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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“Winner Winner delicious chicken dinner. I dislike chicken breast. Never ever eat it. There was a huge sale on it $3.99/lb boneless skinless so I got a huge package. I did the brine as directed, all the spices and WOW—so delicious. The brine is a magic secret for sure.”
ARLENE
Juicy baked chicken breast
Baked chicken breast is one of those go-to recipes I rely on again and again. It’s simple, versatile, and always turns out juicy and flavorful when done right. This method has become a staple in my weekly meal prep—it’s quick, reliable, and pairs perfectly with almost anything, from salads to pasta or roasted veggies.
I mix up a simple brine with kosher salt, sugar, and cold water—it’s a quick step that makes a big difference in keeping baked chicken breasts juicy and tender. After seeing how well it worked for our grilled chicken breasts, I started using it for baking too, and I’ve never looked back. While some say brining is more important for grilling, you’ll be surprised how much flavor and moisture it adds in the oven.
Budget-Saving Tips!
- 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.
- 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.
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. 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.
- 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
Nutrition
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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.
Gently pound the chicken: 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).
Add chicken to brine mixture: Place the chicken breasts in the brine mixture, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and place the bowl in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Make the seasoning: 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.
Remove chicken from brine: 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.
Bake the chicken: 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.
Let chicken rest: Remove the chicken from the oven and allow it to rest for a few minutes so the juices can redistribute throughout the breast. Let them rest! Resting is an important final step to allow the juices to redistribute throughout the chicken breast.
Serve and enjoy!
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
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.
Mind blown! I never want to make chicken any other way again! 😍
found it much too salty even though I was very specific with measurements and timing the brine.
don’t add any salt to the spice blend.
Winner Winner delicious chicken dinner. I dislike chicken breast. Never ever eat it. There was a huge sale on it $3.99/lb boneless skinless so I got a huge package. I did the brine as directed, all the spices and WOW so delicious. The brine is a magic secret for sure.
I made this last night! I made the mistake of putting extra cayenne pepper with made it spicy! I am not quite use to the sugar marinade. Not my favorite chicken I have made.
We always bring our chicken breasts!
I’ve found that I can make the brine recipe as stated and divide it in half.
Then add more plain water to cover my chicken in whatever dish I intend to store them in. I keep the unused half in the fridge for use the following week.
I also don’t find any salt is needed in the spice mixture for baking or grilling, as a shortcut I keep Mrs. Dash (our favorite the garlic version) and just sprinkle that on.
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.