Description
Baking chicken breast at 425°F helps caramelize the outside and lock in the juices quickly. This easy recipe results in a tender, juicy chicken breast every time.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 (5-6 ounce) chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 2 minced garlic cloves or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Step: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet or baking dish with foil or parchment paper.
- Step: Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and pound the chicken down to an even thickness using a meat mallet, rolling pin, back of a frying pan, or even your fist.
- Step: Mix the seasoning including the salt, pepper, paprika, brown sugar, garlic, and thyme in a small dish.
- Step: Place the chicken upside down in the prepared pan or dish and sprinkle with half of the seasoning and drizzle with half of the olive oil. Use your fingers to rub the seasoning into the chicken. Flip the chicken over and repeat with the remaining seasoning and olive oil.
- Step: Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove from the oven and allow the chicken breasts to rest for 5-10 minutes to lock in the juices.
Notes
Large Chicken Breasts: If the chicken breasts are 8 ounces or larger, slice them in half lengthwise to create chicken cutlets. Thyme: You can swap this for 1 teaspoon of dried thyme or another dried herb of choice like oregano or rosemary.
- Prep Time: PT5M
- Cook Time: PT18M
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 213 kcal
- Sugar: 2.3 g
- Sodium: 375 mg
- Fat: 7.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 3.2 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 32.1 g
- Cholesterol: 103.4 mg