Easiest Baked Chicken Breast – Perfect Chicken, Every Time!

July 10, 2024

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My method for Easiest Baked Chicken Breast results in perfect chicken, every time! Tender, juicy, flavorful, and hands-off too.

At first glance, the title Easiest Baked Chicken Breast might not scream: “super exciting recipe!”, but here’s what IS exciting:

It works. My method for baking chicken breasts works every single time. It’s a recipe you can count on.
It’s versatile. Serve as is with a couple of sides, or chop the baked chicken and use it in dozens of other ways (including the Korean-inspired chicken and rice bowl I cannot stop eating — more on that below…)
It’s family friendly. My husband and three kids have never not cleaned their plates of this 3 ingredient, 30 minute meal. Such a gem!
It’s hands off. Send the baking dish into the oven then kiss it goodbye — don’t call us, we’ll call you, baked chicken breast.
It’s make-ahead. Prep the entire dish up to 24 hours ahead of time then bake straight out of the fridge.

So while this easy baked chicken recipe isn’t winning any ingenuity awards, it’s one that I just love having in my back pocket because I know it always turns out well. I’m confident it’ll become a new go-to for you, too!

Baked Salad Dressing Chicken

My Mom made a version of this recipe often when I was growing up, calling it “Salad Dressing Chicken”. She’d marinate chicken breasts in salad dressing then saute them in a skillet. It was always so good and easy for her, too.

That said, BAKING the chicken breasts is even easier because its completely hands off and you don’t need to marinate it. Plus it makes for the most tender and juicy chicken — I swear by this method!

A bunch of people have asked on my Baked Chicken Thighs post how to adapt the recipe for chicken breasts too, so I thought I should finally share it.

Ingredients Needed

Chicken breasts: I like using 7-8oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, though if you have smaller or bigger ones on hand, that’s fine too. Check out the “tips” section below.
Salad dressing: a drizzle of Zesty Italian salad dressing not only keeps the chicken breasts moist as they bake in the oven, but provides tons of flavor. You can use pretty much any vinegar/citrus based dressing like Balsamic Vinaigrette, Lemon Dressing, or an Asian-style Vinaigrette.
Seasonings: I always add additional seasonings, spices and/or dried herbs to the chicken before baking. Typically just garlic salt and black pepper, or garlic powder, salt, and pepper. That said, onion powder, paprika, chili powder, or whatever seasonings or seasoning blends you love are fine to add.

How to Cook Chicken that Doesn’t Dry Out

It’s understandable that you’d think baking chicken breasts would result in dry and chalky chicken, but this recipe disproves that!

Instead of baking at a lower temperature like 350 degrees for a longer amount of time, we bake the chicken breasts at a higher temperature, 400 degrees, for just 20 minutes. A lower cooking time at a higher temperature results in perfectly cooked, juicy chicken breasts every single time.

Plus, since the salad dressing surrounds the chicken breasts in moisture as it bakes, I find the chicken can go above the 165 degree benchmark for doneness and still stay nice and juicy.

What to Serve with Baked Chicken Breast

Since the chicken breasts bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, I typically roast vegetables on a baking sheet in the oven at the same time. Here are some easy side dish ideas to round out the meal:

Use Baked Chicken in these Recipes

The baked chicken breasts are fantastic to use in other recipes too — such a great meal prep tool! Bake then chop or shred the chicken and add or use it in these recipes:

Oh! Those Korean-inspired Chicken and Rice Bowls — I wake up dreaming of them! Scoop cooked white rice into a bowl then top with chopped Baked Chicken Breasts, drizzle with toasted sesame oil and gluten free Tamari, then squeeze on a bit of Siracha and a teaspoon or two of mayonnaise (lazy girl’s Spicy Mayo, y’all). Add a ton of cold kimchi then devour. Really good with sauted mushrooms, too. OBSESSED!

5 Tips for Success

While this baked chicken breasts recipe is blissfully easy, there are a few tips to keep in mind when making:

Pound it out: my #1 tip for success is to ensure the chicken breasts are the same thickness from top to bottom before baking. We do this by covering the chicken with plastic wrap then gently pounding them to an even thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin.
Slice in half: if your chicken breasts are larger than 10oz, pound them out then slice them in half to ensure they bake in just 20 minutes.
Choose a dressing: I almost always use Ken’s Zesty Italian salad dressing when making this recipe, but your favorite balsamic vinaigrette, lemon vinaigrette, or Asian-style dressing are all fine to use.
Prep ahead: add the pounded chicken breasts to a gallon-size Ziplock bag with the dressing and seasonings up to 24 hours ahead of time. When it’s time to bake, pour the contents into a nonstick sprayed baking sheet then proceed with the recipe.
Go simple: if you don’t have a salad dressing on hand that you’d like to use, feel free to simply brush the chicken breasts with extra virgin olive oil then add your seasonings and bake as directed.

Alrighty, let’s get you some saucy, tender, super easy BAKED chicken!

Try my Best Baked Chicken Thighs

How to Make Easiest Baked Chicken Breast

Step 1: Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness.

Whether you’re baking, sauting, or grilling chicken breasts — my #1 tip for making sure they cook evenly is to pound them to an even thickness first. That way you don’t end up with a dry, thin end, and a raw, thick end.

I find 7-8oz boneless skinless chicken breasts cook perfectly in 20 minutes, though even if they’re larger, pounding them out to an even thickness helps them cook faster and more evenly.

Place the chicken breasts on a clean cutting board then cover with a piece of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to gently pound them to an even thickness.

Tip: Some chicken breasts, like the one on the far left in the photo above, have a super thin end. In those instances, pound the larger end to the same thickness as the center of the chicken breast.
Tip: If your chicken breasts are 10oz+, pound them out then cut them in half to ensure they cook evenly.

Voila! What started out as chicken breasts in various sizes and thicknesses, ends with consistency that results in even cooking.

Step 2: Season the chicken breasts.

Place the chicken breasts into the bottom of a nonstick sprayed 9×13″ baking pan then drizzle the salad dressing of your choice over the top. Next add your desired seasonings — I add garlic salt and pepper, and sometimes onion powder and paprika as well.

Use tongs or your hands to flip the chicken around to evenly coat in the dressing and seasonings.

Step 3: Bake.

Bake the boneless chicken breasts in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until the thickest part of the largest chicken breast reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees as read by a digital instant-read thermometer.

Pull the baking pan out of the oven then let it sit for 15-30 minutes before serving and slicing. This gives the dressing and juices from the chicken a chance to cool and thicken slightly, which turns into the most delicious sauce to drizzle over the chicken.

How to Store and Freeze

My husband recently came home from Costco with individual-sized packs of grilled, cubed chicken breasts, which are super convenient — the good news is you can easily make them yourself using the cooled baked chicken breasts!

To Store: place leftover chicken in an airtight container with a lid then refrigerate for up to 4 days.
To Reheat: microwave with a spoonful of the leftover baking liquid (or broth or water) until hot, or air fry at 360 degrees until hot.
To Freeze: add the cooled, cubed or shredded chicken breast to a freezer-safe Ziplock bag then remove the air, seal, and freeze flat. Thaw in the refrigerator, or add to soups / skillet meals from frozen.

I hope you love this tasty, versatile, easy baked chicken breast! Enjoy!

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