Baked Chicken Breasts
Updated April 16, 2024
- Total Time
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 40 minutes, plus at least 30 minutes brining
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 4boneless skinless chicken breasts (10 to 12 ounces each)
- 2tablespoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- 4teaspoons dried oregano or Italian seasoning
- 4teaspoons garlic powder
- 4teaspoons sweet paprika (optional)
- Black pepper, to taste
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
435 calories; 13 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 71 grams protein; 753 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a large bowl, combine 4 cups of room temperature water and the salt. Stir until the salt is dissolved.
- Step 2
Add the chicken breasts, making sure they are fully submerged. Brine for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. (Cover and refrigerate if brining for more than 30 minutes.)
- Step 3
Heat the oven to 425 degrees and line a sheet pan or large baking dish with parchment paper. While the oven heats, remove the chicken breasts from the brine and pat them dry with paper towels, discarding the brine. Place the chicken breasts on the prepared pan. Drizzle generously with olive oil, flipping chicken so both sides are coated. Sprinkle with the dried oregano, garlic powder, paprika, if using, and some black pepper.
- Step 4
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breasts reaches 165 degrees. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing into the chicken and serving.
Private Notes
Comments
For brining, I like to remember the Rhulman ratio: 20:1 water to salt (or about 5% salt) - which is 5g salt for 1000ml of water. As it turns out, 1000ml of water is a good amount for a few chicken breasts, and this recipe is pretty consistent with this rule (4 cups = 946 ml, 2 tbs of salt = 34.14 g). But remembering this ratio helps you scale up for things like a whole turkey etc.
Given the more extensive caramelization due to greater surface area and convenience including of quick cooking time, I've primarily converted from baking brined chicken breasts to halving them horizontally and then broiling 3-4 inches from broiler for about 3-4 minutes per side.
Careful about the salt percentage, stated in an earlier comment. 5% salt means 5 grams per hundred mL (not a thousand mL), so to prepare a liter of 5% brine (about 4 cups) one would need 50 grams. Also since here the salt is dissolved in water, it does not matter if it is table salt (iodized) or kosher or other kind. But I would recommend to be careful considering that different salt formulation (table vs kosher) are likely to have different masses of NaCl when 2 tbsp are measured.
This has become my go-to recipe for preparing and baking chicken. Tonight I fired up the gas grill (425F) to cook the chicken breasts (which I brined for about 90 minutes). I used a smoke "box" with wood chips for extra flavor. They were ready in under 20 minutes. Very moist and delicious. Served w/ Ali Slagle's Orzo Salad With Lentils and Zucchini.
Simple, efficient, good protein source , my “go to” recipe for a simple chicken breast always Cooked to perfection!
Brined in salted water for 1 1/2 hrs. Like others, swapped out the Italian seasonings for za'atar, and also coated some sliced little potatoes in the same seasonings and oil, then pre-baked the potatoes for 10 minutes, then put chicken over the potatoes and baked for a little more than 20 minutes. I'm not a big white meat chicken guy, but the tenderness and juiciness of the meat was amazing, so unlike how chicken breast often comes out.