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!
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?