This juicy baked chicken breast is my family’s secret recipe, and I’m sharing it with you! With my simple method, you’ll get the juiciest, most tender chicken breasts you’ve ever tasted, and they’ll be beautifully caramelized in the oven with so little effort. These chicken breasts have a great sweet and savory flavor thanks to my special mix of seasonings, and I think it goes well with just about any side dish. It’s one of my favorite chicken recipes of all time!
Juicy Baked Chicken Breast Recipe
This oven-baked chicken breast is so tender and juicy, and it’s super easy, too. My secret ingredient is brown sugar–not a lot, just a little. This caramelizes the chicken breast as though it was pan seared without all the effort and babysitting. My savory seasoning blend of paprika, garlic powder, thyme, and rosemary adds just the right amount of flavor and really sets this simple chicken breast recipe apart.
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How to Store and Reheat
Store leftovers for up to 4 days in the fridge in an airtight container. This healthy chicken breast recipe is ideal for meal prepping for the week and for using in a variety of recipes from salads to soups!
How to Freeze
In the freezer, store cooled chicken breasts in an airtight container for up to 6 months. I recommend wrapping each breast in wax paper before freezing for easy portioning.
Notes and Tips
- Make sure the chicken breasts are completely coated in olive oil so the spices stick.
- Craving a little sweet and spicy combo? Swap the plain paprika with spicy paprika if you can find some! A dash of cayenne pepper will also do the trick. Oh, and smoked paprika also tastes fantastic in this versatile recipe.
- The total baking time may vary depending on the size and thickness of the individual chicken breasts. I recommend using an instant-read thermometer to check them for doneness.
- Let the chicken breasts rest for 5 minutes before slicing to lock in the juices.
Top Reader Review
“Thank you so much for explaining this! Loved it!” -Allyson Zea
Baked Chicken Breast Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1½ tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350℉.
- In a medium sized bowl, add brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, thyme, and rosemary. Mix well.1½ tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground paprika, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
- Drizzle olive oil over chicken breasts to coat evenly.2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Add chicken breasts to the bowl with the spice mixture, and evenly coat the chicken breasts.
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Add seasoned chicken breast to the sheet pan, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked through to an internal temperature of 165℉.
- Slice chicken breasts and enjoy!
Notes
How to Bake Seasoned Chicken Breast Step by Step
Season the Chicken: Preheat your oven to 350℉. In a medium sized bowl, add 1½ tablespoons of brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of paprika, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme, and 1 teaspoon of fresh rosemary. Mix well. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil over 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts to coat evenly. Add chicken breasts to the bowl with the spice mixture, and evenly coat the chicken breasts.
Bake the Chicken: Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Add seasoned chicken breast to the sheet pan, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked through to an internal temperature of 165℉. Slice chicken breasts and enjoy!
Im really a chicken person so when i saw this recipe i just had to try it. Easy very delicious and healthy goes great with my pasta. Love this chicken recipe.
Thanks for stopping by, Elaine!
My husband and I loved this chicken!! It was easy to prepare too!
Thanks for sharing, Linda!
I love to mix it all together in a ziplock bag! Otherwise, this chicken is to die for. Have made it multiple days in a row! Super easy to do as a college student
Sounds amazing!
Delicious and simple! Works well with butternut squash risotto and veggies!
Sound samazing!
Sounds amazing!
Made this tonight and it was wonderful. I used 1/2 of a very large chicken breast (for 2 of us) and baked it (with all the indicated seasonings, etc.) at 375 degrees for 20 minutes and then tented it for 10 minutes and it was perfectly cooked, nice and juicy. And yummy!!
Thanks for sharing with us, Victoria!
I tried this and prepared it exactly the way it said. The brown sugar didn’t stay on the way it looks like and it didn’t look like the picture. It just wasn’t like the picture showed.
I am sorry it didn’t work out.
This looks fantastic! I have not tried this recipe, but I have a question before I make it. I have trouble getting baked chicken breasts tender enough (including smaller tenders). Even when coated with olive oil, they are often tougher than I’d like. Am I over-cooking, causing them to be tough, or am I under-cooking them? Thanks for helping me trouble-shoot. 🙂
Hi Joy, it sounds like they may be getting overcooked. If your pieces are all different sizes, they will cook at different rates, so make sure to pull the smaller pieces earlier. I recommend using an instant-read thermometer and pulling them as soon as they hit 165°F!
I am always looking for great new recipes! This looks delicious! I would even try this with Salmon!
I hope you enjoy this recipe, Patti!
This looks wonderful…Wondering if this would be a good recipe for the air fryer?
I don’t see why not! I have an air fryer chicken breast recipe (click here) as well!
Potatoes turned out great!
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe!