfection.
Expert Tips
- I don't recommend using dried herbs such as oregano or thyme in this recipe because they tend to burn under the hot broiler.
- When you slice the chicken pieces, make sure to rest your hand on top of the chicken as you slice it so that you don't slice towards your hand. As you can see in the photo above, I don't always do that - a bad habit that I'm trying to shake!
Recipe FAQs
No. If you try to broil a whole chicken breast, you risk charring the outside while the inside is not fully cooked. It's not difficult to slice the chicken pieces horizontally, and the result - evenly cooked chicken - is well worth it.
Both are excellent, but I prefer broiling. It's faster, and since you slice the chicken in half, the ratio of meat to spices is better when compared to baking a whole chicken breast.
Assuming you slice the breast in half into two thinner parts, it should take 6-8 minutes (3 minutes on the first side and 3-5 more minutes on the second side) when broiling on high (500°F). The chicken's internal temperature should reach 165°F.
Serving Suggestions
Broiled chicken is so versatile! You can practically serve it with any side dish you like.
Since it's such an easy recipe, I like to keep the entire meal easy by serving it alongside simple and quick side dishes like tomato salad, cucumber salad, microwave broccoli, or microwave spaghetti squash.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. I prefer not to reheat them, as this tends to dry out the chicken.
So I use them in salads (such as this chicken cobb salad), in lettuce sandwiches, or in a sandwich made with almond flour bread.
More Chicken Recipes
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Recipe Card
Juicy Broiled Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- Olive oil spray
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts 8 ounces each
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt divided; or ¼ teaspoon of any other salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper divided
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder divided
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika divided
Instructions
- Position an oven rack 4 inches below the heating element and preheat your broiler on high (500°F). Line a large, broiler-safe, rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly grease the foil.
- Dry the chicken breasts with paper towels. Slice each of them horizontally into two even pieces.
- Place the chicken pieces on the prepared baking sheet. Spray them with oil, season them with half the seasonings, and then spray them with more oil to protect the spices from burning.
- Broil the chicken breasts for 3 minutes on the first side. Flip them, season the second side with the remaining seasonings, and spray it with more oil.
- Broil the second side for 3-5 more minutes, depending on how thick the chicken pieces are and how hot your broiler is. Their internal temperature should reach 165°F.
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- A spray works better than drizzling the chicken with oil because I like to coat it with extra oil after I season it.
- If you enjoy spicy food, add ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
- It's important to let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before you serve it. If you slice it too soon, the yummy juices will escape, and it will be dry.
- I don't recommend using dried herbs such as oregano or thyme in this recipe because they tend to burn under the hot broiler.
- When you slice the chicken pieces, make sure to rest your hand on top of the chicken as you slice it so that you don't slice towards your hand. As you can see in the video above, I don't always do that - a bad habit that I'm trying to shake!
- Slicing the chicken breasts is important. If you try to broil a whole chicken breast, you risk charring the outside while the inside is not fully cooked. It's not difficult to slice the chicken pieces horizontally, and the result - evenly cooked chicken - is well worth it.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. I prefer not to reheat them, as this tends to dry out the chicken. So I use them in salads, sandwiches, and wraps.Â
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition per Serving
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Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Zach
Easy and delicious. Tasty fresh out of the broiler and also as cold leftovers. Thank you!
Vered DeLeeuw
You're very welcome, Zach!