Quick Healthy Recipes For Chicken Breast

This simple baked chicken breast recipe results in the juiciest, flavorful, most delicious chicken breasts that you will make over and over. It is truly the BEST baked chicken recipe!

If there is anything I know about y’all, it is (1) you love simple recipes and (2) you love recipes that use boneless skinless chicken breasts. (More chicken breast recipes linked at the end of the post.👇🏻)

Baking chicken breasts can be a little tricky, mostly because it is really common to cook dry, tasteless chicken. 🙅🏼‍♀️No bueno! Well, I am definitely up for the challenge. And I think I nailed it, y’all.😎🙌🏻

Simple Oven Baked Chicken Breast Recipe

Here is exactly how I make the BEST baked chicken breast with perfect texture, cooked to perfection. Y’all are giving this one rave reviews, and I sure do appreciate it.

I am going with a very basic seasoning blend, y’all. It is very similar to my Instant Pot “rostisserie” chicken seasoning: salt, black pepper, garlic powder and paprika. I do add some lemon slices and a little bit of butter too.

So how do you get tender, juicy chicken breast when they dry out so easily? In my opinion, the three best tips are to use a little fat (butter and avocado oil in this case), cook at a high temperature, and allow the chicken to rest five minutes prior to digging in. Feel free to sub with olive oil or the oil of your choice.

Easy Lemon Chicken Breast Recipe

So I start with a baking dish. I am using a basic pyrex 9×13. You want to use a dish big enough so that the chicken breasts are not all squished up next to each other.

I pour a little avocado oil in, and then I place the chicken breasts on top. I rotate them around and flip to the other side too, using my hands to coat each piece of chicken with oil.

Once everything is coated, I wash my hands. Then I slice up one lemon and add the slices in the pan, just around the chicken. The lemon juice will seep out during cooking and add wonderful flavor and tenderness to the chicken.

Best Healthy Chicken Recipes

And then I add a pat of butter on each chicken breast. I used around 1.5 tablespoons total (combined) for all four pieces of chicken. So this is not a Paula Deen amount of butter, y’all.😉🙃 A little dab will do ya!

The lemon, butter and juices from the seasoned chicken make the yummiest pan juice, which is wonderful for spooning on top of your finished baked chicken breast. The flavor is amazing!

I bake the chicken breasts in a preheated 450 degree oven until they are done, about 20 to 25 minutes. For the batch pictured here, the chicken breasts were very large. They ranged in size from 9 to nearly 11 ounces! So mine took the whole 25 minutes.

Honey Garlic Chicken Breast

If you are using smaller chicken breasts, cook them for a shorter time. I will be testing these more in the future. So I will circle back and add suggested cooking times by weight in the recipe notes very soon!

You can always use a meat thermometer to be sure. The official temperature for the inner portion should be at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit. But, be aware that the internal temperature will rise a little during the resting phase. So if it is at 160 degrees, I’d suggest going ahead and taking it out of the oven.

Once they come out of the oven, I spoon some of the lemon butter over the top, and let them rest for five minutes, uncovered. And you are left with the yummiest, juiciest baked chicken breast ever!😍

Easy Juicy Grilled Chicken Breast

You can serve baked chicken breasts with a few simple side items, or slice them up for lunches throughout the week, meal prep style.

. But I know myself. I know my readers. And most of us have neither the time nor the patience for this extra step.

So I am going with a big fat no thanks. Hard pass. 💁🏼‍♀️And you’ll be happy to know that it is just not necessary, y’all.

Healthy Chicken Recipe Ideas

For this recipe, we are cooking the chicken breasts at high heat, 450 degrees Fahrenheit. And then we allow them to rest.

You may be shocked at how tender and juicy these come out. In fact, that is the number one feedback comment I get on this recipe – how surprised people are at the perfect texture of this chicken cooked at such high heat. But it works really well!

You want to make sure you cook the chicken breasts for the proper cooking time. There is a sweet spot where everything is perfectly cooked, but not dry.

Healthy Stuffed Chicken Breast Recipe

Paying attention to the thickest part and knowing the weight of the meat you are working with really helps with this. A digital scale works well for this and is well worth the small investment. These are usually less than $20. See also the notes section of the recipe card below.

Raw chicken should be fine for 2 days. Cooked chicken is good for about 3 to 4 days. Always use common sense, though! If something looks or smells funky, toss it out.

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Easy Healthy Chicken Recipes That Won't Break Your Diet

This simple baked chicken breast recipe results in the juiciest, flavorful, most delicious chicken breasts that you will make over and over.

This recipe is written for regular sized chicken breasts, not thin or split chicken breasts. This or split breasts would have significantly less cook time.

I am using a basic pyrex 9×13. You want to use a dish big enough so that the chicken breasts are not all squished up next to each other.

High Protein, Low Carb Chicken Dinner Recipes

For the batch pictured here, the chicken breasts were very large. They ranged in size from 9 to nearly 11 ounces! So mine took the whole 25 minutes. If you are using smaller chicken breasts, cook them for a shorter time.

Note: This baked chicken breast recipe originally appeared on A Pinch of Healthy on January 22, 2019. It has been updated with new photos. Here is what it used to look like.Baked chicken breasts that are juicy and tender are a healthy staple recipe in any house. Flavored with an orange herb marinade that leaves it anything but bland. This chicken breast recipe is perfect for quick dinners, meal prep lunches, salads, and a ton of other ways.

Like most lean cuts of meat, chicken breasts are easy to dry out and don't have a ton of flavor to start with. This healthy baked chicken breast recipe will make sure you have loads of smokey, citrus flavor and is super tender and juicy.

Last Minute Chicken Recipe

STEP 1: Make the marinade. In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, red pepper flakes, orange zest, dried basil, dried thyme, and orange juice.

STEP 2: Marinate the chicken. Trim any excess fat or bone pieces off the chicken breasts and place them in a gallon-sized plastic bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken breasts. Next, remove all of the air from the bag. Gently rub the marinade all over the chicken in the bag to make sure all of them are evenly coated in the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, but no more than 2 hours

STEP 3: Cook the chicken: Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. While the oven preheats, pull the chicken out of the bag (shake off any excess marinade into the bag) and place in a 9x13 baking dish. Throw away the remaining marinade. Once the oven is preheated, bake the chicken for 20 minutes or until the center reaches 150-155˚F in the center of the thickest part of the chicken breast.

Juicy Baked Chicken Breast

STEP 4: Let the chicken rest. Loosely tent the pan with foil and allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes. Serve warm or allow to come to room temp before refrigerating in an airtight container.

To cook more evenly, having chicken pieces that are similar in size is key. There are a few ways to do that:

Sometimes none of these is an option and that's fine. That just means you might have to babysit the smaller pieces and pull them a bit early.

Chicken Cutlet Recipes For Dinner

This recipe is perfect for healthy meal prep lunches. It stores well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Leftovers are perfect for salads or chopped up in your morning eggs. If you're left with WAY too many leftovers, cooked chicken breast freezes really well. Simply store them in a freezer-safe container or plastic bag for up to 3 months.

Baked chicken breasts that are juicy and tender are a healthy staple recipe in any house. Flavored with an orange herb marinade that leaves it anything but bland. This chicken breast recipe is perfect for quick dinners, meal prep lunches, in salads, and a ton of other applications.

Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Serving: 4 ounces Calories: 150 kcal Carbohydrates: 2 g Protein: 35 g Fat: 3 g Saturated Fat: 1 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g Cholesterol: 66 mg Sodium:

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