Baked Chicken Breasts
Why This Baked Chicken Breast Method Works
I bake chicken breast at a high temperature for a short time instead of a lower temperature for longer. The hot oven browns and seasons the outside quickly without giving the lean meat time to dry out, so you get a flavorful crust and a juicy inside in under 20 minutes.
Table of Contents
Ingredients You’ll Need
Chicken breasts – boneless, skinless. Try to pick a pack where the breasts are close to the same size so they finish cooking around the same time. Quality varies a lot by brand, and a cheaper, watery breast can turn out tougher or blander no matter how well you cook it, so it’s worth trying a different brand if this recipe hasn’t worked for you before.
Ultimate Dry Rub – my go-to spice blend. It has a little heat from cayenne, so cut it back if you’re sensitive to spice.
Cooking Oil – use high smoke point neutral oil like avocado oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil.
How To Cook Chicken Breast In The Oven
- Preheat and prep the pan – Heat the oven to 450°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil if it’s an older pan, and lightly oil it.
- Season the chicken – Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel, then place them in a mixing bowl with the dry rub. Massage the seasoning into each piece, making sure to coat all sides.
- Arrange on the pan – Space the chicken about an inch apart on the prepared pan.
- Bake – Bake for 14-18 minutes, depending on thickness, until a meat thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest part. This is the safe minimum internal temperature for chicken as measured with a food thermometer.
- Rest – Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before slicing so the juices settle back into the meat.
Tips For The Best Baked Chicken Breast
- This dry rub recipe is a bit spicy, so if you are not tolerant well of spice, you can use 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper in the recipe. Adjust cayenne pepper amount according to your own tolerance from there.
- This recipe can also be done with chicken drumsticks and chicken thighs. Adjust oven temperature to 425°F and cook drumsticks for 34-40 minutes, depending on the size. You are also looking for 165° meat temperature.
- If Your Chicken Breasts Are Significantly Different Sizes:
- Uneven sizes are the most common reason some baked chicken turns out dry because the smaller ones overcook while larger ones finish baking.
- Split them across two pans by size, and pull the smaller pieces out first once they hit 165°F.
- Or bake them together on one pan and just pull the smaller pieces out early, letting the larger ones finish for a few more minutes.
Storing Leftover Baked Chicken Breast
- Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Sliced cold chicken is great on salads, in wraps, or in sandwiches.
Best Way To Reheat Baked Chicken Breast
To re-heat chicken, you can use just about anything.
- For microwave, I recommend using the microwave-safe plate cover to keep chicken moist while reheating.
- You can reheat it slowly in a cooking pan, over medium-low heat. Slice cold chicken so it reheats faster. Preheat the pan and add chicken (depending on the type on pan used, you may need to grease the pan first). Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook just until warmed.
- My favorite way to keep chicken moist while reheating, it to do it the oven. Slice chicken if needed and wrap it loosely in some foil. Preheat oven to 350°F and place wrapped chicken into the warmed oven. Reheat for about 10 minutes, depending on size and amount of chicken.
Baked Chicken Breast Recipe FAQs
Yes, this rub works well on bone-in chicken too. Drop the oven to 425°F and bake drumsticks or thighs for 34-40 minutes, depending on size, until they reach 165°F.
450°F. The high heat cooks the outside quickly, which helps hold moisture in, and keeps the total bake time short.
About 14-18 minutes for medium chicken breasts, depending on thickness. Always confirm with a meat thermometer rather than going by time alone, since chicken breasts vary in size.
No, this recipe doesn’t require flipping. The high oven temperature browns the top side well on its own.
Uncovered. Covering the pan traps steam and keeps the chicken from browning.
Temperature is the biggest factor, but it isn’t the only one. Cheaper, watery chicken breasts (often injected with a sodium solution) can turn out tough, dry or bland no matter how you cook them. Look for a better-quality brand.
Use an instant-read meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast and look for 165°F. Color and firmness aren’t reliable ways to check doneness.
Side Dishes That Go Good With Baked Chicken Breast
- Easy roasted cauliflower recipe
- The best cheesy hashbrown casserole
- Roasted fingerling potatoes
- Green beans with bacon and onion
- Cauliflower mac and cheese
- Italian roasted asparagus
More Baked Chicken Recipes To Try
- Baked Chicken Wings
- Southwest Baked Chicken Thighs
- Coconut Lime Baked Chicken Drumsticks
- Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Stuffed Chicken
- Asian Baked Chicken Thighs
- Parmesan and Herb Stuffed Chicken
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Baked Chicken Breast Recipe Seasoned with Dry Rub
Ingredients
- 3 medium chicken breasts
- 4 tbsp Dry Rub
- 2 tbsp canola oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F. You may need to cover a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, especially if using an older baking sheet. If available, I recommend a thicker, heavier rimmed making sheet.
- Place chicken breasts in a mixing bowl and add Dry Rub seasoning.
- Rub each chicken beast with a generous amount of seasoning and massage it in. Make sure to get the seasoning all over each piece of meat.
- Spread a little bit of oil all over the prepared baking sheet.
- Place seasoned chicken breasts in the pan, about an inch apart.
- Bake for 14-18 minutes, depending on the thickness of chicken. Use a meat thermometer to check if the chicken is at 165°F.
Notes
- Spice level: The Dry Rub has a bit of heat from cayenne. If you’re not a fan of spice, cut the cayenne in the rub to 1/2 tsp and adjust from there to taste.
- Even sizing: Try to pick chicken breasts that are close to the same size so they all finish around the same time. If sizes vary, pull the smaller pieces out first once they hit 165°F.
- Make ahead: Mix up a batch of Dry Rub ahead of time and keep it on hand so this really is a 2-ingredient dinner on busy nights.
Nutrition
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All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
I’ve been looking for a new way to cook my chicken and this might just be the winner! Very excited to try this.
I hope you liked it! 🙂