How to Roast Chicken Breast in the Oven

Co-authored by Dorrenda Smith and Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: August 19, 2021

If you're looking for a simple way to cook flavorful chicken breasts, roast them in the oven until they're moist and tender. Use bone-in chicken breasts with skin for maximum flavor and crisp skin. If you're cooking boneless skinless chicken breasts, cover them with parchment paper as they roast to prevent them from drying out. To make lemon garlic chicken breasts, make a simple sauce and bake the chicken in it.

Ingredients

Roasted Bone-in Chicken Breasts

2 whole bone-in chicken breasts or 4 split breasts (about 3 pounds or 1.4 kg total)
2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) salt
Ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil
1 tablespoon (1.5 g) dried herbs or 3 tablespoons (11.5 g) minced fresh herbs (such as rosemary, parsley, or basil), optional

Makes 4 servings

Low-Fat Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

Butter or olive oil for greasing the pan
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon (1.5 g) dried herbs or 3 tablespoons (11.5 g) minced fresh herbs (such as rosemary, parsley, or basil)
1 lemon, sliced into wedges, optional

Makes 2 to 4 servings

Lemon Garlic Chicken Breasts

1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
3 tablespoons (25 g) minced garlic
1/3 cup (80 ml) dry white wine
2 lemons, zested
2 tablespoons (30 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons (1 g) dried oregano
1 teaspoon (1 g) minced fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon (5 g) salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 boneless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds or 907 g)
1 lemon

Makes 4 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making Roasted Bone-in Chicken Breasts

1
Preheat the oven to 450 °F (232 °C) and prepare a broiler pan. Get out a broiler pan and lay a sheet of aluminum foil over it. Set an oven-safe wire rack on the broiler pan and set it aside while you prepare the chicken.^{[1]
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2
Mix the butter with salt and herbs, if using. Place 2 tablespoons (28 g) of softened unsalted butter into a small bowl. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) of salt and any herbs you'd like to use. You can stir in 1 tablespoon (1.5 g) of dried herbs or 3 tablespoons (11.5 g) of minced fresh herbs. Stir until the herbs and salt are combined with the butter and set it aside.^{[2]
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- Use 1 type of herb or stir in a combination of your favorite herbs.
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3
Season the chicken breasts and rub the butter under the skin. Get out 2 whole bone-in chicken breasts or 4 split breasts and sprinkle both sides of each breast with salt and pepper according to your taste. Slide your index and middle finger underneath the skin of each breast to loosen it from the meat. Divide the butter evenly between each breast and rub it in the gap between the skin and the meat.^{[3]
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- You may need to use a spoon to push the butter into the breasts.
4
Brush the chicken breasts with vegetable oil and set them in the pan. Pour 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of vegetable oil into a small bowl and dip your fingers or a pastry brush into it. Rub the vegetable oil over the skin of each chicken breast. Place the breasts on the wire rack of the broiler pan.^{[4]
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5
Roast the chicken breasts for 30 to 35 minutes. Place the broiler pan and rack with the chicken into the preheated oven. Cook the chicken until it's completely cooked throughout and registers at least 165 °F (74 °C) on an instant-read thermometer.^{[5]
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- The chicken breasts should look golden brown and the skin should look crispy.
6
Cover and rest the chicken for 5 minutes before you carve the breasts. Remove the broiler pan from the oven and lay a sheet of aluminum foil loosely over the chicken. Let it rest for 5 minutes and then transfer it to a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut away the meat from the bone and slice the meat into strips.^{[6]
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7
Serve the chicken breast immediately. Serve the roasted chicken breast with steamed vegetables, cooked rice, baked potatoes, or a side salad. Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.^{[7]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Baking Low-Fat Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

1
Preheat the oven to 400 °F (204 °C) and grease a baking pan. Get out an 8 x 8-inch (20 x 20 cm) baking pan and spread enough butter or olive oil to coat the bottom of it. Tear off a sheet of parchment paper that's large enough to cover the pan and grease 1 side of it with butter or oil.^{[8]
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- If you want to roast more than 2 chicken breasts, use a larger baking pan such as a 9 x 13-inch (22 x 33 cm) pan.
2
Dry the chicken breasts and season them with oil, salt and pepper, and herbs. Take a paper towel and blot both sides of 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts dry. If you want to season the chicken with butter or oil, spread about 1 teaspoon (5 ml) over each breast. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste. You can also sprinkle 1 tablespoon (1.5 g) of dried herbs or 3 tablespoons (11.5 g) of minced fresh herbs over the chicken breasts.^{[9]
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3
Arrange the chicken breasts in the baking dish with lemon wedges, if using. Place the chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish and leave at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of space between them. If you want to add a citrus flavor, scatter lemon wedges around and in between the chicken breasts.^{[10]
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4
Cover and tuck the parchment around the chicken. Take the greased piece of parchment paper and lay the greased side down on the chicken breasts. Press the paper down around the sides of the chicken breasts so they're totally covered.
5
Roast the chicken for 20 minutes and check the temperature. Put the baking pan in the preheated oven and cook the chicken for 20 minutes. Then insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of a chicken breast. The chicken should reach 165 °F (74 °C) once it's finished roasting.^{[11]
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6
Roast the chicken breasts for 10 to 20 more minutes, if needed. If the chicken hasn't reached temperature, return the covered chicken to the oven and bake it for 10 to 20 more minutes so it reaches 165 °F (74 °C).^{[12]
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7
Rest the chicken breasts for 5 minutes. Turn off the oven and remove the baking pan from the oven. Leave the chicken breasts to rest with the parchment paper covering them. The chicken will finish cooking and the juices will redistribute within the meat.^{[13]
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8
Serve the roasted chicken breasts immediately. Discard the parchment paper. Place each chicken breast on a serving plate or transfer them to a cutting board to slice into pieces. Serve the roasted chicken breast with roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, or noodles.^{[14]
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- Refrigerate the leftover chicken breasts in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Roasting Lemon Garlic Chicken Breasts

1
Preheat the oven to 400 °F (204 °C) and get out a baking dish. Set the 9 x 12-inch (22 x 30 cm) baking dish aside while you prepare the chicken breasts.^{[15]
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2
Heat the olive oil and garlic over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Pour 1/4 cup (60 ml) of olive oil into a small saucepan. Turn the heat to medium-low and stir in 3 tablespoons (25 g) of minced garlic. Cook the garlic in the oil until it becomes fragrant, but don't let it brown.^{[16]
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3
Zest and juice the lemons. Wash 2 lemons and use a box grater or microplane to zest both lemons. Cut 1 of the lemons in half and use a juicer to get 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of juice.^{[17]
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- Since you won't need all of each lemon, store them in the refrigerator to use in another recipe.
4
Stir in the lemon zest, white wine, lemon juice, herbs, and salt. Turn off the burner and pour 1/3 cup (80 ml) of dry white wine into the pan with the lemon juice and zest. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons (1 g) of dried oregano, 1 teaspoon (1 g) of minced fresh thyme leaves, and 1 teaspoon (5 g) of salt.^{[18]
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5
Pour the lemon garlic sauce into the dish and dry the chicken breasts. Use a paper towel to blot both sides of 4 boneless chicken breasts until they're dry. Lay the breasts over the sauce in the baking dish. If you're using chicken breasts with the skin still on, arrange them so the skin is facing up.^{[19]
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6
Season the chicken breasts with oil, salt, pepper, and lemon wedges. Drizzle a little extra olive oil over the chicken breasts, if you want crispy skin. Sprinkle salt and freshly ground pepper to taste over the breasts. Cut 1 of the lemons into 8 wedges and place them around the breasts.^{[20]
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7
Roast the lemon garlic chicken for 30 to 40 minutes. Put the baking dish in the preheated oven and cook the chicken breasts until they reach 165 °F (74 °C) with an instant-read thermometer. The chicken should be completely cooked throughout.^{[21]
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8
Broil the chicken breasts for 2 minutes, if desired. If you want the tops of the chicken breasts to brown or crisp up, remove the dish from the oven and turn on the broiler. Place the chicken breasts 3 inches (7.6 cm) to 4 inches (10 cm) below the broiler and heat them for 2 minutes or until the tops brown.^{[22]
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9
Cover and rest the chicken breasts for 10 minutes. Turn off the broiler and remove the chicken breasts. Lay a sheet of aluminum foil tightly over the chicken breasts and let them rest for 10 minutes so they finish cooking.^{[23]
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10
Serve the chicken breasts with the sauce from the dish. Transfer the chicken breasts to serving plates or a cutting board. If you like, slice the chicken breasts into strips. Pour some of the sauce that's left in the baking dish over the chicken before serving it immediately.^{[24]
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- Store the leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

Expert Q&A

Question

How can you make sure chicken cooks evenly in the oven?

Dorrenda Smith
Personal Chef
Dorrenda “Renny” Smith is a Personal Chef and the Co-Founder & CEO of The Crain Experience. With almost 15 years of experience in the food industry, she specializes in creating soul food with a healthier spin. Chef Renny and her partner provide event catering, event planning, and restaurant and food truck consultations.

Dorrenda Smith

Personal Chef

Expert Answer

When you're placing a chicken in the oven, always use a pan with a roasting rack to ensure that the chicken is heated all the way around. This will ensure the chicken cooks properly.
Question

What are some tips for making crispy deep-fried chicken?

Dorrenda Smith
Personal Chef
Dorrenda “Renny” Smith is a Personal Chef and the Co-Founder & CEO of The Crain Experience. With almost 15 years of experience in the food industry, she specializes in creating soul food with a healthier spin. Chef Renny and her partner provide event catering, event planning, and restaurant and food truck consultations.

Dorrenda Smith

Personal Chef

Expert Answer

Always make sure your grease is hot before frying your chicken. Then cook the chicken for a little bit longer than you think, and be sure not to overcrowd the pan.