Generally, I am not a fan of baking chicken breasts because they tend to turn out dry and don’t usually have as much flavor as, say, grilled chicken. This baked boneless chicken breast recipe changes all that, I promise. The chicken is tender, juicy, moist, easy, ready in a half hour from start to finish, and best of all, made on one sheet pan. Cleanup is as easy as tossing away a sheet of foil. This recipe makes 3 pounds of chicken. Yes, that’s quite a bit, but it’s great to keep this leftover chicken in your fridge to throw over salads in the upcoming days or for any way you like to use your chicken. Such as in tacos, burritos, omelets, on its own with a side of roasted veggies, you name it. It freezes great too, but if you don’t need that much, halve the recipe.
Ingredients Needed
When cooking chicken in the oven, you only need a few common fridge and pantry staples:
Boneless skinless chicken breasts Extra virgin olive oil Kosher salt and pepper Brown sugar Chili powder Regular or smoked paprika Cumin Garlic powder Cayenne pepper, optional but recommended
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Bake Chicken Breasts
Cooking chicken breasts in the oven doesn’t have to be challenging, nor does it have to result in meat that’s the consistency of shoe leather. Follow my basic and straightforward steps for baked chicken success.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
In the fridge: Let the chicken cool before storing in an airtight container. Leftovers will last up to 5 days. In the freezer: Seal in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. To reheat: Reheat in the microwave for 30-second intervals. You might want to slice the chicken first so the interior warms up faster (this helps prevent the exterior from drying out in the meantime).
More Baked Chicken Breast Recipes:
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