Baked Chicken Breasts are one of my favorite go-to proteins of choice for lunch, dinner, and meal prep! They’re super versatile and can be added to salads, sandwiches, or served with your favorite roasted vegetables. And I’m letting you in on a little secret…brining your chicken breasts before baking them in the oven will seriously take them to a whole new level! The brine adds extra flavor and is my favorite trick to getting juicy, tender chicken breasts every single time. Feel free to customize the seasoning to your liking, but I promise you won’t regret adding this baked chicken breast recipe to your Sunday meal prep or weeknight dinner rotation!
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Brining the Chicken
Now hear me out, I used to think this extra step of brining chicken breasts wasn’t necessary, but after noticing how much of a difference it made with our grilled chicken breasts, I was sold! Of course, one could argue that brining is more essential for grilling, but trust me; you’ll be surprised by how juicy and flavorful these baked chicken breasts turn out with a quick brine. If you decide to skip it, no worries. No one will know…except me.😉
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this delicious baked chicken breast recipe:
- Chicken Breasts: I always go for skinless, boneless chicken breasts when I make this recipe. You’ll need 4 chicken breasts, totaling around 2 lbs, which should be pounded to an even thickness for faster and more even cooking.
- Olive Oil: Cover the chicken in a light coating of olive oil before baking to help the seasonings stick.
- Brine: I make an easy brine using kosher salt, granulated sugar, and cold water. This helps to keep the chicken moist and tender while baking in the oven (no dried-out chicken breasts here!). Be sure to use kosher salt, as table salt will make the brine too salty.
- Seasoning: I like to keep it simple with a mixture of smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. But what really makes this seasoning stand out is the addition of brown sugar. It adds a little sweetness and helps to create a delicious crust on the chicken.
Seasoning Variations
Feel free to play around with different seasoning blends when baking your chicken breasts in the oven. Another great option is the steak seasoning mix I use on my air fryer chicken breast recipe! Here are some more seasoning variations my family and I love:
- Lemon pepper seasoning
- Cajun seasoning
- Creole seasoning (I always use Tony Chachere’s)
- Taco seasoning
- Jerk Seasoning
- Garlic and Herb seasoning
- Barbecue seasoning or rub
- Chili seasoning
How Long Should You Bake Chicken Breasts in the Oven?
In this recipe, I use large, skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs total), which I pound to about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. I bake them in a 425°F oven for about 18-20 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 160-165°F (they’ll continue cooking and reach the safe temperature of 165°F while resting out of the oven covered in foil). Smaller chicken breasts will, of course, need less time to cook, while larger will need more. I’d check smaller chicken breasts around 15 minutes and larger ones closer to 20 minutes.
The best way to ensure perfect, juicy oven baked chicken breasts is to use a meat thermometer. Once the chicken reaches the safe internal temperature of 165°F, remove it from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing or serving!
Recipe Tips & Budget-Saving Suggestions!
- This recipe makes four large chicken breasts, which can easily be divided into 8 servings (½ chicken breast per serving). I always do this when I’ve got a few more mouths to feed than usual, but I want to stick to my budget! Add a few easy sides, and you’ve got a healthy and budget-friendly meal.
- Pound your chicken breasts with a meat mallet or rolling pin to an even thickness before seasoning. I pound mine to 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick all the way along the breast. This helps the chicken cook more evenly and ensures juicy, tender results.
- Be careful not to over-brine your chicken breasts. Letting the chicken sit in the brine for too long will cause it to be too salty. The texture of the chicken will also break down too much and end up being mushy. So, set a timer and remove the chicken breasts from the brine promptly, within 30 minutes, and no longer than 1 hour. Be sure to rinse the brine off before baking, too!
- Let them rest! Resting is an important final step to allow the juices to redistribute throughout the chicken breast.
- Try using boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts for a cost-saving alternative. They’ll likely need more time to cook, so be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly. Our garlic butter baked chicken thighs recipe is a great reference for cooking boneless, skinless chicken thighs in the oven.
Serving Suggestions
I always lean towards simple sides that don’t take a lot of effort whenever I make this recipe, with roasted butternut squash and roasted broccoli being two of my favorites. Mashed potatoes are also a winner with these baked chicken breasts, as are twice baked sweet potatoes. But they’re also delicious in a chicken salad for an easy lunch option!
Meal Prep & STORAGE
Meal prepping is always a winner in my house. Batch cooking these baked chicken breasts on a Sunday and using them throughout the week for quick meals has saved me so much time and effort. They’re good for about 3-4 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. You can reheat them in the microwave or oven until heated through if desired. I often use this chicken to make chicken and vegetable meal prep bowls, but it also works well in wraps, on top of salads, or mixed into pasta dishes.
For longer storage, you can also freeze the cooked chicken breasts in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Baked Chicken Breast Recipe
Servings 4 servingsIngredients
Brine Ingredients:
- ¼ cup kosher salt ($0.14)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar ($0.18)
- 2 quarts cold water ($0.00)
Chicken Breast Ingredients:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs.) ($10.92)
- 2 ½ tsp smoked paprika ($0.25)
- 2 tsp brown sugar ($0.04)
- 1 ½ tsp salt ($0.08)
- 1 ½ tsp garlic powder ($0.15)
- 1 tsp onion powder ($0.10)
- ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.05)
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper ($0.05)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.12)
Instructions
- Start by making the brine. In a large bowl add the kosher salt, granulated sugar, and water. Whisk until the salt and sugar are completely dissolved.
- Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board, cover them with plastic wrap, then use a rolling pin or a meat mallet to gently pound the chicken breast until the entire breast is an even thickness from one end to the other (about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick).
- Place the chicken breasts in the brine mixture, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and place the bowl in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a small bowl mix the smoked paprika, brown sugar, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, freshly cracked black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
- After 30 minutes remove the chicken breasts from the brine and rinse under cold water. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and allow it to come to room temperature for at least 10 minutes.
- Now drizzle the olive oil over both sides of the chicken breasts, then generously coat both sides with the seasoning blend. Rub the seasoning into the breasts with your hands making sure the entire chicken breast is evenly coated with spices.
- Place the seasoned chicken breasts in a large 9×13-inch baking dish. Bake uncovered for 18-20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.*
- Remove the chicken from the oven and allow it to rest for a few minutes so the juices can redistribute throughout the breast. Serve and enjoy!
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Equipment
- 9×13 Baking Dish
- Meat Thermometer
Notes
- You can also remove the chicken from the oven once it reaches an internal temperature between 160-165°F. I like to then cover the chicken with aluminum foil so it stays warm. The chicken will naturally continue to cook while it’s resting. Just make sure it reaches the final internal temperature of 165°F before serving.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!how to make Baked Chicken BreastS – step by step photos
Start by making the brine. In a large bowl add ¼ cup kosher salt, ¼ cup granulated sugar, and 2 quarts water. Whisk until the salt and sugar are completely dissolved.
Place 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts on a cutting board, cover them with plastic wrap, then use a rolling pin or a meat mallet to gently pound the chicken breast until the entire breast is an even thickness from one end to the other (about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick).
Place the chicken breasts in the brine mixture, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and place the bowl in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a small bowl mix 2 ½ tsp smoked paprika, 2 tsp brown sugar, 1 ½ tsp salt, 1 ½ tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, and ½ tsp cayenne pepper.
After 30 minutes remove the chicken breasts from the brine and rinse under cold water. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and allow it to come to room temperature for at least 10 minutes. Now drizzle 1 Tbsp olive oil over both sides of the chicken breasts, then generously coat both sides with the seasoning blend. Rub the seasoning into the breasts with your hands making sure the entire chicken breast is evenly coated with spices.
Place the seasoned chicken breasts in a large 9×13-inch baking dish. Bake uncovered for 18-20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.*
Remove the chicken from the oven and allow it to rest for a few minutes so the juices can redistribute throughout the breast. Serve and enjoy!
A lovely simple dinner, despite sodium levels those of us who are elderly cannot tolerate. Although I thoroughly rinsed off the brine, I didn’t add salt to the seasoning and they were plenty salty. I always buy chicken breasts in family packs and they are huge. Both my favorite local supermarket and Aldi’s aways have them for under $3 a lb, and often $2.49, making them one of the cheapest protein options. But they tend to be huge so I split them horizontally. Boneless chicken breasts here in NC are often cheaper than boneless thighs, which my DH won’t eat, so finding recipes for the less tender breasts is always a good thing. This is a good recipe to make extra chicken for later meals.
I think the nutritional value on this recipe does not take into account the fact that most of the salt in the brine does not actually end up in the food. 8000mg of sodium per serving would be insane. Might be worth adjusting if you can.
Thanks Susan! We’ve corrected it now.