Best Baked Chicken Breast Recipe

Step 1

Preheat. Preheat the oven to 450º F. Arrange the oven rack to the middle position.

Step 2

Prep. Pat the chicken breast dry with a paper towel. Drizzle a little olive oil into my skillet (if I’m making a few), 9×13 baking dish (if I’m making a medium batch), or sheet pan (if I’m making a larger batch). Arrange the chicken in the pan, allowing it to touch but not overlap. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil and then sprinkle liberally with your seasoning of choice (salt and pepper as a minimum). Then, place into the oven.

Step 3

Cook. Bake chicken breasts until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the chicken is pricked with a sharp knife and the internal temperature registers 160º F with a meat thermometer or instant read thermometer, about 20 minutes. The time will depend on the thickness of your chicken breasts.

Step 4

Rest. Remove the skillet or casserole dish from the oven, tent it with foil and let the chicken rest for another 5 minutes. Serve.