Best Baked Chicken Breasts
You can stop looking for the best baked chicken breasts recipe – this is it! These easy Baked Chicken Breasts are boldly seasoned with a slightly crispy crust outside, and a moist, juicy, citrusy inside that's perfect for any meal!
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil + 2 teaspoons, divided
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh-squeezed citrus juice any combination of lemon, lime, or orange (see note)
Spice Blend
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning or Herbs de Provence
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika see note
- 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and stir together all Spice Blend ingredients.
- Pound chicken to even thickness (max 1 inch thickness at any given part).
- Rub the 2 teaspoons olive oil all over the chicken breasts. Season all over with the spice blend.
- In a large, oven-safe skillet (see note for alternate method) melt butter over medium heat and stir in 1 tablespoon oil.
- Brown chicken in the butter and oil for about 2 minutes on each side.
- Transfer skillet to preheated oven. Bake for 15-18 minutes until chicken is cooked through (165 degrees in the center).
- Squeeze fresh citrus (lemon, lime, orange, or a combination of any of the three!) over baked chicken just before serving. Serve whole chicken breasts, or dice or slice chicken for use in your favorite dishes.
Video
Notes
DIY Italian Seasoning: stir together 1/2 teaspoon each dried thyme, oregano, parsley, and oregano
Smoked paprika: Can be replaced with regular paprika in a pinch, or even left out altogether if you don't have any - but definitely put it on your grocery list for next time, you'll love the flavor it adds to this chicken!
No oven-safe skillet? No problem!: Brown the chicken in any skillet, then transfer to a greased baking sheet and transfer to oven.
Serving more than 4?: This spice blend is enough to stretch for up to 6 chicken breasts. If serving more than 6, double the spice blend.
Nutrition
Calories: 171kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 726mg | Potassium: 469mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 335IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg
