Say goodbye to bland and boring chicken. These baked chicken breasts are juicy, tender, and perfectly seasoned – and they’re so easy to make!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Recipe Highlights
I’ve made these baked chicken breasts more times than I can count. They’re great for dinner and perfect for meal prep. Change the seasonings to match your meal!
- Flavor: Perfectly seasoned and juicy, oven-baked chicken is an easy go-to anytime. This chicken pairs well with almost any side dish.
- Skill level: Season, bake, and serve with only one dish to wash.
- Prep note: Double the recipe and meal prep to use all week long.
- Recommended tools: An inexpensive meat thermometer is my number one kitchen recommendation for perfect proteins, especially chicken.
Ingredient Tips For Baked Chicken Breasts
- Chicken: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts that are similar in size so they cook evenly. In this recipe, I use 5-7 oz breasts.
- Oil: Olive oil helps the seasonings stick and helps with browning. Any light tasting oil can be used.
- Seasonings: In the recipe below, I use a simple seasoning mixture; you can use your favorite purchased mixture or a blend from your spice cabinet.
Seasonings For Chicken Breasts
This chicken is versatile; you can use your favorite seasoning blends like Greek Seasoning, Cajun Seasoning, or a simple lemon pepper blend.
Make it a meal: Add whole mushrooms, thinly sliced onions, sliced zucchini, and strips of colorful bell peppers to the sheet pan and bake up an instant veggie side dish.
Tips for Juicy Chicken
- Cooking time: The most important thing is to make sure the chicken isn’t overcooked. Using a meat thermometer, cook to 165°F.
- Cooking temp: I cook at a high temperature to get nice browning on the outside while keeping the meat tender. Bake chicken breasts at 400°F for 21 to 26 minutes.
- Rest time: Let the meat rest after cooking to allow the juices to recirculate back into the meat, keeping it extra juicy.
Serving Suggestions
- Sides: This baked chicken breast recipe pairs with almost anything from Oven Roasted Potatoes to Seasoned Rice. I also love to serve it with roasted broccoli or asparagus.
- Salads: This chicken is great hot or cold in salads like cobb salad or Caesar salad—and any leftovers can be chopped up for a chicken salad sandwich.
- Pasta: Baked chicken is perfect for adding slices to pasta like alfredo or served alongside mac and cheese.
Storing Leftovers/Meal Prep
Store leftover baked chicken breasts in an airtight, covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Chicken can be sliced or chopped and frozen for meal prep.
More Chicken Breast Recipes
Did you make these Oven Baked Chicken Breasts? Leave us a rating and comment below!
Equipment
- 9 x 13-inch Baking Pan lightly greased
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts about 6 oz each
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon seasoned salt or table salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a rimmed baking pan or line it with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine chicken breasts, olive oil, Italian seasoning, seasoned salt, paprika, and black pepper. Mix well to coat.
- Transfer the chicken to the prepared pan and bake uncovered for 21 to 26 minutes or until the chicken breasts reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Transfer to a plate or cutting board and rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
- Cut into slices and drizzle with the juices.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Chicken, Dinner, Entree, Main Course
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Easy, yummy and my hubs says it’s a keeper. Very moist when first eaten after resting. I only sliced the breasts we needed for tonight, and sadly forgot to move the other off the stove top so they are a little drier/overdone. They will still work when cut up for a casserole, I’m sure. Only change I made was using some salt and Monterey steak seasoning instead of seasoned salt because I was out – tasted great!
This is my second review for you today (I made the pork butt earlier for tomorrow), and I haven’t been disappointed with anything I’ve tried from your site, so thank you!
So glad you loved them Carol!! Thank you so much for coming back and leaving reviews!
Hi Holly , your recipe looks great although I will only be using two breasts, should I still use the same amount of seasonings?
You will want to use half of all of the other ingredients.
Perfect! Juicy, tender, cooked just right. I prepped them with chopped herbs from my garden, olive oil, salt, pepper, and paprika. My chicken breasts were almost 16 ounces each, so they took a little longer to cook, and I basted them a couple of times with pan juices. So delicious! Thanks for the tips on high temperature roasting!
Hi holly !
I did mine with everything you told me to do last night for dinner for my mother my boyfriend and myself and it came out perfect. I have a lot leftover in my fridge I’m going to dice up today later on to put in my tossed salad for dinner tonight with my homemade honey Mustard dressing.
Sounds like a perfect leftover dinner!
Hi Ms. KrazyKatLady, may I have your Homemade honey Mustard dressing recipe, my husband loves that . Thanks Donna
Hi Donna, please take a look at our honey mustard sauce, and honey mustard dressing! We also have a honey mustard chicken that you and your husband may love too!
This oven baked chicken breast is my favourite chicken recipe. A quick and easy to make baked chicken recipe i have ever tried.
My daughter (picky eater) LOVED your recipe for chicken breasts!!! I use Italian seasoning before in my chicken recipes, but your combination was delish❤️! We both had seconds… Thank you! I can’t wait to tell my friends & family. I’m definitely recommending your recipes :-D
Truely full,
Kim W.
So glad your family loved this Kim!! Thank you so much for your recommendation.
PERFECT!! Juicy BEST CHICKEN BREAST IVE HAD , with no bone or skin. I was worried about the high temp, but I went for it and my son (33 yrs old) loved it as well!!! Good job !!!
What a great kitchen help… Thank you‼️‼️
I tried it today and it was delicious. Only thing I did different was let it marinate in the fridge for a few answers. I definitely recommend!
My baked chicken breast turned out very well; couldn’t have done it without you. Thanks! Donna
The basics of time and olive oil get you into the ballpark. Using pork rinds instead of bread crumbs and the spices named above: Keto time. Super helpful recipe, thanks!
I grabbed chicken tenderloins for the purpose of adding it to my fettucine. Do you think it would be safe to throw these smaller cuts of chicken in the oven like this? But just check at a shorter amount of time?
That should work Tina! Just check to make sure they reach an internal temperature of 165°F to ensure they are fully cooked.
I really like this Recipe, I have never cooked chicken before in my life. I followed Holly’s Recipe and the chicken turned out great. It was done in 26 minutes and it was not dry I substituted the spices with what i had. I used 2 table spoons of vegetable oil. I used Lemon and pepper seasoning, poultry seasoning, Onion Salt, table salt, Oregano leaves and Garlic powder. And I smeared butter on the pan to grease it. Thank you so much!!!
I was pleased that chicken was done in 26 minutes! I did pound them to about same thickness before proceeding with recipe. VERY TENDER and tasty. Thank you for excellent recipe.
Kathleen
How do I keep chicken from getting tough in the outside
Hi Mary Ann, if baked until they reach 165°F internal temperature they shouldn’t be tough on the outside. But if you find the outside browning or cooking a bit too fast you can always try tenting the chicken breasts with foil.
FINALLY!
I’m an above decent cook, but EASY boneless, skinless chicken breasts have eluded me for years. I’ve brined, marinated, buttered, covered, you name it… (Granted, I did start using the flat side of the meat tenderizer to make them the same size a few years back and that was an immense help in even cooking). However, this is the first time I’ve found the perfect time/temperature ratio.
I don’t worry about it anymore. Just place in a freezer bag, beat with a the tenderizer a bit, oil, season, pop in the oven.
So easy, thank you!
So happy to hear that Travis! That is great.
YUM! Tried this simple, healthy recipe with my picky fam & they enjoyed it! Thank youuuuuuuuu! :-)
Excellent recipies and very easy to make…
The oven baked chicken breast recipe was a success! Yay! I am afraid to bake chicken breast meat because I always over bake it and it is very dry. Well, I am very pleased to share with you the chicken came out perfect (very moist and very good flavor). I will certainly make this recipe on a regular basis.
Thank you very much for the recipes, awesome pictures, and tips.
So glad you loved it Barbara!
Very helpful.
When cooking chicken in the oven do you cover it?
The chicken is cooked uncovered.
Do you cover the container with tinfoil or a lid, or bake them uncovered?
These are baked uncovered.