I really like having pre-cooked chicken in the fridge that I can use to quickly whip up a sandwich or wrap, or add protein to a bowl of pasta, salad, or one of my “leftovers” bowls. While I often use a rotisserie chicken for this purpose, they are sometimes just too salty and we have a hard time going through a whole chicken between the two of us. So, this week I experimented a bit more with the “low and slow” roasting method and made these incredibly tender and juicy Herb Roasted Chicken Breasts.
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Roast Low and Slow for Tender Chicken
I first used the “low and slow” technique with my Oven Roasted Chicken Legs and was really pleased with not only the texture of the meat, but the delicious juices that were left in the dish after roasting.
This time I combined the butter with a trio of herbs and slathered it over two bone-in, skin-on split chicken breasts. The breasts were quite large, so I lowered the heat a bit and let them roast even longer before removing the cover to let them brown. The results were even more incredible. I pulled the meat from the breasts after cooking, drizzled the juices over top, and have been snacking on the meat all week.
Can I Make Herb Roasted Chicken Breast in an Instant Pot?
Yes! You can make this dish even faster and easier! Just follow the technique used in my Pressure Cooker Chicken and Rice recipe (pressure cook then broil to brown the skin). 👍
You ready for the most tender and juicy chicken breast EVER?
Herb Roasted Chicken Breast
Servings 4Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp butter, room temperature ($0.33)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.16)
- 1 tsp dried basil ($0.10)
- 1 tsp dried thyme ($0.10)
- 1 tsp dried rosemary ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- Freshly cracked black pepper (about 10 cranks of a mill) ($0.03)
- 2 split chicken breasts* (about 3 lbs. total) ($6.85)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 275ºF. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and allow it to warm slightly as you prepare the butter herb mix (5 minutes or so).
- In a small bowl, stir together the butter, minced garlic, basil, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Rosemary pieces can be quite large, so either chop or crumble the dried pieces with your hands before adding them to the mix.
- Place the chicken on a cutting board and pat it dry on both sides with a clean paper towel. Smear the butter herb mixture over both sides of the chicken. Drying the meat will help the butter herb mixture stick. If the meat is too cold, it will form condensation as you rub the butter mixture over the surface and the butter will not stick.
- Place the seasoned chicken pieces in a casserole dish that is deep enough to fully contain the chicken. Cover tightly with foil, or with the dish’s lid if there is one. Bake the chicken in the preheated oven for 90 minutes, basting once half way through.
- Ater 90 minutes, remove the foil, baste again, and adjust the oven’s temperature to 425ºF. Bake the chicken at 425ºF for 20 minutes without the foil, or until the skin is deep golden brown and crispy. Remove the chicken from the oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Slice the breasts or pull the meat from the bone. Reserve the juices from the bottom of the casserole dish for drizzling over top of the meat.
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Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Herb Roasted Chicken Breast – Step by Step Photos
Begin preheating the oven to 275ºF. Take the chicken out of the refrigerator so it has a few minutes to come up to temperature. In a small bowl combine 3 Tbsp room temperature butter, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp dried rosemary, 1/2 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked pepper (about 10 cranks of a pepper mill). Rosemary pieces can be large, so I just crush them up in my hand before adding them. Stir this mixture up until it forms a paste.
Place two split chicken breasts (bone-in, skin-on, about 3 lbs. total) on a cutting board and pat them dry with a paper towel. They need to be fairly dry for the butter to stick. Also, if the chicken is too cold they will form condensation and become wet again, which is why you’ll want them to warm a bit as you mix the butter. Spread the butter herb mixture over both sides of the chicken, coating it in a thick layer.
Place the seasoned chicken breasts in a casserole dish that is deep enough to fully contain the chicken. Cover the dish tightly with foil (this is important to hold in the moisture), or if the dish has a lid that’s even better.
Roast the breasts in the 275ºF oven for 90 minutes, basting once half way through (replace the foil as tightly as possible after basting). After the full 90 minutes, remove the foil, baste one more time, and adjust the oven’s heat to 425ºF.
Return the chicken to the oven and roast for 20 minutes without the foil, or until the skin is deep golden brown and crispy. (I garnished with some chopped parsley to give the photos color, but it’s not necessary.)
Give it one last baste with those delicious juices for good measure and let the meat rest for 5-10 minutes.
Letting the meat rest a few minutes helps keep the juices inside and the meat nice and moist! Serve the chicken whole, or slice it up…
And don’t forget to pull any bits and pieces of meat left on the bones, like you would with a rotisserie chicken. It’s just too good to let any go to waste!
After I removed all the meat from the bones, I gave it another good dose of those delicious juices. SO GOOD.
It makes an impressive main dish, but I’m just adding a few pieces to everything I eat this week! Depending on how you serve it and how big your chicken pieces are, you’ll get 4-6 servings. Make sure to save those juices and pour them over top before stashing it in the fridge!
Excellent flavor and so juicy! I hate chicken breast but I love it like this! This recipe has been my go to for quite a few years now so thank you!
I have made several times and it’s delicious as written, but if I only need the meat for chicken tacos, could I just cook in a crockpot? I wouldn’t be using the skin anyway.
This particular recipe was developed for a dry cooking method (oven), so it would be an entirely different process to try and do this one for the slow cooker. I would check out our slow cooker salsa chicken that would be great for chicken tacos! :) https://www.budgetbytes.com/crock-pot-salsa-chicken/
How should oven temperature and cooking time be adjusted for turkey breast?
Check out our Cider Roasted Turkey Breast! https://www.budgetbytes.com/cider-roasted-turkey-breast/ You could use the same seasoning method as the chicken recipe, but use the oven temp and cooking time for the turkey breast. Hope that helps!
Where I shop the split breasts are usually under a pound. The recipe calls for 1.5 lb breasts. Should I reduce the Cook time for the size I can buy?
Why would you put the footnote about the chicken needing to be bone in & skin on, AFTER the recipe?? I’ll give an extra star because it’s partly on me for not reading the entire novel before cooking.
A “split chicken breast” is always bone-in, skin-on, like chicken drumsticks. :)
these are the best tasting and the easiest chicken recipe I have ever tried. A real keeper. You will not
prepare skin on bone chicken any other way
I did not bother basting, since I don’t have a baster and I am a lazy dude. But I did flip the chicken each time I was supposed to baste and brush it with the grease. Turned out great!
I don’t often make breast because thigh meat tastes better and is less fussy, but this changes that. Shredding this chicken for tacos!
Excellent dish, easy to prepare. Chicken breasts are tasty and extremely moist. I used very chunky breasts and had my doubts if the slow cooking would be too slow, but no, it was perfect. Crispy on top as well. Served it with a salad and cut roasted sweet potatoes.
I can’t wait to make this but I’ll need to cook about 6 or 8 large breasts! Can you recommend at what temperature and for how long I should cook them?
You can cook them at the same time and temperature, just make sure they’re not crowded in whatever dish you put them in. As long as the air can move freely around them, they should take the same amount of time to cook.
Seriously the best roasted chicken! Wouldn’t change a thing and I love that is uses bone in. Highly recommend everyone making this!
This is the BEST ROASTED CHICKEN I’VE EVER MADE! ‘NUFF SAID
Oh, almost forgot…spread herb butter mixture UNDER chicken breast skin…so juicy
I used this recipe for Turkey Tenderloin for Thanksgiving. It was the best turkey we’ve ever had. I did increase the cooking temp and time. I did 4 tenderloins at 400 for 40 min and then 15 min without the foil. I flipped and basted them with a second batch of the butter herb mix. Turned all the broth into gravy with 3 tbsp of flour. Hubby requested this go into regular rotation and he doesn’t typically even like turkey.
I am a terrible cook, but this recipe turned out phenomenally (despite me forgetting to baste). If you’re looking for a crowd-pleasing sure-thing, you’ve found it!
I found and tried this recipe today because I needed some cooked chicken breast for a chicken tamale pie recipe. WOW! The chicken was so easy to prepare and it turned out absolutely delicious! It’s definitely a keeper and will be a regular part of my rotation here forward. Thank you so much for sharing it!
Can you make this in a pressure cooker?
We haven’t tested the recipe in a pressure cooker yet to know. But you can certainly try!
This has been my favorite chicken recipe since I found it on Pinterest many months ago. Even the pickiest eaters have picked all the meat off the bones! It takes time, but very little effort and the leftovers are lovely. It’s the kind of recipe that you love to share, but also want to keep top secret!!
Happy to hear it Mary!
K so something is very confusing about this recipe…your picture of the cooked chicken shows boneless chicken breasts, but in the pictures on how to prepare, you clearly have chicken on the bone.
I used bone-in breasts. I simply removed the bone after roasting, so I could slice it.
Hi Beth! I have made this chicken for my family 3 times now and we can’t get enough of it, it’s always gone in one sitting, no leftovers. It’s delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this with us. I plan on making it again but with a brined whole chicken this time, can I bake it at the same temperature and for how long? I like the low temp, slow cook in the oven, it makes for a juicy perfectly cooked chicken!
Hi Cleopatra! Unfortunately I’m not practiced with roasting whole chickens, so I’m not sure what the best time and temperature would be. But in cases like this, I like to turn to the pro’s, like Bon Appetit. They have a Slow Roasted Chicken recipe that suggests 325F for 2.5-3 hrs.
I happened upon your excellent site. Here is a recipe for slow roasted whole chicken that never disappoints. In my experience, the spices/flavorings are optional as is the overnight prep (altho recommended). The downside is the leathery skin. But this is far superior to poaching or simmering for making cooked chicken for other recipes.
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/45954/roast-sticky-chicken-rotisserie-style/?internalSource=hub%20recipe&referringContentType=Search&clickId=cardslot%201
Cheers.
It takes a long time to cook so prepare in advance! So delicious! Worth the effort! I say effort, however it’s very easy. I just forget about how much time it takes and sometimes forgot to begin cooking until it’s too late. 🙄
SO GOOD!! slow cooking worked so well – thanks!
how many does this serve?
It just depends on how much chicken you like to serve per serving. I usually keep my meat servings a bit on the small side, so I would consider each breast to be two servings, making this a four serving recipe. If you like larger portions, it would probably be two.
Just out at the pub… put mine on a timer #looking4wards #juicyherby🐔
Sounds good
My store didn’t have Bone-in skin-on chicken breasts only whole legs. Will my cook time be the same??
I’ve used the same method for chicken legs, you can find the recipe here. :)
This was delicious! I had it for supper and some left over for lunch. I used boneless skinless chicken breast and did not find my meat was dry at all!. I used the drippings to put on top of my steamed veggies!
What temp did you use for the chicken that was boneless and skinless
So this is lovely… Having a few chicken breasts left over that needed cooking off… I looked for a new recipe I hadn’t tried yet. The chicken tasted fantastic, however the extra note at the end left me baffled. After following the whole method and my chicken nicely in the oven, I scroll a little further down to see this recipe is for bone in and skin on chicken 😂…
Not to worry. I kept a closer eye on the chicken, checking the temperature periodically. Then browned for 10 minutes or so at the end.
Very nice, but perhaps edit the ingredients to say “skin on” chicken breasts, to avoid the confusion I’ve been through.
That’s what a “split chicken breast” is. An intact breast that is just split in half, bones in, skin on. :) It’s always a good idea to read a recipe from beginning to end, notes and all, before beginning.
I do need to agree with Danny Wilkin’s suggestion here. I think a lot of us novice home cooks don’t know what a “split chicken” is, and don’t always read every single footnote. I did the exact same thing – made the whole recipe, and only realized as I was putting it into the oven that it was supposed to be bone-in, skin-on chicken. But I do have to say that even with using boneless skinless breasts, it was moist and delicious! I cooked for about 70 minutes at 275, then another 15-20 minutes at 350 with the lid off.
What temperature/cook time would you recommend for boneless chicken breasts?
I actually don’t suggest this recipe for boneless breasts, especially if they are also skinless. Unfortunately it just doesn’t work the same. The bone and skin helps keep the meat moist and remain tender.
Could you do more straightforward chicken recipes without butter? Most of your simplest (in terms of flavors and ingredients) chicken recipes have butter, and I can’t eat meat and dairy together. Thanks for your consideration! I love your recipes and use them often.
Can you use vegan butter?
Have you tried Earth Balance? They make an excellent vegan butter that is also soy free. have found it to be the best substitute I have found for cooking and baking and it even comes in stick form as well as tub!
Using coconut oil in place of butter is excellent! I don’t eat meat and dairy together either.
Don’t ditch the juices after the chicken is gone…. use the leftover juices to make rice. I love using a fatty, herb-y, buttery broth to cook rice in! Just add enough chicken broth to make up the difference if there is not enough liquid.
Love this idea! Thanks for the suggestion!
What would you recommend for cooking temperature/cook time if I did this with an entire chicken?
Unfortunately it’s really hard to say without testing it. I’m not very experienced with roasting a whole chicken, so I can’t make an educated guess.
I tried this recipe tonight and the chicken came out a little dry. Would you suggest a lower baking temperature, or a shorter baking time?
I know I’m not the OP, but I would recommend adjusting the baking time. Dry chicken usually just means it’s overcooked.
I am curious what you baste the chicken with? Does the butter + chicken breast yield juices or do you add water to the casserole dish?
Yes, the butter and juices from the chicken pool in the bottom of the dish as it cooks. It’s very important to keep that foil on tight so this liquid does not evaporate.
Can I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts using the same cooking times ?
No, unfortunately this method doesn’t work with boneless, skinless breasts.
Do you have suggestions for butter substitutions?
I definitely like butter best for this recipe because of the sweetness and creaminess. Changing it would change the outcome quite a bit, IMHO.
This is one of my go to dinners! Split breasts are cheap, and although this takes awhile to cook, prep time is super quick and easy and the meat is so tender and juicy. I’ve made this several times exactly as the recipe says, and it delivers every time. Highly recommend!
I tried the recipe Was a little skeptical about the temperature, but follow the Direction and it was a hit D Lish
My husband and I absolutely love this dish. I was wondering if you had any suggestions for adapting this dish for a slow cooker? I was really looking for that super tenderness that comes with a slow cooker, and was unsure if this could be a recipe that would have that versatility. Any suggestions or guidelines you could offer would so greatly appreciated! Thank you for such a great recipe! Happy 2018!
I think what I would do is add maybe a cup of water to the slow cooker, place the chicken breasts on top, and cook for 8 hours on low. After that you can transfer them (carefully) to a baking sheet and place them under the broiler to crisp up the skin. I do something similar with my pressure cooker and it’s AWESOME. I just haven’t tried it with the slow cooker yet.
Thanks for getting back to me! Just one quick question for clarification: would you do the seasonings on the chicken prior to placing in the crock pot? Like lather them up as normal and then put your water in and lay on top then? Or would you wait until the end? Thank you again for your help!
Yep, I would definitely season them first. :)
Yum!! I made this last night for our New Years Eve dinner and it was amazing!! Will be making again and again! Followed the recipe exactly! :) Served it with Balsamic Roasted Asparagus and Mashed Potatoes.
Hi Beth, I use onion powder in everything. You need to get some. I have learned that garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper is perfect seasoning for all meats.
Can I use bone in chicken thighs?
Yes you could use chicken thighs, but you may need to adjust the cooking time.
Tahnk You KELLY SEATON
I made this today for Thanksgiving because my daughter isn’t eating turkey or ham anymore. I was very disappointed. If I do make it again, I will use half the amount of basil. It was very strong.
I am planning on this tonight but with boneless skinless breasts. Dondi, what temps did you cook at and for how long? With all these wonderful reviews it’s hard not to try it especially when it sounds and looks so delicious!!
I made this for my son and I, it was wonderful. I took the remaining to work for lunch and shared it with a coworker. She liked it so much it has been requested that I cook it again so, now I’m making it for my department. Is the cooking time the same if the recipe is doubled?
It should be as long as the chicken pieces are the same size and they are not overcrowded in the baking dish (in other words the exposure to the hot air is the same). :)
I doubled this and made it tonight for a group. Everyone loved it! The skin was crispy and the meat was juicy. I didn’t use the exact same spices as in the recipe, but I did follow the exact technique. I’ll be repeating this again for sure. Thank you!
I am not sure if I left a comment on this already, but this recipe is fantastic. I usually make 3-4 chicken breasts at a time and then slice and freeze the meat in small packages for quick meals later. Really good with jasmine rice. I have used the Instant Pot method, and did not think it turned out quite as tender. I definitely recommend roasting if you have the time. This is one of the best recipes for chicken I have ever had!
What cooking time did you use for the chicken breast?
I’m trying it tonight with boneless skinless breast, a little concerned about cooking times. Any suggestions?
Thanks
How long would you suggest cooking turkey breasts?
Hi Beth, I am very amazed with all the details in your steps, quality of your photos and most of all – the recipe itself! Can’t wait to try it – thank you so much for sharing it!
Hi Beth,
What cooking times would you recommend for boneless chicken pieces? Boneless, skinless breast tenderloins is all I have in my freezer currently.
Thanks!
I haven’t tried this with boneless, skinless, unfortunately. :( It will likely be quite different, so I’d need to test it out before taking a guess.
Hi! I tried cooking this recipe today with my fiance, using boneless, skinless chicken breasts. It didn’t come out perfect, but it came out pretty damn good (that’s props to the author, though).
We had 3 fairly large breasts and followed the recipe as close as could provided human err; we also added in some small cut carrots and potatoes to roast. And then started to follow cooking instructions exactly.
We ended up taking it out about 5 minutes into the 425 degree cook. Now, I definitely will get skinned chicken next time, since I want that crispy exterior. And we didn’t realize our new cooking thermometer was set to Celsius and let our poor chicken get to 200 degrees before taking it out, but it’s still amazingly moist and tender all things considered. But it measured at about 94 degrees Celsius after the first baste, so here’s what I suggest:
Instead of basting it 45 minutes, baste it at 30. Then increase the heat to the suggested 425 if you’re looking for crispy skin or a better colored chicken. After 15 minutes maybe I’d take it out and check it either with a thermometer or by slicing into it. Since we messed up, all I can really say is the thermometer is your best friend and give you an estimate until I (inevitably) try again.
If anybody is really that invested, I’ll post an update over the weekend after (hopefully) getting it right!
I’m actually making it tonight with boneless, skinless breasts, so I’ll let you know how it goes!
What would the time and temperature be for boneless skinless chicken breasts?
Can I use bone in chicken thighs?
It will likely need a different cooking time/temperature combo because they are a different size and are much more tender than breasts. Unfortunately I haven’t tried it with thighs, so I don’t know exactly what would be needed.
Hi Beth,
Thanks so much for including tips like patting the chicken dry, leaving it out for 5 minutes and having the butter at room temperature. And the “why” this is important, so I know not to skip that step!! Very helpful for beginner cooks like me!
Tasted absolutely delicious!! Thanks so much 😊
I made this tonight with 4 big boneless skinless chicken breasts. So I had to double everything. I had to bake it for about 70 minutes on 275 and another 25 minutes on 425. I drizzled the juice over the chicken a few times throughout it cooking and it was so flavorful and delicious.
I made this the other day and it was so good! I ate it all over a few days with some jasmine rice. Leftovers reheated in microwave were still great. I also love that it can be used with ingredients I usually have in my house (although bone-in breasts can be a little hard to find sometimes). I have an Instant Pot and I might try this recipe using it next time.
What would the cooking times be for boneless/skinless chicken? Please and thank you 😊
I haven’t tested this with boneless skinless, but it will be quite different because the bone and skin insulate the meat and keep it moist during this low and slow baking process. It might not be possible to get the same effect with boneless skinless chicken.
I made this tonight with boneless/skinless chicken breasts and it turned out more than amazing!!!
I cooked for a total of about 60-65 minutes including the time when I turned the oven up (45-50 minutes at 275 and about 10-15 minutes at 425). Seriously want to make it again tomorrow :)
Made this tonight….OMG they were sooo good. Tender, juicy and so flavorful! Followed the recipe exactly as stated, definitely worth the wait time. And the “sauce” I could have eaten all of it with a spoon (did save most of it for the chicken:). Thank you for sharing this!
I was wondering instead of the oven, can you make this through the crock pot? and if you can, how long do you leave it in the crock pot and do I put it in low setting and then crank it up to high?
No, unfortunately this one needs the dry heat of an oven.
After I have used a prepared chicken from the grocery store, for at least 2 or 3 dinners, I throw bones and all into a crock pot with about 1/2 cup of water, turn on slow for 4-5 hours. Then I dump it into a sieve with a bowl underneath it to collect the drippings. After it cools I can easily remove the chicken bits off the bones. I have enough chicken and chicken stock to make soup or a casserole.
I have an herb garden and this recipe allowed me to use my herbs. This recipe was so quick and easy,and the smell while cooking was OMG heaven. The taste was out of this world good. Thank you for sharing.
P.S I through some red potatoes in halfway through cooking. Awesome!
Really really good. Whole family loved!
Looks so good. Will this work with chicken thighs as well?
These times and temperatures are for large bone-in, skin-on breasts specifically. It would need to be adjusted for thighs.
I followed all your instructions for getting the chicken to be dry (I even left it out even longer than recommended and spent extra time drying it) and could not for the life of me get the butter to stick. It ended up mostly in chunks which I assume will just slide off. I know I shouldn’t be, but I’m so frustrated and wondering if this will actually work- its still in the oven. Although I don’t spread butter thick over the turkey when I do it at Thanksgiving, but it still turns out okay. Thoughts and further suggestions?
Was the butter cold? Now that I’m thinking about it a bit more, I bet softened/room temperature butter would be much easier to spread on the skin.
Could I add a tomato and basil sauce to this recipe while cooking it? If so when should I put the sauce in?
This is a pre-made sauce? I suppose you could just add it in the beginning and let them all cook together. It’s hard to say without experimenting with it or knowing exactly what the sauce is.
OMG! I just tried your recipe this evening. It was to-die-for. Absolutely delicious! A definite winner with my family. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us. I’m a big fan. Your instructions are so easy and hassle free. Thank you!
Tonight was the third time that I have used this recipe. Previously, I used the split breast and it was great. Tonight, I only had the boneless, skinless breast on hand and used them. My family loved them just as much. I did have to decrease the time on the uncovered baking, but they were moist, flavorful, and delicious. This is now a “go to” recipe for me.
Hello. This looks delicious. I’m confused about one thing, though. The recipe calls for three tablespoons of butter, but the picture posted clearly shows more than that. Can I assume that the amount in the picture has been tripled, and disregard it?
There are only three tablespoons of butter in the photo. :) Are you seeing the minced garlic and thinking that it was more butter? The butter is the three rectangles standing on their sides in the small bowl.
OMG. I see now. On their sides, they look like half sticks. Sorry! I made it, and it was delicious! Definitely a repeat recipe.
No problem! That happens all the time with photos. :)
Tried this with skinless, 1inch thick cut breast, only cooked for the 90min and it was eat with your fingers tender and very good. Making again tonight and will try to remember to take pictures.
Really wanting to try this recipe but as an Australian in addition to converting oven temperature to Celsius do you also need to adjust for fan forced ovens?
From what I understand you do need to adjust recipes when changing from conventional to convection ovens, but I have no experience in this area, unfortunately.
Can you specify in the ingredients list that this recipe is for bone-in, skin-on chicken? Might save some people from making the whole recipe and then realizing they weren’t using the right chicken (like I did…)
It is noted in the recipe. There a star by that ingredient in the list with a note below to explain what “split breasts” are, for people who are unfamiliar with different cuts of chicken. It was too long to put that all in the actual list at the top.
It’s really not a big deal. I made it with boneless skinless chicken breasts and they came out perfect.
Made this last night no words could tell you how much we loved it. Husband got great deal on chicken thighs and we were chickened out. Made this and he was over the moon about it even the next day he said that was so moist and good. He never talks about food this way.He is 70 years old and after34 years of being together he says Do not lose that recipe well that says it all. Thank you big fan
I’m really looking forward to cooking this! I was curious what sides would pair well with this dish, and other recipes on your site. Have you considered linking some of your side dish recipes to your main dish recipes? Sort of like “These sides pair well with this dish” and have links to your other recipes. Either way, I’m still loving all the simple and creative dishes you create!
You could do something really simple like mashed potatoes and steamed or roasted broccoli. :)
I made this for my family last week and am back to get the recipe for dinner again this week! This chicken was easy and delicious! I definitely recommend it.
Do you think I could use this same method for chicken leg quarters? Quarters were on sale this week – $4.90 for 10lbs! Now I gotta figure out what to do with all of it!
P.S. – Your blog is awesome and so are you!
Yep! I did it with leg quarters originally (there’s a link to that version in the intro). It works great! :)
I made it today with skinless breasts (I can’t get any other where I live). After the initial “warm-up” period I increased the temperature to 425F, but after 20 minutes there was still no browning. I gave it additional 10 minutes (I generally have to add baking time to your recipes – I guess my oven is weaker than yours), but still no luck. By that point I was really hungry, so I switched to the broiler + fan and that did the trick, although I think the prolonged browning period also dried out the meat a little. Next time I’ll do the broiler + fan right from the moment I increase temperature.
Unfortunately the naked meat will not brown the same way that skin does. :(
I would love to know how long you cooked the breasts for at the lower temperature. I was also unable to find the split breasts at my grocery store, so I am using the boneless, skinless kind.
I made this last night and it was amazing! As you wrote, the chicken comes out juicy and the flavors were excellent. I’ll be making this regularly now. Thanks!
Would the boneless chicken breast take longer? What is the inside temp supposed to be? As one of the users said I too only have boneless right now. I am definitely going to make this soon with bone in chicken, I just don’t have it right now.
Boneless will take less time, but they will also not be as juicy or have as much flavor. According to the FDA, the safe internal temperature for cooked chicken is 165ºF.
What is the directions for using boneless/skinless?
Unfortunately that won’t work for this recipe. It would require very different times and temperatures, which I haven’t tested.
OMG! This was excellent and so so easy, We also pot carrots and potatoes in and bake it all together. I will make it again and again and again!!!
Made this last night, it was awesome. Served it with some sweet indian style rice and steamed vegetables and turned out amazing. Loving this site
Do you think i could exchange the butter for olive oil in this recipe? I’m concerned about the saturated fat.
I don’t think it would taste quite as good (the juices from the pan, especially).
Hi! Do you think the butter is critical to the results? I’m trying to lighten up a bit, so would olive oil do the trick?
I do think butter is definitely needed for the right flavor. Olive oil would be okay, but butter is 10x better here.
I made this today and I agree that the butter strikes just the right note for this delicious dish. Given that butter and oil have just about the same amount of calories per tablespoon, there wouldn’t be any significant “lightening” of this dish by subbing oil for butter. My suggestion for you would be to not eat the pan juices, and remove the skin before eating. Most of the butter gets left in the pan. I actually put about 1/3 of the butter mixture under the skin since I knew I would be discarding the skin, I wanted to make sure I still got the flavor.
This was really good. I’d never used bone in chicken before but I think I’m converted!
Lovely recipe! I added a touch of Dijon mustard to the herbs and slathered it all on the chicken for delicious results. Your post was perfectly timed, as I have been working on a copycat version of Panera’s wonderful ‘Ancient Grains, Arugula, and Chicken Salad’. I needed pre-cooked chicken breast on hand and the rotisserie version just didn’t offer the right flavor/texture.
For the salad, I cooked up your recipe, then thinly sliced 4 oz. of the chicken breast and added arugula, red grapes, apple and cabbage slaw (shredded cabbage, finely-chopped apple, and a couple of tablespoons of apple vinaigrette) and about 1/4 C of a freekeh/farro/barley blend that I make in batches and freeze. I topped it all with another tablespoon of the apple vinaigrette and a sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds. This was a copycat victory, and is one of those salads I can happily eat all week.
Thanks again for your great recipes. I am eyeing your Colcannon for next week – I think I’ll add some chicken sausage to it!
I made this last night and it was soooooo good! I don’t usually cook bone-in meat (I usually stick to boneless, skinless chicken breasts), but this was totally worth it and not any more difficult either.
I doubled the recipe and I’m gonna use a good bit of the leftover meat in some soup later this week, but I’m also considering having some for breakfast…
Thanks for the recipe! Would you consider posting an article with your top 3 or top 5 recipes from 2016? Or something with your all time favorites or most popular ? Thanks !
One step ahead of ya. :) I actually posted it during the last week of December, though. Here are my Top 25 Recipes of 2016.
So excited to try this method. Rotisserie chicken is good in an emergency (no time to cook) but it is a lot more expensive, and, like you said, salty. I’d like to double the recipe and freeze some meat. Also, the bones will make an excellent broth, I am sure. Love it!
I would need to do more than 2 breasts since I have a large family. Would it mean that I need to cook longer?
As long as they’re not too cramped in the dish, you shouldn’t need a longer cooking time.
I love Budget Bytes. This is an Excellent recipe. I followed it exactly. My only comment is I doubled the butter/herb/garlic part because the 2 splits breasts I purchased weighed a bit over 3.5 pounds and I didn’t want to skimp on ample rub mixture. I am glad I did, as it gave me a lot of juicy basting sauce as it roasted. For all those readers who may think “I only cook boneless breasts” – this dish is so succulent and juicy, I am SO glad I made it exactly as written. I too only use boneless breasts 95% of the time. But this recipe is perfect with the split breasts and I suspect it would be very hard to replicate the moist end result with boneless breasts. I served with quinoa and steam broccoli. 5 stars all the way.
When you put it back in the oven after basting, do you keep the foil on? Specifically the period of 20 mins at 425 degrees? Foil or no foil? Thanks!!!
There is no foil for the final 20 minutes at 425 degrees (because you want it to brown on top). I hope that helps! :)
These look delicious and healthy (thank goodness). Time to get back on track! Happy New Year
How would you go about modifying this for boneless skinless breasts? They’re all that I have one hand at the moment.
I’d have to experiment with it to get the right cooking times and temperatures, but it will probably never be quite as juicy and flavorful as the skin-on, bone-in version.
It’s easy to forget how delicious chicken can be when it’s prepared in a simple but delicious way.
Oh My Soul. You do take some LUSCIOUS looking pictures. I am cutting way back on my meat consumption for economic reasons but I don’t want to cut it out completely because I know I’ll miss it. I was telling myself yesterday, ‘just a little bit and make it count. Like you said, a rotisserie chicken can be yummy but not always satisfactory. I know I will be trying this very soon. I have a big bag of mixed dried green herbs which I’ll try on this. Do you know if fresh herbs work just as well in this recipe? Your recipes are giving me much more confidence in the kitchen. Today’s project is the Weekday Enchiladas. Your Colcannon recipe is one that I think ‘I should try that and see if I like it’ but I’m saying ‘Lead me on” to this one. Speaking of the Colcannon recipe, I wish you could develop a Bubble and Squeak recipe which would drive out the memory of my mother’s one attempt. Lord that was nasty. Love you, Beth and thank you so much. Hope you have a wonderful 2017.
I think fresh herbs would be even BETTER. :) Thank you for all of your kind words and I’m going to look into the bubble and squeak!