This oven roasted chicken breast is crispy-skinned, tender and juicy on the inside, and very flavorful. It’s very easy to make and hard to mess up. I use this recipe to make bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts and whole chickens.
How to cook chicken breast?
The most important part in this recipe is to not overcook the meat. You want to pull the chicken out of the oven at 160F internal temperature and let it rest for 5 minutes. If you let it cook past that temperature, it will get hopelessly dry and rubbery. Remember, when you pull the chicken breast out of the oven it will continue cooking and the temperature will continue rising by another 5 degrees or so. So, be careful and use an accurate instant read thermometer or, better yet, a BBQ thermometer, like the very popular and very good ThermoPro TP07 single probe or the ThermoPro TP08 dual probe thermometer.
My wife and I have recently started using our thermocouple BBQ thermometer in the kitchen. I normally use it for high heat grilling and smoking so this was something totally new for us. While this particular thermometer is an overkill for cooking in the kitchen oven, the idea is the same – it makes cooking chicken breast and other things so much easier. It’s pretty much a set it and forget it kind of thing. When the meat is ready the thermometer alerts you. Simple as that. No need to run back and forth with an instant read thermometer to catch the right temperature and let the heat out every time you check. No overcooked or burned meat.
I use seasonings sparsely in this recipe. You don’t need too much to get a very flavorful final product. I don’t add dry herbs as they tend to burn during medium-high heat pan frying and ruin the flavor and the appearance.
Do you need to brine chicken breasts?
Unlike my slow baked chicken breast which does not need brining, this roasted chicken breast definitely benefits from soaking in brine for a few hours. It’s great either way, tender and juicy, and I often skip brining when pressed for time. But if you have the time, brine your chicken breasts before roasting. The meat will be juicier, and more forgiving in case you let the internal temperature rise past the target temperature.
By the way, if you are looking for a slightly quicker, slightly healthier version of this fantastic recipe, check out my Pan-Seared Oven Baked Chicken Breast Recipe. It’s just as fantastic.
Looking for more crispy chicken recipes? Check these out:
Extra Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken Thighs Extra Crispy Baked Chicken Wings Buffalo-Style Baked Chicken Drumsticks Crispy Oven Roasted Chicken Leg Quarters
Looking for more great baked chicken breast recipes? Check these out:
Baked Marinated Asian Chicken Breast Baked Chicken Breast (Moist & Tender) Italian Dressing Chicken Breast
