Juicy Baked Chicken
This is the easiest baked chicken recipe that is so flavorful and juicy. This homemade spice rub is perfect for oven baked chicken and makes it perfectly spiced. I am sharing my tips for making the best baked chicken.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 Chicken Breasts *
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1 to 2 teaspoons Paprika *
- 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
- Olive Oil
Instructions
- Start by preheating the oven to 425 degrees. Prepare the chicken breast. If you are using thick chicken breasts, either butterfly the chicken by cutting in half lengthwise or use a mallet or rolling pin to pound the chicken into thinner pieces. I prefer to buy the thin sliced chicken breasts.
- Make the spice rub. In a bowl, stir together the salt, garlic, powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika, and brown sugar.
- Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Lightly drizzle the chicken with olive oil. Toss the chicken in the seasoning or press into the chicken, coating both sides of the chicken. Place on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 14-18 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts. A meat thermometer is so helpful to determine when the chicken is done. The chicken is fully cooked at 165 degrees. You want to ensure that it is fully cooked and no longer pink.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. This is an important step to allow the juices to seep into the chicken.
- OPTIONAL: if you want more of a sear on your chicken, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle with oil. Cook the chicken for 2 minutes per side. Then transfer to the baking sheet to continue to cook in the oven. If you cook the chicken this way, you may lose some of the spices as they will fall into the skillet. You will also need to cook it for less time in the oven since the cooking process was already started.
- If you want extra juicy and flavorful chicken, melt 4 Tablespoons of salted butter in a bowl. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1 teaspoon of minced fresh parsley. Drizzle over the chicken when serving.
Notes
- Chicken Breast or Thighs -- I prefer to use thinly sliced chicken breasts because they cook faster and more consistently. You can buy them already thinly sliced or slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise (butterfly them).
- Garlic Powder -- I suggest using garlic powder also known as granulated garlic and not garlic salt.
- Paprika -- adds a smoky flavor to the chicken. There are different types of paprika such as smoked paprika, hot paprika, sweet paprika, and others. Regular paprika contains crushed dried chili peppers while smoked paprika is made from smoke-dried chili peppers that were dried over a fire before being ground into a powder. If you want less BBQ flavor, reduce the amount of smoked paprika in this recipe.
- Brown Sugar -- this adds the perfect amount of sweetness and also helps to form a golden crust on the chicken.
- Olive Oil -- this is to lightly drizzle on the chicken before pressing on the rub.
Nutrition
Calories: 146kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 722mg | Potassium: 448mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 221IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg