If “superfoods” really exist, chicken breast has to be number one on the list. If you remove the skin and trim away any visible fat, chicken breast is 98% lean. It’s basically the ultimate low-fat, no-carb protein source.
This is why knowing how to bake chicken breast in the oven is so useful.
It also doesn’t hurt that chicken breast is the least expensive animal protein in most grocery stores. Just be aware that the really cheap chicken breasts are from caged chickens, so spend a little more and get good organic free-range chicken if you can.
I eat A LOT of chicken breast. To be able to eat chicken this often, I have come up with a lot of different tasty chicken recipes. I have already shared a few chicken recipes on the blog, but today I wanted to show you how to bake chicken breast in the oven.
I usually cook 4-5 breasts at a time and store them in zip-lock bags in the fridge until I need them. They will keep fresh for about three days.
How to bake chicken breast in the oven
You can see how I bake the perfect juicy chicken breasts in this short video or read the step-by-step instructions below.
If you follow these 3 super easy steps, you will end up with a perfectly baked chicken breast every time:
1. Clean the chicken breast
Cut away any visible fat from the boneless skinless chicken breasts. I always use a pair of scissors for this as it’s much easier than using a knife.
2. Brine the chicken breasts
Fill a large bowl with just enough water to cover the chicken breasts and add ½ tbsp. of salt for each chicken breast. Let the salt dissolve before adding the chicken breasts.
Leave the chicken breasts to marinate in the salt water for 1-3 hours in the fridge. This will draw water into the chicken and make it super moist when you cook it (this process is called “brining”).
3. Season and cook the chicken breasts
Rinse the chicken breasts thoroughly in cold water. Dry them with a paper towel and place them on a baking pan.
Add your favorite seasoning. I usually use pepper, curry powder, paprika, and garlic powder, but you can use a wide variety of spices.
Bake the chicken breasts in the oven for about 18-20 minutes at a 365 F (185 C), depending on the size of the chicken breasts (the ones I cooked today were large, so they needed 21 minutes).
Cut into one with a knife to see if they are done before taking them out of the oven.
Let the chicken breasts rest for 2-3 minutes after you take them out of the oven to lock in all the juices.
That’s it! This is how to bake chicken breast in the oven. By cooking the chicken breast like this, you will get perfectly tender, juicy, and delicious chicken breast every time!
The benefits of brining
Brining is, in my opinion, the easiest and most effective way to tenderize chicken breast and lock in the moisture.
If you are worried about adding too much salt to the chicken, don’t be. Brining doesn’t actually add a lot of sodium to the chicken, as long as you only leave the chicken in the brine for a few hours and rinse it well afterward. Also, you won’t have to salt the chicken later for flavor.
Frequently asked questions
A lot of people have asked great questions in the comments to this guide, so I thought I would collect all the questions and answers here for your convenience:
Q: Can I use frozen chicken breast? A: You can’t brine the frozen chicken breast (unless you plan to leave them in the brine for a long time while they thaw). You have to defrost the chicken before you start brining.
Q: Can I use this method when grilling? A: Absolutely! I think brining is even more important for grilled chicken that tends to get dry easier than baked chicken.
Q: Do I need to rinse the chicken after brining? And doesn’t that spread bacteria in the kitchen? A: I know that many cookbooks say not to rinse chicken for safety reasons, but you have to do it when brining. You need to get the brine off before cooking or the chicken will be too salty.
Q: Do I have to put the chicken in the refrigerator during brining? A: I recommend that you do, but it technically shouldn’t be necessary, as long as you fully cook the chicken breasts. But better safe than sorry, right?
Q: Do I need to cover the chicken breasts in the oven? A: No, I never do that.
Q: Can I use bone-in chicken breasts? A: Yes, but you may have to bake them for longer. Test if they are done with a knife or cooking thermometer.
Q: What does the internal temperature have to be if I use a cooking thermometer? A: The safe internal temperature of chicken is 165 F° (74 C°).
Q: Can I marinate the chicken after brining? A: Absolutely, I often do that. Just don’t add a lot of additional salt.
Q: Do I need to turn the chicken breasts in the oven while cooking? A: No, that shouldn’t be necessary unless your oven cooks very unevenly.
Q: Do I need to put any oil in the pan? A: Only if your pan tends to stick to whatever you are cooking. I use a piece of aluminum foil in the pan to prevent that.
Q: Can I use any kind of salt for the brining (like Himalayan pink salt)? A: Yes, any type of salt should be fine.
Healthy oven baked chicken breast recipes
You can use the brined chicken breasts as the base for a lot of fantastic chicken recipes. Here are some of my favorites:
- Healthy Stuffed Chicken Breast
- Chicken Breast Wrapped in Prosciutto & Cream Cheese
- Mustard Baked Chicken Tenders
You can also check out my list of the best low-carb chicken recipes.
The possibility for healthy and yummy chicken recipes are endless, so there is absolutely no reason to settle for dry chicken. Not when you know how to bake the perfect chicken breast in the oven!
When you’ve tried baking chicken breasts in the oven like this, please don’t forget to let me know how you liked them in the comments below!
How to Bake Chicken Breast in the Oven
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, (boneless & skinless)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- Water
- Seasoning, (i like curry powder and paprika)
Instructions
- Cut away any visible fat and bones. I always use a pair of scissors for this as it’s much easier than using a knife.
- Fill a large bowl with just enough water to cover the chicken breasts and add ½ tbsp. of salt for each chicken breast. Let the salt dissolve before adding the chicken breasts.
- Leave the chicken breasts to marinate in the salt water for 1-3 hours in the fridge. This will draw water into the chicken and make it super moist when you cook it (this process is called “brining”).
- Rinse the chicken breasts thoroughly in cold water. Dry them with a paper towel and put them on a baking pan.
- Add your favorite seasoning. I usually use pepper, curry powder, paprika and garlic powder, but you can use a wide variety of spices.
- Cook the chicken breasts in the oven for about 18-20 minutes at a 365 F (185 C), depending on the size of the chicken breasts. Cut into one with a knife to see if they are done before taking them out of the oven.
- Let the chicken breasts rest for 2-3 minutes after you take them out of the oven to lock in all the juices.
Joycelyn
Well.. Obviously I/we are in the minority regarding this chicken recipe..
Having been interested in the brining process for poultry plus husband being diabetic I decided to try your recipe as it was easy to scale salt to amount of chicken breasts used.
Followed your instructions to a tee, chicken was ideed very tender but, the texture of the chicken, an almost sponge like texture was so off putting none of us could, nor wanted to eat it.
First time in over 50 yrs. of cooking chicken I’ve had to throw so much out. Have no idea what I could have done wrong since I did not stray from your instructions, so all in all, very disapointing.
Tobias Oerum
I am sorry to hear that! The chicken definitely shouldn’t be “spongy”. How long did you leave the chicken in the brine for? And did you dry it off before putting it in the oven?
Joycelyn
Chicken was in the brine for 3 hours. I then rinsed it thoroughly and dried it off well as the last thing I wanted was soggy chicken breast when baking it per your instructions for the first time.
Was a good lesson though. I now know my family as well as myself do not like brined chicken. They as well as myself would rather I bake it like I always do, set on a rack over a sheet pan, brushed lightly with avocado oil or Greek olive oil, and seasoned with fresh or dried herbs/spices we might fancy at the time.
Randall
You only trolled this so you could pitch your way of cooking chicken. Wow.. Brining is a custom used all over the world dating so far back. Good luck with your drizzled, dry rack chicken.
Tammy
Thank you Randall! That needed to be put right! Kudos! You said it very well!! I do this method with chicken wings. I like fall-apart wings!
Kerry Hancock
The brine was on for too long….I have done the same before. I brine breast or thigh pieces for 90 mins & a whole chicken for 2-3 hrs no more as the texture then changes. I hope this helps as I too hate to waste food.
Clarisa
Can you use this method when putting chicken on the grill…?
Tobias Oerum
Absolutely! It works great for grilling.
Mary
Do you cook the breasts uncovered?
Christel Oerum
Yes, I don’t find there’s a need for covering it up, the brine will make sure it comes out juicy
Jenni
I just prepared this recipe…Genius!!! So fricken moist!! Thank you!! bless you!!
Sim
I am so glad I came across this on Pinterest. Had bookmarked the recipe to try it because I have made dry chicken so many times.
Today was the first time I tried it and it turned out so well. Nice and moist. Thank you so much for this recipe! This is going to be one of my go-to recipes ?
Cam
I am going to try is, it looks great….is it ok to use this with bone in chicken breast.
Tobias Oerum
Absolutely. Just be aware that bone-in breasts may need a few minutes extra in the oven.
David Hampton
Bone in is fine, you may want to add 20 minutes in the brine
Bill jones
I tried this the other day and it was awesome, I just brined the chicken breasts as you said. I then rinsed them of, put the seasoning on them, and wow the were great. Couldn’t believe how tender that they were. Thanks.
Shelby
Can I marinate the chicken for a few hours aftering doing this or should you only do dry seasonings and cook it right away?
Tobias Oerum
You can definitely marinate it after brining. Just wash off the brine thoroughly before marinating.
Viv
I tried it for the first time tonight. I like the flavor and how tender my chicken was. It was really good
Felicia
Do you need to turn the chicken breast while cooking?
Tobias Oerum
No, just keep them in the middle of the oven and they will cook very evenly.
Marva L. Hogg
Thank you for the tips on the moisturizing chicken. I need low sodium and good flavor! Will that work for BBQ chicken also?
Tobias Oerum
Absolutely! Bring first is a good idea almost no matter how you cook the chicken afterward.
David Gross
How much of the spices in your recipe do you use?
Tobias Oerum
I don’t measure them exactly, I just use a generous sprinkle of curry, paprika, and pepper. I think looking at step 3 in the image will give you a better idea than what I can describe in words 🙂
Dee
This sounds good. Going to try this.
Thomas Seim
Will it hurt or help putting a thin layer of olive oil in the pan for baking in oven?
Tobias Oerum
I am not sure, but I think it will probably hurt if anything. The oil may fry the surface of the chicken rather than bake it. But most likely it won’t make any difference.