Is It Better To Bake Or Pan Fry Chicken Breast
Cooking chicken breast in a hot cast iron pan is easier to cook the chicken breast because you have less chance to overcook it compared to baking it in the oven.
Baked chicken breast is easy to dry out. Thats why this recipe are made with this delicious garlic butter sauce to make this chicken tender and juicy. The garlic butter sauce is not only amazing on top of your chicken but also on top of your sides like rice, mashed potato or other veggies.
Oven Baked Chicken Breast
This is the most popular of all chicken breast recipes that Ive ever published. Its a JUICY Oven Baked Chicken Breast sprinkled with a magic simple seasoning then baked until caramelised. Its simple, fast and incredibly tasty!
An incredibly easy chicken recipe thats a reader favourite alongside Honey Garlic Chicken, this epic Parmesan Crusted Chicken and crispy Garlic Chicken. Youre going to love it!
The Best Way To Season Chicken
I use about 1 Tablespoon of the seasoning for every 1-1.5 pounds of meat. However, just like when youre seasoning with plain salt and pepper, your eyes are the best judge. Sprinkle or rub the seasoning on all sides of the meat so that its evenly coated.
This seasoning is obviously amazing on chicken, but you can also use it to season fish, roasted vegetables, and oven roasted potatoes!
Also Check: Tyson Buffalo Chicken Strips Air Fryer
Now That Youve Got Flavour
All you need to do is cook your chicken perfectly. This is where NEFF has your back. With our MultiPoint MeatProbe, you can expect moist chicken every time it even turns your oven off when its cooked!
There are so many great ways to add flavour to chicken breast, so get cooking and feel free to share a photo of your dish with us on our Facebook page.
Happy cooking!
Way #: Thyme Black Pepper & Orange Peel
Thyme has a very sharp and minty flavor with some hints of earthy and floral. It is sweet and peppery. When mixed with a bit of black pepper and orange peel, it can create an incredibly unique and delicious flavor. Thyme goes great with orange, and you can try out this healthy chicken breast seasoning mix next time.
A tinge of orange flavor along with the thyme and black pepper can create a healthy yet delicious seasoning mix for the chicken breasts. This seasoning is perfect when you are cooking the chicken breast in garlic sauce. It establishes a finger-licking flavor.
Orange peel can come in the form of orange zest or grated orange peel.
Also Check: What’s The Difference Between Chicken Broth And Chicken Stock
How To Bake Chicken Breasts
Pound chicken to an even thickness. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Place chicken between two pieces of parchment paper or in a sealed plastic bag and lightly pound with a meat mallet. This will tenderize the meat and also help the chicken to cook faster and more evenly.
Rub all over with olive oil. You could also use melted butter, or a variety of different types of oil, like avocado or corn oil.
Season the chicken well. Rub salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and onion powder all over the chicken. I like to add a sprinkling of salt over the top just to make sure its properly seasoned. Sometimes Ill use chili powder instead of paprika.
Place the chicken side by side in a glass baking dish. Arrange each piece of chicken in the opposite direction and you should be able to fit 4 pieces in a 13×9-inch dish. For best results, they can be close together but not on top of each other. They will shrink slightly as they cook.
Roast in the oven at 450 for about 15-20 minutes. It doesnt sound like a long time, but at the higher temperature the chicken will cook fast.
Cook chicken to 165. Once the chicken reaches the optimal temperature, remove the pan from the oven and tent with foil to allow the chicken time to rest.
How Long To Bake Chicken
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts will bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until they reach an internal temperature of 165 F. This, of course, depends upon the weight and thickness of the chicken breast youre baking.
When it comes to baking chicken breasts, size matters.
Follow the guidelines below for estimated cooking times for baked chicken breasts:
- 5 ounces 14-16 minutes
Recommended Reading: Recipe For Indian Chicken Curry
How To Season Chicken
Once you have the seasoning ingredients mixed together, youre ready to season some chicken!
- Start by patting the chicken dry using paper towels.
- Rub a small amount of olive oil over the chicken to help the seasoning stick to the meat.
- Use about 1 tablespoon of the seasoning mix per pound of chicken. You will need more seasoning for smaller pieces of chicken since there is more overall surface area per pound of meat.
- You can cook chicken right away, but for the most flavorful chicken, let the meat marinate in the seasoning rub for one hour, and up to 12 hours, before cooking. Be sure to refrigerate the chicken while it marinates.
- If you are using chicken with skin, try to rub some seasoning under the skin to flavor the meat.
- For food safety, discard any unused rub that has come in contact with raw chicken or your hands as you handle raw chicken.
The Juiciest Oven Baked Chicken Breast Right Here
For years I tried so many recipes and techniques for a juicy baked chicken breast. Disappointed every single time and having to chew though mouthful of dry chicken, dipping each forkful in mayonnaise just to get through it. If you love food as much as I do, this is usually a completely heartbreaking experience.
Enter our recipe: easy, fast and simple. No weird steps, no wrapping, tenting, brining or marinating needed. Just a good flavoured seasoning rubbed all over our chicken and let your oven do all the work.
This is how I make the most incredible baked chicken breast that retain all of their natural juices!
The best part about this recipe are the pan juices that mix through the seasoning to give you a little something extra to drizzle them with when serving.
Also Check: Recipe For Roast Chicken In Oven
Best Seasoning For Chicken
How do you know what to season you chicken with? Well, you could buy one of those pre-mixed chicken seasonings at the grocery store or you can make this homemade chicken seasoning!
This is seriously the best seasoning for chicken. Its sweet, savory, and a little smokey all at the same time. Its delicious used on a pan-seared chicken breast and in our homemade chicken and rice recipe. You can also use it to season all cuts of chicken.
What To Serve With Chicken Breast
Just about everything goes with this juicy baked chicken breast recipe! Browse my low carb side dishes and salads for ideas. Here are a few reader favorites:
- Roasted Zucchini This cooks at 400 degrees, but you can easily cut the pieces thicker and cook it with the baked chicken breast at 450 degrees, at the same time. You can also try the same thing with roasted eggplant.
- Mashed Cauliflower A healthy swap for mashed potatoes!
- Cobb Salad Slice your juicy baked chicken, fan it over your salad, and you have a full meal.
- Sauteed Broccoli Make this in parallel when you already have chicken breast in the oven.
- Zucchini Noodles Toss them with baked chicken breast and your favorite sauce for a healthier pasta dish.
You May Like: Roast Chicken By Ina Garten
How To Grill Chicken Breast
The Best Seasoning For Grilled Chicken
Creating different spice blends is something I genuinely enjoy experimenting with in the kitchen. For this recipe, I designed a Latin-inspired seasoning base that features:
- Kosher salt
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
Salt and pepper add the basic savory and slightly spicy element. Paprika provides a red hue and smokiness if using the smoked variety. Cumin is nutty, earthy, and bitter, while coriander adds a lemony, sweet, floral note. Garlic powder and onion powder add a roasted allium taste instead of raw and intense.
The recipe makes about double the amount of spices you will need. So, you can use as little or as much as you like or save some to quickly grab and use for the next batch of grilled chicken. If you want to make it a blackening spice mixture, add brown sugar for a hint of sweetness and chili powder for extra heat.
Recipe Resources
Also Check: Alfredo With Chicken And Broccoli
Baked Chicken Breast Ingredients
Chicken is a blank canvas just waiting to be sprinkled, smeared, and infused with flavor. Rule #1 never under-season chicken. So today Ive got a simple, yet dazzling seasoning mix that will impress all your dinner guests.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: Grab chicken breasts that are all about the same size, for the most even cooking
- Spices & Herbs: A simple blend of paprika, garlic powder, thyme, salt, and pepper makes the chicken super delicious. Dont have thyme? Swap in oregano, basil, rosemary, or another herb.
- Olive Oil: A light drizzle gently coats the chicken to help the seasoning stick, and keeps it nice and moist.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How To Cook Chicken
Chicken lends itself to a variety of cooking methods. Like most poultry, you want to make sure the internal temperature hits 165F, but not over cook it for fear of drying the meat out. Chicken is usually served whole or in pieces, and each has its own special method of cooking. Here are some best ways to bring chicken to the dinner table:
Recommended Reading: Wendy’s Apple Pecan Chicken Salad
How To Bake Chicken Breasts In The Oven
This recipe is easy and speedy, which is why I love it. First, preheat your oven to 425F.
Mix the spices. Add the spices and herbs to a bowl and mix them until combined.
Coat the chicken. Lightly coat the chicken with olive oil, and then give each chicken breast a generous rub of the spice blend. Make sure to do this on both sides.
Bake away. Place the seasoned chicken breasts in a baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through. Once theyre done, make sure to let them rest!Resting allows the juices to redistribute within the meat.
What To Serve With Honey Garlic Chicken Breast
Theres enough sauce to drizzle over veggies and soak into rice or whatever you serve it with. The flavour is strong enough such that you dont need loads a bit goes a long way!
Its pictured above with Cauliflower Rice with Cucumber Salad on the side.
Even though its got soy sauce in the Honey Garlic Sauce, this doesnt taste specifically Asian-y. But its versatile enough that it will go just as well with Fried Rice as it will with a Macaroni Salad or even Mac and Cheese. Yes really! Try it once and youll understand Nagi x
Also Check: Tyson Anytizer Chicken Fries Air Fryer
Get The Right Internal Temperature
To make sure you do not overcook your chicken, use an instant read meat thermometer.
- An instant read thermometer is the absolute best way to know when your chicken breast is done. It will make sure you do not overcook your chicken, fish, and other meats. I even use it to tell when my banana bread is done !
- Be sure to insert the meat thermometer at the thickest part of the chicken.
- Per the FDA, chicken breast is considered safe to eat at 165 degrees F.
- Since the chickens temperature will rise as it rests, I remove mine between 155 degrees F and 160 degrees F. I have never had a problem with uncooked meat.
Use Fresh Spices And Herbs
Pantry herbs and spices dont go bad, but they do lose potency and flavor. Its best to use fresher dried herbs and spices for best flavor with this rub.
Most herbs and spices have a 2-year shelf life for potency. You can test each herb and spice by crushing a pinch of the spice or herb with your fingers and smelling it. If it smells dull or musty, its time to replace it.
Pro tip: Use an airtight glass jar to mix the ingredients together and youll save on cleanup!
You May Like: How To Make Crispy Chicken Tenders
Baked Chicken Storage Tips
- To Store. Refrigerate chicken breast in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat. Gently rewarm chicken in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees F.
- To Freeze. Freeze leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Can Chicken Breast Be Pink
Yes. Raw chicken is pink because of a protein called myoglobin, which changes color at higher temperatures but this change does not always perfectly coincide with when the chicken is safe to eat .
Instead, chicken breast is safe to eat when it reaches a temperature high enough to kill bacteria. So, if your chicken has a very slight pink tinge to it, thats okay, as long as it has reached 165 degrees before eating it, per USDA recommendations .
You May Like: How To Grill Chicken Kabob
What Temperature To Cook Chicken Breast To
For best results, use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of your baked chicken breast. Be sure to test right in the center of the thickest part of the chicken.
TIP: Better yet, use a cooking alarm thermometer! Simply set the temperature you want, and it will beep when your baked chicken breast reaches that temperature.
Official recommendations from the USDA say to cook chicken breast until it reaches 165 degrees F, but your chicken will actually rise a few degrees after you take it out of the oven and let it rest . This is why I typically take it out around 162 degrees, to ensure an extra juicy chicken breast.
How Long Should You Bake Chicken Breasts
The key to juicy chicken breasts is to cook them hot at 425F for the right amount of time. To nail this down, itll depend on the size of your chicken breasts and your unique oven . Heres a general guideline to follow:
- Small Breasts : cook for 18-20 minutes.
- Medium Breasts : cook for 20-22 minutes.
- Large Breasts : cook for 22-25 minutes.
Pro tip: If you have a tendency to overcook your chicken, invest in an instant read thermometer. Its seriously invaluable in the kitchen. Then read below for the best internal temperature of cooked chicken!
Read Also: Grilled Chicken Sandwich Mcdonald’s
How To Make This Baked Chicken Breast:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Season chicken breast with salt, pepper and paprika. In a cast iron skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. When the skillet is really hot add chicken breast. Sear until golden. Its about 1-2 minutes each side.
2. In a small bowl mix together the butter, Italian seasoning, parsley, and garlic. Set aside.
3. Pour garlic butter mixture over the chicken breast. Place skillet in the oven and cook until cooked through. Its about 20-30 minutes or until chicken breasts gets to an internal temperature of 165F.
4. Remove from the oven. Using a spoon, pour some of the butter sauce left in the skillet onto the chicken breast before serving.
A Kale Recipe Thats Totally Scoff
Kale is one of the nutritious plant foods in the world, and this Garlic Butter Kale Rice is a fantastic way to incorporate a LOT of kale into a dish thats so tasty, even kale haters love it.
Really. This kale recipe is that good. Read some of the reviews from people who have tried it!
Actually, I hadnt planned to share this recipe. I didnt think it would be of interest to readers, but it turns out that its possible the most requested recipe ever! People spied this Garlic Butter Rice with Kale on the side of a Baked Chicken Breast that I shared a couple of months ago. I didnt even mention it in the post, it was just leftovers I had in the fridge that I added to the plate just to take this photo:
That single photo triggered so many messages via email, on Facebook and Instagram I could hardly believe it!
But you spoke, and I listened. Here it is.
Also Check: Recipes For Chicken Breast Pan Fried
How Long To Cook Chicken Breasts In A Skillet
The amount of time needed to cook a chicken breast in a pan will vary depending on the thickness of the chicken breast, the amount of heat used, and the type of cookware used. To take the guesswork out of how long to cook the chicken breasts, I suggest using an instant-read meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature of the chicken breast has reached 165ºF.