To make sure your baked chicken breast is juicy, cook it for a short time at a high temperature. Baking it for a short time in a hot 450°F oven helps seal the juices, while prolonged cooking in a moderate 350°F oven can dry it out.
Chicken breast is easy. I always have it on hand, and there are countless recipes for it, so I cook it weekly for my family. I usually simply bake it in the oven, making sure not to dry it out. The secret? I cook it for a short time at a high temperature. Baking the chicken for 30 minutes at 350°F will yield dry meat. Baking it for 20 minutes at 450°F will result in delightfully juicy chicken.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on the ingredients.
- Chicken breasts: I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Here's a recipe for skin-on chicken breast if that's what you have.
- Olive oil: You can use olive oil spray or brush the chicken pieces with olive oil.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and dried oregano.
Variations
- Instead of olive oil, you can brush the chicken pieces with melted butter. It's delicious!
- Experiment with the spices you use. Tasty options include smoked paprika (instead of paprika), chili powder, cumin, and dried thyme (instead of oregano). You can add ½ teaspoon of each additional spice.
- If your chicken comes in packages of three (as shown in the photo below), you can use the same recipe, increasing the oil and spices by 50%.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Mix the spices in a small bowl. Spray or brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle them with the seasonings.
Bake the chicken breasts uncovered until their internal temperature reaches 165°F. This should take about 20 minutes in a 450°F oven.
Loosely cover them with foil and let them rest, then slice and serve. Look how juicy and perfect the chicken turned out! This is exactly how you want it - fully cooked and white but juicy:
Been on a diet and wanted a simple chicken recipe. This is perfect. The high temp and spices made it great for sliced chicken with a leafy green salad with hard boiled eggs. Thanks!
Michael W
Read more comments
Been on a diet and wanted a simple chicken recipe. This is perfect. The high temp and spices made it great for sliced chicken with a leafy green salad with hard boiled eggs. Thanks!Recipe Tips
Chicken Breast Sizes
Many chicken breasts sold in the supermarket are huge. I've seen ones weighing 12 or even 13 ounces! If yours are this big, you will need to cook them for around 30 minutes.
The photo below shows two chicken breasts I got at the grocery store. One weighs 8 ounces, and the other weighs 13 ounces. Just looking at the picture, you can tell they would need different cooking times:
So check after 20 minutes. If you need to cook them longer, loosely cover them with foil to prevent the tops from burning in the hot oven.
How to Check for Doneness
You could cut a small slit in the thickest part of the chicken to make sure it's cooked through, but juices will escape and leave you with drier meat. The best method to check for doneness is to use an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken. Aim for an internal temperature of 165°F, as shown in the photo below.
Recipe FAQs
The secret is to cook them at high heat for a relatively short time. Moderate heat and prolonged cooking time will dry them out. Another tip is to allow the cooked chicken to rest before cutting it. If you slice into it right away, juices will escape.
No, you shouldn't. You want it exposed to the dry heat of the oven. If you cover the chicken, it will steam in its own juices rather than bake.
However, if it's a large piece that needs more than 20 minutes in the oven, it's a good idea to loosely cover it in foil to prevent the top from burning, as shown in the image below. 
Bake them in a 450°F oven. High-heat baking for a relatively short time will keep them moist and juicy. You have two choices: bake the chicken for 30-40 minutes (depending on its size) in a 350°F oven or for 20-30 minutes in a 450°F oven. In my experience, the second method is much better at producing juicy chicken.
Medium, 8-ounce chicken breasts will need about 20 minutes in a 450°F oven. Large, 12-ounce pieces will need around 30 minutes. The best way to make sure the chicken is done is to use an instant-read thermometer. Aim for an internal temperature of 165°F, as shown in the picture below.
Serving Suggestions
Anything goes with baked chicken breast! It's incredibly versatile. But I cook the chicken in a 450°F oven, so I like to serve it with a side dish I can bake in the same oven, such as:
- Buffalo cauliflower
- Carrot chips
- Roasted peppers
- Roasted broccoli stalks
- Eggplant chips
- Zucchini pizza bites
- Roasted zucchini
- Roasted yellow squash
- Roasted eggplant
In the photo below, you can see I used the same oven to bake the chicken and roast peppers and onions:
I then served them for a delicious dinner:
Storing and Using the Leftovers
The leftovers can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for up to four days or frozen for up to three months. I like baking several chicken breasts at a time because the leftovers are incredibly versatile.
If you'd like to reheat the leftovers, do so gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power. However, the leftovers can dry out when reheated, so I typically use them cold. They are the perfect topping for a salad such as arugula salad, Cobb salad, or the simple salad shown in the photo below of baby spinach, tomatoes, red onions, and shaved parmesan:
Apart from using the leftovers in salads, I use them in many recipes. Here are a few ideas:
Recipe Card
Juicy Baked Chicken Breast
Video
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts - 8 ounces each
- Olive oil cooking spray
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ¼ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper - freshly ground
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a rimmed baking dish with foil or lightly grease it.
- Generously spray or brush both sides of each chicken breast with olive oil.
- Sprinkle the chicken with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and dried oregano.
- Bake the chicken, uncovered, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and juices run clear when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. The center of the chicken pieces should be white and opaque.
- Transfer the chicken to a platter. Loosely cover it with foil and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- If your chicken pieces are much larger than 8 ounces, you will need to bake them for around 30 minutes. So check after 20 minutes, and if you do need to bake them for longer, loosely cover them with foil to prevent the tops from burning.
- The best way to make sure the chicken is done is to use an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part. Aim for an internal temperature of 165°F.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. You can also freeze them for up to three months. If you'd like to reheat the leftovers, do so gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power. The leftovers can easily dry out when reheated, so I typically use them cold. They make the perfect salad topping.
Nutrition per Serving
Save this Recipe!
We'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
We will also add you to our weekly newsletter. Unsubscribe anytime. See healthyrecipesblogs.com/privacy/ to learn how we use your email.
Disclaimers
Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Tanya says
Such a great recipe. Thanks!
I used butter and added Creole seasoning
Vered DeLeeuw says
Creole seasoning sounds amazing, Tanya! Thanks for the review.
Terri Madrigga says
Haven’t tried it yet, but your recipes have never let me down!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Wonderful, Terri! I hope you enjoy it.