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!
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. You can replace paprika for other spices like garlic powder and chili powder too.
- Butter — use Ghee if you’re doing Whole30.
- Italian seasoning – You can also use dried oregano.
- 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.
- Let the baked chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.
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
- Serve it with a 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 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.
- 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.
For more quick and easy chicken breast recipes for dinner, give my family’s favorite dishes a try like this Stuffed Chicken Breast. We also love this Instant Pot Chicken Breast and this Air Fryer Chicken Breast Recipe.
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.
Chris says
Instead of transferring the pan to the oven, can I just place a lid on the skillet and continue to cook on the stove? Thank you
Olivia says
Yes you can on low heat.
Jenna says
Do you have to sear the chicken?
Olivia says
Yes for just few minutes.
Susan Fellner says
Seriously best chicken recipe ever!! I ended up using boneless chicken thighs (I thought they were breasts until defrosted and too late) and followed recipe exactly. Added lots of Italian spices. This will become one of my regular rotations. Thank you!
Olivia says
Awesome! I’m so thrilled to hear that! Thanks for your feedback 😉
Tina says
This meal is very tasty! But, my chicken breasts dry out as well. I would like to try this recipe with boneless chicken thighs. Do you think I can season and cook in the skillet on the stove or would baking in oven work best?
Do you have a suggestion for time in oven for 400 degrees?
Thank you!! Tina
Olivia says
I’ve never made this recipe with boneless chicken thighs, but I think it probably will work. You can sear the chicken tights in the skillet and then bake in the oven. Check your chicken after 20 minutes and every 5 minutes after that. It’ll be ready when it gets at 165F (internal temperature).
I also think that your chicken breast was dry because probably you baked it for longer than it should. That’s why I suggested that it should be baked for 20 to 30 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken breast.
Valerie says
I added baby bella mushrooms and some halved cherry tomatoes. Turned out AMAZING! Would love to add some baby spinach to it too. Definitely saving this recipe!
Olivia says
It sounds amazing! Mushrooms and cherry tomatoes work great in there 😉
Me says
This whole article needs to be edited. It’s so hard to read because of all the errors.
Olivia says
Thanks for pointing it out. This post was just reviewed by a professional editor to better serve the readers.
Jessica says
Made it for dinner last night and my hubby loves it. Had great taste and smelled so good.
Olivia says
So awesome!
Danielle Gilman says
Can I just sear it in the pan and then put it in the oven in a Pyrex dish.
Olivia says
Yes I think it works.
Matthew DeWitt says
Tasty and juicy. I browned mine a bit later ne’er and then only had to bake for about 10 minutes. This is now on my list. I love not having to pound out the chicken.
Olivia says
Awesome! Thanks for your feedback and for stopping by 😉
Cheri says
This was such an easy, quick and delicious recipe, My boyfriend and I enjoyed the chicken very much and will definitely make this again soon.
Olivia says
Aw thank you so much!
Ulaa says
Excellent way to prepare boring chicken breasts! I made it to spec, following the recipe exactly, except that I threw some baby potatoes (the multicolored kind) into the pan to bake with the chicken. Turned out fabulous! It was a busy day, and this was a quick, easy prep. Will make again.
Olivia says
That’s amazing. Thanks for your lovely comment 😉
Sara says
I was recruited to make dinner when my elderly mother felt too weak to cook the chicken breasts she had thawed. So, a quick internet search using “delicious” and “chicken breasts” brought up your recipe. I’m a huge fan of garlic (and my mother not so much). This really was easy and delicious, moist and flavorful, rather than dry and bland like so many breast recipes are. Even my mother was impressed. I will definitely make this again.
I had a new jar of dried parsley on hand so I used that. I rehydrated the dry spices first since even the garlic I had was freeze dried granules. I have an English thyme plant, so naturally I had to use some. For the Italian spices, I used Penzey’s Blend. I seared in a smidge of bacon grease, and sprayed the chicken with coconut oil for the high heat. I saved the olive oil part for basting after cooking, adding it to what was left of the spices and melted Irish butter. The paprika is a really nice addition.
Olivia says
Mm… Sounds delicious! Thanks for stopping by 😉