Perfectly cooked Oven Baked Chicken is easier than you think, plus it’s used in so many other recipes – from appetizers to dinner recipes!
All of your Baked Chicken questions are answered in one post! Season or marinate however you like and serve it up with a delicious side dish like Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli Strawberry Salad, and Oven Roasted Vegetables.
Baked Chicken Breast
Juicy oven-baked chicken breasts are some of my favorite dinner recipes. Baking the chicken makes the process so easy when the oven does all the work for you.
But a chicken breasts recipe can be a tricky subject. Why is chicken hard to cook sometimes? Don’t over-bake it! Don’t under-bake it! It’s gotta be just right. 
And there are so many ways to season it, cut it up, and serve it.
In this post, we’re going to answer all of your Oven Baked Chicken Breast recipe questions! Let’s get to the bottom of how to bake the perfect chicken breast in the oven.
After reading this post, you’ll be cooking moist, tender, well-seasoned, and evenly cooked juicy chicken breast in no time, every time!
How to Bake Chicken
PREP. Preheat oven to 450°F.
SEASON. Place chicken breasts in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil, season with garlic salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
Place on a greased sheet pan (covered with foil for easy cleanup, if desired)
BAKE. Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked throughout.
When the chicken is fully cooked, the juices will run clear, and the thickest part of the chicken should be at least 165°F using a meat thermometer. *Broil for 2-3 minutes more if you want the chicken a little more browned.
SERVE. Let the chicken cool for a few minutes before slicing or cubing to ensure it stays moist and tender.
Seasoning Baked Chicken
It’s super important to season your chicken thoroughly. No one likes plain bland chicken breast. There are so many options! Here are a few different seasoning variations on the site:
- Delicious Chicken Marinade
- Lemon Pepper Chicken
- Baked Chicken Fingers
- Buttery Baked Chicken
- Crispy Baked Ranch Chicken
- Baked Pesto Chicken
- Baked BBQ Chicken
Simple seasoning. If we are looking to cook a basic Baked Chicken Recipe, either marinate it in a dressing for 24 hours or drizzle on olive oil and some Italian seasoning and salt and black pepper.
Additional season suggestions. Some other spices that taste wonderful with chicken include paprika, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, rosemary, lemon pepper, cumin, sage, dill, and chili powder.
Preparation tip. You can use a meat mallet to pound the chicken so that it has an even thickness throughout. A rolling pin will also work to pound the chicken.
Chicken Tips
Chicken thighs. This cut is a wonderful option because their fattier content actually makes them juicier. They are denser than chicken breasts and will take a bit longer to cook than identical-sized breasts.
Bone-in chicken is a great choice as it adds extra flavor and moisture to the poultry. It usually comes with the skin on. The skin helps lock in moisture and becomes deliciously crispy.
Brine the chicken yourself and avoid buying brine injected or chicken with added water. Brining means soaking the chicken in salt water before baking it. This helps the chicken retain moisture while it’s cooking.
- Fill a bowl with 1 quart of warm water and stir in ¼ cup salt.
- Let the chicken soak for up to 6 hours in the refrigerator.
- Pat dry with a paper towel before seasoning and baking.
Chewy chicken can be caused by overcooking or undercooking the chicken, of which both conditions can be controlled.
It can also be caused by “woody breast”: a muscle condition that causes the chicken to be pale in color, hard to the touch, and has a poor texture. Soaking the chicken in buttermilk can help reduce the effects of this condition.
Easy cleanup. Place the chicken on a greased foil-lined baking sheet.
Slicing. Sometimes I let my chicken rest for a couple of minutes before I slice it up. This is not mandatory, but I feel like it helps with keeping it moist and flavorful.
What temperature to bake chicken?
There are a few different oven temperatures to Bake Chicken. A good rule of thumb is 375°F. Not all chicken breasts are created equal- some are bigger and thicker than others.
An 8 oz chicken breast should be cooked at 375°F for about 30 minutes. When your chicken breast is cooked through the juices will run clear.
Here are some general temps and how long to Bake Chicken:
- 350°F: Boneless: 30 – 35 minutes, Bone-in: 50-55 minutes
- 375°F: About 30 minutes, Bone-in: 45-50 minutes
- 400°F: 25 minutes, Bone-in: 40-45 minutes
- 425°F: 20 – 25 minutes, Bone-in: 35-40 minutes
Baked chicken recipes
The possibilities are endless with a Baked Chicken Breast! There are so many yummy recipes and different flavors. It depends on whether you cook and cube or shred it, but here are some of our favorite ways to use Baked Chicken:
Cubed chicken soup recipes: Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup, Chicken and Rice Soup, Chicken Noodle Soup, and Creamy Chicken Stew.
Cubed chicken salad recipes: Lemon Chicken Pasta Salad or Waldorf Salad.
Shredded chicken. And don’t forget all the ways you can use shredded chicken – best tips and tricks for shredding chicken.
Breaded Baked Chicken recipes: Baking chicken in the oven gets even more tasty with all the different flavored breading. We love Baked Chicken Parmesan, Baked Chicken Fingers, and Crispy Baked Chicken!
Now you are a professional at Baked Chicken Breasts!
Storing Info
STORE raw chicken in the fridge for 1-2 days before cooking it or moving it to the freezer. When properly wrapped, it can keep in the freezer for 6-9 months.
- Thaw the chicken in the fridge. Place the chicken in a Ziploc bag and then into room temperature water. Replace the water every 30 minutes until the chicken is thawed.
- Avoid letting the chicken sit at room temperature to thaw for several hours. Also, avoid thawing it in the microwave as it will thaw unevenly and become rubbery.
- Once the chicken is thawed it should not be refrozen raw. You can cook it and then freeze it again.
STORE leftover cooked chicken. Leftover Baked Chicken should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
FREEZE. For longer storage, wrap it tightly and store it in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Cooked and Cubed Chicken dinner Recipes:
- Triple Cheddar Chicken Pasta
- Chicken Pesto Pasta
- Chicken Divan
- Coconut Curry Chicken
- Chicken Tetrazzini
- Chicken Alfredo Pizza
Baked Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt with parsley flakes
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon italian seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Place chicken breasts in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil, season with garlic salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Place on a greased sheet pan (covered with foil for easy cleanup, if desired)
- Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked throughout. When the chicken is fully cooked, the juices will run clear, and the thickest part of the chicken should be at least 165 degrees using a meat thermometer. *Broil for 2-3 minutes more if you want the chicken a little more browned.
- Let the chicken cool for a few minutes before slicing or cubing to ensure it stays moist and tender.
This is the perfect chicken for so many recipes! I added some Italian seasoning & it was delicious! Love that I can cook some up & have it ready for other dishes.
My favorite way to make chicken breast for so many things!!
This is the perfect guide to baked chicken. Came out so moist, thank you!
I love making these chicken breaSt. There simple,healthy and always ready for my next meal. Whats not to like?
What a perfect baked chicken recipe.
This is the best and most simple chicken ever!
This is such a great resource! I love how versatile this chicken is — perfect for meal prep!
Thanks fOr posting a basic “how to” recipe. So many recipes list “cooked chicken” as an ingRedient. For thOse who are just beginning to cook they still need the instuructions on how to do the basics.
we love chicken at our house. we usually need some sort of chicken in most of our recipes. I love how this chicken tastes and can be used for so many recipes. The clean up is super easy also so thats a win win!
I made this chicken so I could use it in the tetrazzini recipe found on this site. Not sure what I did wrong, but I was unable to dice the chicken. When I cut it, it turned out more like pulled chicken. Maybe I used the wrong kind of knife. I think it should still be okay for the tetrazzini since everything is going to get mushed together anyway. This is a great recipe to use as a starter and can easily be adapted. I used garlic infused olive oil and Italian seasoning.
I think the shredded chicken would be fine to use for the tetrazzini as well. It could be the type of knife you are using. Hot sure if this was the knife you were using but I have found that the non-serrated knives work best for dicing chicken. Thanks for sharing what you did! I hope it turned out for you!
Any idea how long in an air fryer? I live in an RV and we dont have an oven
You could try air frying at 360 degrees for 18 – 20 minutes and go from there. The thickest part of the chicken should be at least 165 degrees using a meat thermometer.