Baked Chicken Breast
Updated Aug 25, 2026
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This easy baked chicken breast recipe makes tender, juicy chicken with simple seasonings and one easy trick that keeps it from drying out in the oven. It’s ready in about 30 minutes for a quick dinner or meal prep.
The Baked Chicken Breast Recipe I Always Come Back To
Baked chicken sounds simple enough, but we all know how quickly it can go from juicy to dry in the oven. I’ve been making chicken this way for years, and the trick is covering it with parchment paper while it bakes. The parchment traps the steam around the chicken, helping it stay moist and tender while it cooks.
I season the chicken with garlic, oregano, and Italian seasoning, then add a little butter before covering it and popping it into a 400°F oven. It’s simple enough to make on a weeknight and versatile enough to use throughout the week in salads, pasta, sandwiches, and meal prep.
If you’d like to try a different method, my slow cooker chicken breast is great for hands-off cooking, and this yogurt-marinated baked chicken is another easy oven-baked option.
Why You’ll Love This Baked Chicken Recipe
- Quick. Ready in about 30 minutes, it’s an easy chicken dinner for busy weeknights.
- No marinating needed. Season the chicken and it can go straight into the oven, so there’s nothing you need to prep hours ahead.
- Easy to change up. Keep the same baking method and switch the seasonings depending on what you’re serving.
- Goes with just about anything. Pair it with rice, pasta, potatoes, vegetables, or a salad, or slice it up to use in other meals.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You only need chicken breasts, butter, garlic, and a few simple seasonings for this recipe. The parchment paper is the extra step that helps keep the chicken moist while it bakes.
- Chicken breasts: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Pat them dry and trim away any excess fat if needed.
- Garlic: Fresh minced garlic adds plenty of flavor.
- Seasonings: I use garlic powder, dried oregano, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. You can also use my chicken seasoning blend.
- Butter: Place a pat of butter over each chicken breast before baking. Salted or unsalted both work.
- Cooking spray: For lightly greasing the baking dish.
- Parchment paper: This covers the chicken while it bakes and helps trap moisture in the dish. Use parchment paper, not wax paper.
Recipe Tips
- Use similar-sized chicken breasts. They’ll cook more evenly and should finish at roughly the same time.
- Check the temperature. An instant-read thermometer is the easiest way to tell when chicken breast is done. Check the thickest part and cook to 165°F.
- Don’t rely only on the clock. Chicken breasts vary quite a bit in thickness, so use the cooking time as a guide rather than a guarantee.
- Let the chicken rest. Give it about 5 minutes before slicing so the juices have a chance to settle.
- Want more color? Since the parchment keeps the chicken covered while it cooks, it won’t brown much. You can briefly place it under the broiler after baking if you’d like a more golden finish.
- Change the seasonings. The parchment method works with plenty of different seasoning blends, and I also use a similar approach for my stuffed chicken breasts.
What to Serve With Baked Chicken Breast
This is one of those recipes that makes the rest of dinner easy to plan. Here are a few of my favorite ways to serve chicken:
- Rice and bowls: Serve sliced chicken over jeera rice or coconut lime cauliflower rice.
- Pasta: Pair it with my creamy garlic butter pasta with spinach for an easy chicken pasta dinner.
- Vegetables: Add sautéed garlic broccolini or roasted Parmesan mushrooms on the side.
- Potatoes: Serve it with air fryer baked potatoes or Parmesan truffle fries.
- Salads: Slice leftover baked chicken and add it to your favorite green salad or Caesar salad.
- Soups: Shred leftovers and stir them into chicken vegetable soup or Thai chicken soup.
FAQs
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts usually take about 25 to 30 minutes at 400°F, depending on their size and thickness. Start checking them toward the early end of the cooking time and use an instant-read thermometer to make sure the thickest part reaches 165°F.
For this recipe, I cover the chicken breasts with parchment paper before baking. It traps moisture around the chicken as it cooks, which helps keep the meat tender and juicy. Just as important, avoid overcooking the chicken and let it rest for about 5 minutes before slicing.
Not always, but I do for this recipe. Covering the chicken breasts with parchment paper helps trap moisture in the baking dish so the chicken stays tender and juicy as it cooks. Tuck the parchment around the chicken before baking, then remove it once the chicken reaches 165°F.
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Baked Chicken Breast
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Ingredients
- olive oil cooking spray
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, fat trimmed off
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon Italian Seasoning, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter, cut up into 4 pats
- parchment paper
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Prep the chicken. Pat dry the chicken breasts with paper towels. Transfer the chicken breasts to the baking dish and rub a bit of minced garlic over each chicken breast. Season chicken on both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and Italian seasoning. Place a pat of butter over each chicken breast.
- Add the parchment paper. Place a sheet of parchment paper over the chicken breasts. Tuck the edges so that the parchment paper is snug around the chicken.
- Bake. Place the chicken in the oven and bake for 30 to 33 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 162˚F to 165˚F.
- Rest and serve. Remove the chicken breasts from the oven and transfer them to a serving plate; let rest for 5 minutes before serving and cutting.
Notes
- Chicken Breasts: This recipe uses boneless and skinless chicken breasts. If you want to use chicken thighs, please check out this recipe: Oven Baked Chicken Thighs.
- Parchment Paper: This will help retain moisture, resulting in tender and juicy chicken. Aluminum foil can be used in place of parchment paper.
- Seasonings: Chicken can be flavored with various herbs and spices. My go-to’s are almost always garlic powder, onion powder, some paprika, dried oregano, dried thyme, or dried rosemary. Feel free to get creative using your favorite seasonings.
- Golden Brown Finish: To add a touch of golden crispiness, give the chicken breasts a quick broil to achieve that browned top.
- Instant Read Meat Thermometer: Please use a meat thermometer to check the chicken for doneness. Chicken is cooked through when its internal temperature registers at 165˚F. Also, let the chicken rest for 5 minutes after you pull it out of the oven and before slicing and serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Bake Chicken Breast
This method is easy: season the chicken, top it with butter, cover it with parchment paper, and bake at 400°F. The exact cooking time will depend on the size and thickness of your chicken breasts, so use an instant-read thermometer to check for doneness.
- Prep the chicken. Preheat the oven to 400°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Arrange the chicken breasts in the dish.
- Season. Rub the chicken with minced garlic, then season both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and Italian seasoning.
- Add the butter and parchment. Place a pat of butter on each chicken breast. Cover the chicken with parchment paper, tucking the edges around the breasts to help hold in the steam.
- Bake. Bake until the chicken is cooked through and reaches a safe internal temperature of 165°F. Depending on the thickness of the breasts, this will take about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Rest. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Proper Storage
- Refrigerate: Store leftover baked chicken breast in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Reheat: Microwave individual portions in short intervals until warmed through, or reheat the chicken in a 350°F oven. Avoid overheating to keep the chicken tender.
- Freeze: Let the chicken cool, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
We loved this recipe. Wasn’t tough. Just right. Only problem was chicken did not brown. Any suggestions. I will make again.
Hi!
I am glad you liked it! I always use this method to cook chicken breasts. 🙂 To brown them, I suggest a quick broil to achieve that beautifully browned top.
This was such a tasty meal! I thought it would be dry but I was pleasantly surprised! Great recipe! I paired it with fresh fruit and baked potato.
That sounds like a wonderful meal! I’m glad it turned out moist and tasty for you. Fresh fruit and a baked potato make for perfect sides! Thank YOU! 🙂
I just tried your recipe for the first time. So easy and so perfect!! My chicken breast came out perfect. This will be how I make them always!
I’m thrilled to hear the recipe worked out perfectly for you, especially with the chicken breast turning out just right! It’s wonderful to know this will be your go-to method. Enjoy your cooking! Thank YOU! 🙂
I’m thrilled to hear the recipe worked out perfectly for you and that the chicken breast came out just right! It’s great to know this will be your go-to method from now on. Thank YOU! 🙂
Very moist and flavorful. It was a hit with my guest who usually prefer chicken thighs.
I made this chicken recipe and it was very good. Boneless, skinless chicken breast can be dry. Using parchment paper made all the difference. I’ll definitely make it again.
I’m very glad you enjoyed it! It’s great that the parchment paper worked well with the chicken! Happy to hear you’ll make it again. Thank YOU! 🙂
I have difficult time eating chicken breast because it always ends up too dry to swallow. This is the first recipe that I absolutely love. So moist and no trouble eating it.
That’s wonderful to hear! It’s great that you’ve found a recipe that keeps the chicken breast moist and enjoyable. Thank YOU! 🙂
I’ve made these several times now, and they are so delicious! Moist and perfect every time! Thank you so much!
You’re very welcome! I’m delighted to hear that you’ve had consistent success and are enjoying the delicious results. Thank YOU! 🙂
Great way to cook moist chicken breast.
I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I don’t often buy white meat/ chicken breast because I find it to be dry and boring. Not so if you prepare it with this recipe. WINNER winner chicken dinner! I’ve already shared the recipe with my extended family.
Mine was still dry I😔 should I have tenderize first?
No, it just means you baked it for too long. I highly recommend using an instant-read meat thermometer and pulling the chicken out of the oven as soon as its internal temp registers at 165˚F.