Oven Baked Chicken Breast

This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!

A JUICY Baked Chicken Breast!

Though I always stand firm that brown meat is better than white – more flavour, more juiciness – lean chicken breast is a regular in my shopping trolley, week after week. So today, I’m sharing my recipe for how I make Oven Baked Chicken Breast. We can never have too many really great quick chicken breast recipes!

As simple as it sounds, if you whack a seasoned breast in the oven without thought, the chances are you’ll be chewing your way through dry chicken, furiously squirting over copious amounts of ketchup to try to salvage it. It doesn’t need to be that way. Enter – a fabulous simple, magic chicken seasoning for baked chicken breast:

The Chicken Breast Seasoning

Made with just brown sugar, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper, the secret ingredient in this is brown sugar: Yes it adds sweetness but don’t worry, this baked chicken breast is still savoury!

How long to cook chicken breast

A medium chicken breast will take 18 – 20 minutes to bake at 220C / 425F. Cooking it hard and fast at a high temperature is the secret to gorgeous caramelisation and ultra juicy chicken inside. No dried out breast around here!! The seasoning for this chicken is actually a really great indicator for when the chicken is cooked to perfection. Basically, once the surface of the chicken is caramelised, it’s cooked to perfection inside so get it out of the oven! My last tip for a truly great Baked Chicken Breast is to pound it to even thickness, either with a rolling pin, meat mallet or even with your fist (very therapeutic). This has the double effect of even cooking as well as tenderising the meat. The secret behind this baked chicken is the simple, magic seasoning

Most popular of all chicken breast recipes!

This Juicy Oven Baked Chicken Breast is the single most popular of all chicken breast recipes I’ve ever shared. But don’t believe me. Have a browse below of what others have to say! Try serving this with a side of Garlic Butter Rice with Kale, pictured in post. One pot carb + veg side, with kale made delicious! Otherwise, try a flavoured Rice Side like Tomato Basil Rice or Mushroom Rice. If you’re in the mood for potatoes, try this Lemon Potato Salad, a classic creamy Potato Salad or a lighter No-Mayo Red Potato Salad with Charred Corn and Bacon. And for something fresh, Spring Salad or Creamy Cucumber Salad with Lemon Yogurt Dressing would go with the chicken beautifully. Else, simply drizzle steamed greens or a garden salad with Italian Dressing, Balsamic or French Vinaigrette. – Nagi x

Baked Chicken Breast recipeWATCH HOW TO MAKE IT

This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand! Recipe originally published March 2018. Updated for housekeeping matters in March 2019, no change to recipe.

The story and details of the Handcrafted Japanese Knife giveaway that originally accompanied this recipe when published was moved into a separate post because the Giveaway has finished.