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Baked Chicken Breasts

Baked chicken breasts with a caramelized herb-seasoned crust and juicy, tender centers. This oven baked chicken breast recipe bakes at 425°F until golden and reaches 165°F for moist slices.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts About 3/4-inch thickness after pounding for even cooking.
Seasoning & herbs
  • 2 tbsp olive oil Used to coat the chicken for golden browning.
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1 Fresh parsley and lemon wedges for serving Serve chopped parsley and lemon wedges on top.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and lightly grease a baking dish, so it’s ready for fast baking once the chicken is coated.
  2. Pound the chicken breasts to an even 3/4-inch thickness if they vary in size, for consistent doneness.
Season and bake
  1. Brush both sides of each chicken breast with olive oil to help the surface brown.
  2. Mix garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and cracked black pepper, then rub the spice mix evenly over both sides of the chicken.
  3. Bake for 18-22 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the tops are golden; do not overbake to keep the centers juicy.
Rest and serve
  1. Rest the chicken for 5 minutes before slicing so juices settle and stay in the meat.
  2. Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon wedges to finish with fresh brightness.

Notes

For the juiciest slices, pound to a true 3/4-inch thickness and start checking at 18 minutes—once the internal temperature hits 165°F, remove promptly. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; freeze cooked chicken for up to 2 months. Swap option: use a salt-free Italian seasoning blend and add salt to taste if you’re reducing sodium.