You guys, I finally did it.
I figured out how to keep baked chicken breasts moist and succulent.
No more dry, tasteless, tough chicken.
Welcome to a whole new era of deliciousness.
The secret?
Quick, high-heat cooking + olive oil + a tent.
Yep. Crank your oven up to a whopping 450 degrees, rub your chicken breasts with olive oil & seasoning, place in a baking dish, and tent with parchment paper to lock in the moisture.
Cook for JUST 15-18 minutes (until the internal temp is 165 F), and you’re done. (If you don’t have an instant digital thermometer yet… buy one!)
Lack of fat is one of the main reasons chicken breasts dry out. But by drizzling them with some olive oil, you add some much needed moisture AND give the spice rub something to stick to.
Then when you tent it and cook the chicken on high heat, you capture some steam under the parchment paper & add some moist-heat to keep everything nice and succulent.
Plus, since you’re cooking it so briefly and at such high heat, the chicken doesn’t have time to lose all of its moisture through evaporation in the oven.
This method makes cooking chicken one of the easiest things you could do on a weeknight.
And it’s so freaking good!
You can sprinkle your chicken with an endless variety of spice rubs, keep it simple with olive oil, salt, & pepper, or even marinate them all day and pop em in the oven when you get home.
But seriously. Keep this method in your back pocket & wow yourself next time you make chicken.
Pro Tip: Batch-cook a whole bunch of chicken breasts, slice, & store in the fridge for sandwiches and salads all week.
Enjoy!
- 4 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Olive oil, melted butter, or other favorite cooking oil
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- Parchment paper
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Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the chicken breasts in a baking dish & drizzle with olive oil. Use your hands to rub the oil all over both sides of the breasts.
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Wash your hands well with warm water & soap, then make the spice rub. In a small bowl, mix together all of the spices (garlic powder through turmeric). Sprinkle the spice rub over both sides of the chicken breasts, evenly coating them as best you can.
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Cut a piece of parchment paper to roughly the same size as your baking dish, and place the paper over the chicken. The edges of the parchment paper should be inside the dish, wrapping down to enclose the chicken breasts.
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Pop in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes (cooking time may be slightly less for small chicken breasts or slightly more for very large ones), or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing to let the juices redistribute and not leak out everywhere when you cut the chicken. Enjoy!
