This tasty baked chicken breast is cooked with garlic butter sauce in the oven for 20 minutes until tender and juicy. It’s sure to become an instant family favorite!
For quick and easy chicken breast recipes for dinner, give my family’s favorite dishes a try like this Stuffed Chicken Breast. We also love these 50 Best Chicken Breast Recipes, Instant Pot Chicken Breast and this Air Fryer Chicken Breast Recipe.
If you love juicy chicken breast recipes, I’m sure you’ll love this recipe. My husband also loves it, especially because I cook it in garlic butter sauce. Who doesn’t love a buttery flavoured sauce?
This sauce gives more flavor to this chicken breast and helps it to be tender, moist and juicy too. This sauce is so good that you don’t need to even use a chicken marinade.
Don’t be afraid to bake chicken in the oven – it won’t be dry or tasteless. This is one of the juiciest chicken breast recipes you can find online.
This is also one of my favorite chicken recipes because it’s so quick and easy to make. No weird steps, no wrapping or brining needed. You don’t even need to pound the chicken breast with a rolling pin or meat mallet and you don’t need to use parchment paper or plastic wrap either. The garlic butter sauce will bring all the flavors.
Ingredients to Make Baked Chicken Breast
- Chicken breast — I use boneless skinless chicken breast.
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper — Keep in mind that kosher salt is twice the size of table salt. A sprinkle of table salt is much saltier than the same amount in kosher salt.
- Paprika — Use sweet or smoked paprika.
- Butter — use Ghee if you’re doing Whole30.
- Italian seasoning
- Fresh parsley — chopped
- Garlic — minced
- Olive oil — extra virgin
Instructions to make Baked Chicken
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Season all the sides of chicken breast with salt, pepper and paprika. In a cast iron skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. When the skillet is hot add chicken breast. Sear for about 1-2 minutes each side or until golden.
2. In a small bowl mix together the butter, Italian seasoning, parsley, and garlic. Set aside.
3. Pour garlic butter mixture over the chicken breast. Place skillet in the oven and cook for about 20-30 minutes or until chicken breasts gets to an internal temperature of 165F.
4. Remove from the oven. Using a spoon, pour some of the butter sauce left in the skillet onto the chicken breast before serving.
Olivia’s Recipe Tips
- After removing the chicken breast from the fridge, pat dry the chicken with paper towels.
- Replace chicken breast for chicken thighs or even chicken legs if it’s what you have. I prefer to make this recipe with boneless skinless chicken breast. However, you can make it with bone-in and skin on chicken thighs too.
- To have a more buttery sauce, add two extra tablespoons of butter.
- If you like spices, add more paprika and Italian seasoning. You can also add your favorite seasonings like cumin, coriander, garlic powder, chili powder, oregano, and more. You can also add a little bit of brown sugar.
- Let the baked chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- You can use a baking dish or a baking sheet.
How To Store Leftovers
- To Store: Let the chicken cool, then place it in an airtight container. I prefer using glass containers because they don’t retain smells and are easier to clean. It’ll last for up to 4 days in the fridge.
- To Freeze: You can freeze it for up to three months. For convenience, I suggest shredding, dicing, or slicing the chicken before freezing.
- To Reheat: Microwave your baked chicken with a damp paper towel over top the container to keep it moist.
How long to Bake Chicken Breast?
The cooking time will depend on the size of your chicken breast and also on the power of your oven. Some ovens have slight heat differences.
But according to USDA, a 4-oz. chicken breast should be bake at 350°F (177˚C) for 25 minutes or 30 minutes. If the chicken breast is smaller then 4oz, bake it for about 20 minutes.
However, to bake a 5 to 6 ounce chicken breast at 400F, it will take around 20 to 25 minutes.
How do you know when boneless chicken breast is done?
Check the temperature of the chicken breast with an instant read thermometer. Chicken is cooked when it reaches the internal temperature of 165°F (74˚C). Don’t forget to always insert the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken.
What should I serve with this Baked Chicken
- Over cauliflower rice with salad on the side
- Over roasted veggies
- Over quinoa, rice, dinner rolls or mashed potatoes if you’re not following a low-carb diet.
More Chicken Breast Recipes to Try:
- Delicious Baked Chicken Breast Recipe or Chicken Mushroom that are both super easy to make.
- Super Juicy Chicken Breast that we love for dinner.
- Chicken Fajitas and it’s stays good in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Spicy Green Beans Chicken Breast Skillet
- Easy and quick to make Mediterranean Chicken Skillet.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you don’t have a cast iron pan, no need to worry. Use a skillet to cook chicken, then transfer to a foil pan or baking dish before adding garlic butter and baking.
Tip: if you bake it in a sheet pan or casserole, add some potatoes, cauliflower and broccoli to make it a one-pan meal.
No, there’s no need to flip it when baking.
I recommend using a garlic butter sauce, as it adds extra moisture to the chicken. This is how I prepare this easy chicken dinner to ensure it retains all its natural juices.
It comes down to what you prefer and how you like your chicken. Both baking and pan-frying can make tasty chicken breasts, but baking usually needs less oil, which some people prefer for health reasons.
Garlic Butter Baked Chicken Breast
Video
Ingredients
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 + 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 4 tbsp butter (melted) use Ghee if you're doing Whole30.
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 tbsp. olive oil extra virgin
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Season chicken breast with salt, pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of paprika and set aside.
- In a small bowl mix 1/4 teaspoon of paprika, butter, Italian seasoning, parsley, and garlic. Set aside.
- In a cast iron skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. When the skillet is hot add chicken breast. Sear until golden. It’s about 1-2 minutes each side.
- Pour garlic butter mixture over the chicken breast. Place skillet in the oven and cook until cooked through. It’s about 20-30 minutes or until chicken breasts gets to an internal temperature of 165F.
- Remove from the oven. Using a spoon, pour some of the butter sauce left in the skillet onto the chicken breast before serving.
Tips
- Fresh garlic tastes a lot better than pre-minced garlic, so I recommend you use fresh garlic cloves.
- Get chicken breasts similar in size, so they cook evenly.
- If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, you can cook the chicken in a regular pan. After cooking it on the stove, transfer the chicken to a baking dish or sheet pan. Finish cooking the chicken in the oven.
- To store: Store leftover chicken breasts in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
- To reheat: You can reheat in the microwave when ready to eat. You can also eat chicken cold.
- To freeze: Freeze the cooked chicken breasts in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
Watch the Baked Chicken Breast Web Stories.
Dru says
I should have did 1-1/2 times the butter recipe. I think the oven temp was a tad too high as my 4 oz breasts were slightly over done after just 19 min. I will make again. Was tasty and easy using my cast iron skillet
Olivia says
Yes this recipe is very easy and flavourful. Since your chicken breast was 4oz, you could have baked it for less time to not over done. But I am glad you liked it.
Geri says
Delicious! Added a little pepper flakes for a lil kick!
Olivia says
Mm.. yummy!
Heather says
First time I ever made anything with chicken, and it was surprisingly easy. I used smoked paprika in place of regular paprika. I paired it with brussels sprouts (made in the air fryer) and roasted garlic mashed potatoes. Huge hit in our house! My husband said it was the best chicken he’s ever had. He even took some to his parents, and they agreed. My children (2 and 6 years old) both enjoyed it. For the first time in a long time my 6 year old finished her entire meal and literally cleaned her plate.
Olivia says
That’s so amazing. Your comment made my day. Thanks for this kind feedback and for stopping by.
Amy says
The sauce is a game changer!!
Olivia says
Totally!
cyndie says
My kids love this recipe! It’s one of my go tos!
Olivia says
My son loved it too. This recipe is perfect for kids 😉
Amy says
This is an easy and excellent recipe. I made more of the sauce than it called for in case I dried the chicken out, which I tend to do. Chicken wasn’t dry and the sauce was really good with the asparagus we had with it. One question is how to not burn the garlic (as the recipe says) when it has to cook for 20+ min on 400 degrees. My garlic did start to burn though it was all still tasty.
Olivia says
Awesome!
Debra Sumner says
Chicken breast dinner in the oven
Olivia says
Awesome!
Elyce says
Made in my Dutch oven.After searing I poured the butter in the bottom of the pan and spooned the garlic on top of the chicken so it wouldn’t burn. I threw asparagus tips in the middle. Everything came out juicy and tender. Easiest chicken dish I have made in a while.
Olivia says
Love that. Happy you liked it!
LZ says
This recipe came together easily, and was absolutely delicious! Thank you so much!
Olivia says
You’re very welcome!
Donna Rare says
Was simple and delicious
Olivia says
Awesome!