Delicious skin-on chicken breast. Golden brown, buttery goodness. Crispy skin, super juicy meat. This is chicken breast perfection!
This recipe is AMAZING. And I say that as someone who is NOT overly fond of chicken breast (I much prefer duck breast or even turkey breast).
In fact, this recipe has quickly become one of my favorite ways to cook chicken breasts. I tend to make it about once a week, and no one complains!
Evolution of chicken breast recipes
I've been making chicken breast for many years now. I used to hate it with passion, thinking it was dry and bland. Until I finally learned how to bake chicken breast that actually came out juicy.
Then I upgraded it even more. I started making interesting variations, all of them excellent. Such as:
Cajun chicken
Parmesan crusted chicken
Bacon-wrapped chicken breast
Blackened chicken
But this. This golden brown, buttery goodness. The crispy skin, the super juicy meat. This, ladies and gentlemen, is chicken breast perfection!
The ingredients you'll need
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty chicken recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
Chicken breast: As the title of this recipe implies, I use boneless skin-on chicken breasts in this recipe.
Sea salt and black pepper: If you use kosher salt, you can use a little more of it.
Avocado oil: This oil has a neutral flavor and a high smoke point, making it an ideal cooking oil.
Butter: Salted or unsalted, whatever you have on hand.
Spices: Garlic powder, paprika, and dried thyme. Make sure they are fresh! A stale spice can easily ruin a dish.
How to cook skin-on chicken breast
It's easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
Your first step is to season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
Next, you cook them in an oven-safe skillet, skin side down, to crisp up the skin.
Now turn the heat off. Turn the chicken pieces and add the butter and the spices to the skillet. Spoon the yummy sauce on the chicken.
The last step is to place the skillet in a 450°F oven and roast the chicken until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
How do you get the skin crispy?
To ensure crispy skin, I sauté it first, skin side down. Then I roast it in the oven until it's fully cooked. The crispy skin is a delicacy!
This is a somewhat annoying extra step, and I'll admit that my go-to chicken recipe is still the basic boneless skinless baked chicken breast. It's just so easy and versatile. But when I'm inspired to invest just a little more in making dinner, this recipe s just wonderful.
What side dishes go with this dish?
This is such a versatile main dish. It truly goes with anything. But since I bake it in a 450°F oven, I like to serve it with side dishes that I can bake in the same oven. So I often serve it with buffalo cauliflower, with carrot chips, or with roasted bell peppers.
What about leftovers?
You can keep leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days, although the skin does lose its crispiness. I usually remove the skin and shred the meat to use as a salad topping.
Sometimes I cube the meat and use it in a chicken cobb salad. Another option is to gently reheat the skin-on chicken breast in a 250°F oven.
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Skin On Chicken Breast
INGREDIENTS
- 2 boneless skin-on chicken breasts, 8 oz each
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and season them on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, about 3 minutes.
- Place the chicken breasts in the hot skillet, skin side down. Cook the chicken breasts without moving them, until the skin is crisp and golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Turn the heat off but leave the skillet on the hot burner for now. Turn the chicken breasts skin side up.
- Add the butter to the skillet - it will melt immediately. Swirl it into the pan juices, then spoon the pan juices on top of the chicken breasts and sprinkle them with garlic powder, paprika, and dried thyme.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake the chicken breasts for 10-12 minutes, until cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 165 degrees F.
- Remove the skillet from the oven and transfer the baked chicken breasts to a cutting board. Loosely cover with foil. Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes.
- Slice the baked chicken breasts, arrange on plates, spoon the pan juices on top and serve.
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 