Making a high protein balanced meal which is aligned with your fitness goals has never been easier than this quick & simple oven baked chicken breast!
Being committed to a lifelong fitness journey comes with its unique challenges, one of which is definitely maintaining a long list of high protein meals that aren’t too complicated to make!
And add to the above the pressure of your daily life, your commitment to your job & family and things quickly become a whirlwind of priorities where our own need for balanced meals takes a back seat!
And this is not a gender issue; this is how life happens!
While I am figuring out how to best play this game called life, I am also trying to be of minimal help to all my fellow adults by sharing quick & easy to make recipes such as this simple yet delish oven baked chicken breast which will fit into your busy day seamlessly!
Why must you try this simple oven baked chicken breast?
If you too are struggling to balance between your professional commitment and fitness commitment and facing real challenges with time management just like me & many others in our tribe, then welcome to adulting!
I know that things can be real tough at times when you become almost clueless what to prioritize and what not to!
“Shall I continue working on this project because the deadline is tomorrow or shall I take a 30-minute break now to make myself a good nutritious meal in order to ensure a seamless supply of energy for true productive outcomes?”
More often than not we come face to face with such a dilemma! I know because I have been there and I still continuously find myself in similar circumstances every week.
Since I now know that this is going to be a repeating situation, I keep a list of super-quick recipes handy which I can make without any effort from my grey cells!
And this oven baked chicken breast is one of the top 5 recipes in that list! Not only super-quick, this is super-fun to make & super-tasty to relish!
This baked chicken breast will take the stress out of your meal prep from your hectic weekday schedule simply because this recipe doesn’t require any chopping and prepping whatsoever!
And now you know why you must try this!
Ingredients for oven baked chicken breast
Chicken breast: The best source of lean protein for the meat eaters is undoubtedly chicken breasts. And that’s exactly why I love this recipe of oven baked chicken breast!
Chicken breasts can sometimes be tricky to cook as you need to hit the sweet spot of cooking it completely removing any rawness while also maintaining the softness & juiciness of the meat.
That’s where this recipe shines and you get the tender-most and super-succulent baked chicken breast every single time!
Extra-virgin olive oil: A good quality olive oil will ensure that the flavors from the aromatics, herbs and spices are carried to the meat and transform it to something incredibly delicious!
Aromatics: A generous amount of garlic powder will impart appetizing flavors to the otherwise bland chicken breasts. Also add onion powder to add more punch to it!
Herbs: The amazing deliciousness of this baked chicken breast comes from the most flavorful and most popular herb in the culinary world – thyme!
Use a good amount of this dried herb and you will have the best baked chicken breast that you have ever made!
Spices: I love a good yet subtle touch of spiciness on any of my meat recipes which is why I added a dash of paprika or our good old Kashmiri chilli powder.
It not only adds an almost imperceptible hint of heat but also a crave-worthy vibrant color!
Seasoning: Add salt & pepper as per your liking to ensure the taste of the spice mix is fully extracted making your baked chicken breast absolutely irresistible!
How to make oven baked chicken breast?
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 220 C / 425 F and place the oven rack at the centre of the oven.
Pro tip: Yes, the baking temperature is quite high and that’s exactly the reason why this oven baked chicken breast is magical and not ordinary!
The hot oven cooks the breasts quickly while also retaining their moisture and tenderness. I was very pleasantly surprised how juicy this simple oven baked chicken breast turned out!
Step 2: In a small bowl, add all the dry ingredients – garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, chilli powder/paprika, salt and pepper. Give a good mix to evenly distribute all spices.
Step 3: Spray oil over a baking sheet that you will be using to bake your chicken breasts. This will prevent any sticking.
Step 4: Wash and pat dry the chicken breasts. Then place them on a cutting board and using a meat mallet (or with the back of a heavy spoon) pound the thicker side of the breast gently.
Don’t be too harsh while pounding; gentle pounding for a few times will do the trick and flatten the chicken breasts making them of equal thickness all over.
Pro tip: Pounding the chicken breast makes it thinner and this thinness helps seasonings penetrate the meat, helps the meat cook more evenly, and lowers the risk of the meat drying out before it cooks all the way through. [source]
And I can really vouch for the difference it makes with pounding vs no-pounding!
Step 5: When you are done with pounding, place them on the greased baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil over the chicken breasts on both sides.
Step 6: Then sprinkle half of the prepared spice mix over one side of the chicken breasts; give them a good massage.
Step 7: Then flip over the chicken breasts and sprinkle the remaining spice mix on this side as well. Massage the spices well to coat each chicken breast evenly on all sides.
Step 8: Now bake the chicken breasts in the preheated oven for 16 to 18 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 70 C / 160 F.
Pro tip: The exact time required to completely cook your chicken breasts will depend on the thickness of the breasts; so I suggest you start with 15 minutes and check the doneness by poking a fork.
If the meat is completely opaque with no traces of pink and juices run clear, then it is cooked thoroughly.
If not, then add an additional couple of minutes and check again. This would avoid the overcooking of the chicken breasts and retain their tenderness.
Step 9: Take the baking sheet out of the oven and let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving to allow the juices to redistribute within the meat.
Step 10: After about 10 minutes, your oven baked chicken breast is ready to serve! You may cut the baked chicken breast into long strips before serving and you will notice how juicy & succulent they are inside!
Step 11: Enjoy the oven baked chicken breast with your favorite salad on the side and have a high protein meal which is perfectly aligned with your fitness journey!
More Delicious high protein recipes from Flavor Quotient
- High protein Chicken Kalmi Kabab
- High protein Low Calorie Chicken Burger
- High protein Broccoli Chicken Fritters
- Chicken breast - 3, skinless & boneless breasts
- Olive oil - 1 tbsp
- Garlic powder - 1 tsp
- Onion powder - 1 tsp
- Dried thyme - 2 tsp
- Red chilli powder/paprika - 1 tsp
- Salt - 1 tsp
- Black pepper - ½ tsp
- Preheat your oven to 220 C / 425 F and place the oven rack at the center of the oven.
- In a small bowl, add all the dry ingredients - garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, chilli powder/paprika, salt and pepper. Give a good mix to evenly distribute all spices.
- Spray oil over a baking sheet that you will be using to bake your chicken breasts. This will prevent any sticking.
- Wash and pat dry the chicken breasts. Then place them on a cutting board and using a meat mallet (or with the back of a heavy spoon) pound the thicker side of the breast gently.
- Don’t be too harsh while pounding; gentle pounding for a few times will do the trick and flatten the chicken breasts making them of equal thickness all over.
- When you are done with pounding, place them on the greased baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil over the chicken breasts on both sides.
- Then sprinkle half of the prepared spice mix over one side of the chicken breasts; give them a good massage.
- Then flip over the chicken breasts and sprinkle the remaining spice mix on this side as well. Massage the spices well to coat each chicken breast evenly on all sides.
- Now bake the chicken breasts in the preheated oven for 16 to 18 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 70 C / 160 F.
- Take the baking sheet out of the oven and let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving to allow the juices to redistribute within the meat.
- After about 10 minutes, your oven baked chicken breast is ready to serve! You may cut the baked chicken breast into long strips before serving and you will notice how juicy & succulent they are inside!
- Enjoy the oven baked chicken breast with your favorite salad on the side and have a high protein meal which is perfectly aligned with your fitness journey!
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Cheesy Broccoli Chicken Fritters | High Protein Chicken Fritters for Weight Loss Dinner
High Protein Air Fryer Roast Chicken | Air Fryer Chicken Recipe for Weight Loss
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