If you’ve ever wondered how long to bake a chicken breast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, you’re in the right place! Get the best tried and true recipe for the easiest and juiciest baked chicken breast recipe.
This oven baked chicken breasts that are tender, juicy and flavorful – delicious as an entrée or to toss in salads, tacos and more!
It’s so easy it just takes three minutes hands-on time! Even better, it requires only staple ingredients (in addition to the chicken breast, of course!)
I’m always turning to one of my favorite easy weeknight meals – baked chicken breasts. Why? Because they are so flexible and easy to make for so many of our favorite meals when we have leftovers!
We have been making this simple recipe for years! We make this easy baked chicken breast all the time – especially during the week when we’re short on time.
Baked Chicken Breast
It’s a delicious entrée, but it also makes weekly meal prep easy. You can make oven baked chicken ahead to enjoy in several different ways throughout the week.
Why You’ll Love It
Ingredients and Substitutions
See printable recipe card for complete ingredients and instructions.
- Chicken Breasts – Choose medium-sized chicken breasts that aren’t too thick on one side. If they are, pound with a meat mallet to even them out for better cooking.
- Olive Oil – You can also use butter if you prefer.
- Seasoning – Customize this baked chicken with your favorite seasoning. You can even use a pre-packaged seasoning for a shortcut!
Variations
- I love using my very favorite poultry seasoning blend in this recipe- it adds so much incredible flavor!
- Ranch Seasoning
- Lemon Pepper Seasoning
- Italian Seasoning Recipe
- Fiesta Ranch
- Fajita Seasoning
- Blackened Seasoning
How to Bake a Chicken Breast at 400
- Prep – Preheat oven. Coat your chicken in olive oil (no need to marinate) and place in a baking dish.
- Season – Sprinkle your favorite spices or seasonings on both sides of your chicken breast. You can even go simple with just salt and pepper if you prefer.
- Bake – Uncovered, as directed.
- Rest, Slice and Serve – Pull your chicken out of the oven and allow it to rest. Slice, dice or shred, and serve as suggested below.
Free Printable Meat Temperature Chart
Get the free printable Meat Temperature Chart to ensure your chicken is cooked properly based on the cooking method and meat you select.
Tips
- This recipe is for chicken breasts that are approximately an inch thick. Depending on the thickness, you may need to add on a few extra minutes of cooking time.
- Rest time is very important. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes after removing from the oven! It will continue to cook, sealing in the moisture.
- Use a meat tenderizer to pound the chicken if one side of the chicken is thicker than the other side. This should help it cook more evenly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Coming in at just 271 guilt-free calories it’s my go to, especially during swimsuit season.
We enjoy baked chicken breast on a bed of pasta, on tacos, in taco salad, with a side of vegetables, on salad and more! It’s the most versatile recipe and can be easily adapted with your favorite seasoning.
Side Dishes for Chicken
- Consider a wholesome, homemade side dish like Gratin Dauphinois.
- Bacon Mac and Cheese
- Roasted Italian Veggies
- Pasta is great with baked chicken – it’s so good with this White Wine Sauce.
- Salad – try with Cilantro Lime Dressing
Leftover Ideas
Use this baked chicken in this easy Chicken Wrap, make a Taco Salad or add to Cheese Quesadillas. We also love this baked chicken for Chicken Tacos!
How to Store
- At Room Temperature – Don’t leave your baked chicken out at room temperature for more than two hours while serving.
- Refrigerate – This baked chicken breast can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to three days. Use an airtight container for storage.
- Freeze – Allow chicken to cool. Place whole chicken breasts, chopped chicken, or shredded chicken into airtight storage containers or freezer bags. Label and then freeze. Keep frozen for up to 4-6 months.
Reheat
- Let thaw in refrigerator and then reheat in oven or skillet.
- To keep chicken moist, let simmer in a covered skillet or covered pan in the oven with a few tablespoons of chicken stock.
More Chicken Dishes You'll Love
Baked Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉.
- In a baking dish, brush both sides of chicken breast with olive oil and sprinkle on seasoning.
- Bake 20 minutes uncovered. Remove from oven.
- Allow chicken to rest for 10 minutes to continue to cook. Slice or dice.
Julie’s Tips
Tips
- This recipe is for chicken breasts that are approximately an inch thick. Depending on the thickness, you may need to add on a few extra minutes of cooking time.
- Rest time is very important. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes after removing from the oven! It will continue to cook, sealing in the moisture.
- Use a meat tenderizer to pound the chicken if one side of the chicken is thicker than the other side. This should help it cook more evenly.
For Seasoning
Use any of your favorite seasoning packets or make your own from one of these fabulous homemade seasoning blends!Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
Hi! Do you know what size staub pan you used here. I recently stocked up on all of the amazing staub deals on their cast iron this past holiday season and I am wanting to order some of their ceramic baking dishes as well. The sizes seem a bit smaller than the glass bakeware I have been using for years. The size pan you used here look perfect. Thank you!
I am SO sorry for the delay in response, I totally missed it. It is a bit smaller but I find myself using it much more frequently than I do the larger dishes. It’s 9.9 x 6.7 You can find it here. Enjoy!
I love this simple baked chicken recipe!!! ย Food doesnโt need to be complicated to be good!
So true! Glad you enjoyed it!
Julie, why do I always try new recipes when we are having guests? ย I say, โdonโt do it, you just donโt know how it will turn outโ…my confidence was in your reputation and previous recipes that I know to be a winner every time. The baked chicken turned out moist and delicious, as stated, ย and several asked for the recipe. I printed out a few extra copies just in case.ย
Thank you,
Raina
You’re hilarious, Raina! I do the same. I appreciate your confidence in me and am so glad you enjoyed the baked chicken as well! I use it for EVERYTHING! It’s so easy to mix it up with different seasonings. Hope your summer is off to a great start!
Where is the pinterest button?
I’m sorry, having some issues with it and working to get it resolved asap! Thanks for your patience.
Hi Julie! I wanted to thank you for this super simple, great recipe. I make chicken all the time in a million different ways, with various results. I was very skeptical that this higher heat and less cooking time would work, but last night with a few chicken breasts ready to cook I decided to follow this recipe, including the 10 minutes rest (which we never do). It was fantastic! My husband and 3 teenagers all commented on how delicious and tender it was and they gobbled it all up. Thank you again, Julie, and keep up the great work!
Oh Linda, thank you so much for sharing – I couldn’t agree more, but it means so much that you took the time to share. It’s an easy to tweak recipe, too!