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Serve the most flavorful and juicy Oven Baked Chicken Breast for an easy dinner recipe that the whole family will love. You only need 5 minutes of prep and a few secret ingredients — like butter, Worcestershire sauce, and Italian salad dressing mix! The end result is tender, succulent chicken with a crispy exterior and restaurant-quality taste.
Baked boneless, skinless chicken breasts are a default meal for so many of us when we want a healthier option without much effort. Unfortunately, the same old chicken dinner can get very boring. Instead, keep a few pantry staples on hand and always have a delicious dish ready for the table in just 30 minutes. No more bland chicken breasts allowed!
How to Make the Best Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Recipe:
These chicken breasts are seasoned with plenty of butter, Worcestershire sauce and Italian herbs and then baked at a high temperature for perfectly juicy meat with a crispy exterior. Let’s get started…
Ingredients:
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Butter
- Worcestershire sauce
- Apple cider vinegar
- Packet of dry Italian salad dressing and seasoning mix
Season the chicken with salt and pepper, place it in a baking dish, and top with pats of butter.
In a small bowl, whisk together the Worcestershire sauce and vinegar.
Drizzle the sauce over the chicken, and then sprinkle with Italian salad dressing mix.
How long does it take to bake a chicken breast at 425 degrees F?
Bake the chicken breasts at 425 degrees F for a total of about 25 minutes, with the dish covered for the first 10 minutes. Then remove the cover and continue baking, uncovered, for about 10-15 more minutes. Finishing the dish without the cover allows the sauce to thicken and the chicken to get crispy!
Chicken should be cooked in the oven until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
What to serve with Oven Baked Chicken Breast:
One reason boneless, skinless chicken breast recipe ideas are so popular is because they’re versatile! Pair this protein with your family’s favorite sides and you have a kid-friendly meal ready in no time. Here are a few ways to serve the dish:
- Pasta tossed in olive oil, butter, marinara or pesto sauce
- Rice or baked potatoes
- Crusty loaf of French bread to soak up any extra pan sauce
- A simple green salad dressed with Italian Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Creamed Spinach
- Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
- Oven Roasted Asparagus, Roasted Broccoli, or Slow Cooker Southern Green Beans
Is Oven Baked Chicken Breast healthy?
Yes, there’s butter in this recipe — but don’t skip it! The butter adds so much flavor, creates a rich pan sauce, and helps to keep the chicken moist on the inside and crispy on the outside. Boneless, skinless chicken breast is a lean protein that benefits from a little bit of extra flavor and fat in the cooking process (otherwise you might end up with a dry, flavorless meal).
If you’re watching your calories or fat, just serve yourself less of the pan sauce. The nutrition facts provided below include all of the butter and sauce from the pan. If you enjoy less sauce, the nutrition stats will vary greatly. A 4-ounce serving of cooked chicken breast has just 123 calories, is an excellent source of low-fat protein, and also contains selenium, phosphorus, vitamin B6, and niacin. This oven baked chicken breast can be an incredibly healthy, satisfying addition to any diet.
Cook’s Tips and Recipe Variations for Juicy Oven Baked Chicken Breast:
- Since the size and thickness of chicken breasts can vary greatly, I suggest using a meat thermometer to know when your chicken is done. The meat needs to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- For a shorter cooking time, cut large chicken breasts in half lengthwise to create thinner pieces of meat.
- Use the same ingredients and baking process with boneless, skinless chicken thighs. The thighs will likely need less time in the oven, so reduce the baking time to a total of about 15-20 minutes.
- For an even crispier exterior, place the chicken under the broiler during the final 2 minutes of baking.
- If you’re cooking chicken tenderloins or smaller chicken breasts, you’ll want to decrease the baking time. You might only need to cover the meat for about 5 minutes, and then finish the dish uncovered so that the top can get nicely browned and the sauce can thicken.
- Wrapped tightly, the baked chicken breast will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can also store the chicken in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Use leftover chicken on sandwiches or on salads for easy lunches or dinners throughout the week!
More boneless skinless chicken breast recipes that you might enjoy:
- 5-Ingredient Baked Chicken Breast Recipe
- Dump-and-Bake Basil Chicken Breasts
- Dump-and-Bake Chicken and Mushrooms
- 5-Minute Honey French Baked Chicken Breasts
- “No Work” Baked Chicken
Oven Baked Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 ½ – 3 lbs. total)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 6 tablespoons butter, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 (1 ounce) packet dry Italian salad dressing and seasoning mix
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a large baking dish with cooking spray. Place chicken in the dish and pat dry with paper towels. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
- Place butter on top of chicken. In a small bowl, whisk together Worcestershire sauce and vinegar. Drizzle over top of chicken. Sprinkle dry salad dressing mix over all.
- Cover and bake for 10 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 10-15 more minutes, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. If you want your chicken crispier on the outside, you can place the dish under the broiler for the final few minutes.
- Spoon the pan sauce over the meat just before serving, and garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.
Notes
- Since the size and thickness of chicken breasts can vary greatly, I suggest using a meat thermometer to know when your chicken is done. The meat needs to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- For a shorter cooking time, cut large chicken breasts in half lengthwise to create thinner pieces of meat.
- Use the same ingredients and baking process with boneless, skinless chicken thighs. The thighs will likely need less time in the oven, so reduce the baking time to a total of about 15-20 minutes.
- For an even crispier exterior, place the chicken under the broiler during the final 2 minutes of baking.
- If you’re cooking chicken tenderloins or smaller chicken breasts, you’ll want to decrease the baking time. You might only need to cover the meat for about 5 minutes, and then finish the dish uncovered so that the top can get nicely browned and the sauce can thicken.
- Wrapped tightly, the baked chicken breast will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can also store the chicken in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Use leftover chicken on sandwiches or on salads for easy lunches or dinners throughout the week!
This looks really good, and easy too! Will be trying soon and let you know how we liked it….. 🙂 Thanks!
Thank you, Tess! I hope you enjoy the chicken! Such an easy weeknight meal. 🙂
This was not only easy, but it was so delicious! It has incredibly delicious bold flavors that we love, and the chicken comes out moist and tender. No dry chicken here! I served it with a simple Italian salad using Italian blend salad greens, cut up tomato and cucumbers, and Olive Garden’s lite Italian dressing, along with some delicious steamed carrots seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Thank you so much, Christine! I’m glad that you enjoyed it, and I appreciate you taking the time to come back here and let me know. Your whole meal sounds delicious!
Ooh, thanks for giving me this link, Blair. Looks delicious and making it in a pan makes it possible to utilize all the sauce. Now I would have to make it in a Pyrex container. If I put a piece of aluminum foil over it for the first part of the baking would that suffice as a lid?
Yes, ma’am!
Blair, since I’ll be using the remainder of the 3 ingredient apricot glaze, about 3/4 of the recipe, as the sauce for boneless pieces, as in this recipe, should I put the butter pats on or will the fat of the Wish-Bone Russian dressing take care of that. Also, I eat both breasts and thighs. Would I be best off using either breasts or thighs or does it not matter? Thanks!
Hi, Marion! You can use either breasts or thighs. The thighs will just typically cook faster than the larger breasts. You don’t need the butter for the apricot glazed chicken. 🙂
Thank you! It’s nice to know that I choose either breast or thigh. I just came back from the store and I can see that “Which is cheaper! is going to be the main factor for a time. Eee Gads!