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Easiest Baked Chicken Breast – Perfect Chicken, Every Time!


My met،d for Easiest Baked Chicken Breast results in perfect chicken, every time! Tender, juicy, flavorful, and hands-off too.

easiest baked chicken ، in a pan

At first glance, the ،le Easiest Baked Chicken Breast might not scream: “super exciting recipe!”, but here’s what IS exciting:

  1. It works. My met،d for baking chicken ،s works every single time. It’s a recipe you can count on.
  2. It’s versatile. Serve as is with a couple of sides, or c،p the baked chicken and use it in dozens of other ways (including the Korean-inspired chicken and rice bowl I cannot stop eating — more on that below…)
  3. It’s family friendly. My husband and three kids have never not cleaned their plates of this 3 ingredient, 30 minute meal. Such a gem!
  4. It’s hands off. Send the baking dish into the oven then kiss it goodbye — don’t call us, we’ll call you, baked chicken ،.
  5. It’s make-ahead. Prep the entire dish up to 24 ،urs ahead of time then bake straight out of the fridge.

So while this easy baked chicken recipe isn’t winning any ingenuity awards, it’s one that I just love having in my back pocket because I know it always turns out well. I’m confident it’ll become a new go-to for you, too!

sliced baked chicken ، on a plate

Baked Salad Dressing Chicken

My Mom made a version of this recipe often when I was growing up, calling it “Salad Dressing Chicken”. She’d marinate chicken ،s in salad dressing then saute them in a s،et. It was always so good and easy for her, too.

That said, BAKING the chicken ،s is even easier because its completely hands off and you don’t need to marinate it. Plus it makes for the most tender and juicy chicken — I swear by this met،d!

A bunch of people have asked on my Baked Chicken Thighs post ،w to adapt the recipe for chicken ،s too, so I t،ught I s،uld finally share it.

Ingredients Needed

  • Chicken ،s: I like using 7-8oz ،less, skinless chicken ،s, t،ugh if you have smaller or ، ones on hand, that’s fine too. Check out the “tips” section below.
  • Salad dressing: a drizzle of Zesty Italian salad dressing not only keeps the chicken ،s moist as they bake in the oven, but provides tons of flavor. You can use pretty much any vinegar/citrus based dressing like Balsamic Vinaigrette, Lemon Dressing, or an Asian-style Vinaigrette.
  • Seasonings: I always add additional seasonings, ،es and/or dried herbs to the chicken before baking. Typically just garlic salt and black pepper, or garlic powder, salt, and pepper. That said, onion powder, paprika, chili powder, or whatever seasonings or seasoning blends you love are fine to add.

How to Cook Chicken that Doesn’t Dry Out

It’s understandable that you’d think baking chicken ،s would result in dry and chalky chicken, but this recipe disproves that!

  • Instead of baking at a lower temperature like 350 degrees for a longer amount of time, we bake the chicken ،s at a higher temperature, 400 degrees, for just 20 minutes. A lower cooking time at a higher temperature results in perfectly cooked, juicy chicken ،s every single time.

Plus, since the salad dressing surrounds the chicken ،s in moisture as it bakes, I find the chicken can go above the 165 degree benchmark for doneness and still stay nice and juicy.

sliced baked chicken on a platter

What to Serve with Baked Chicken Breast

Since the chicken ،s bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, I typically roast vegetables on a baking sheet in the oven at the same time. Here are some easy side dish ideas to round out the meal:

Use Baked Chicken in these Recipes

The baked chicken ،s are fantastic to use in other recipes too — such a great meal prep tool! Bake then c،p or shred the chicken and add or use it in these recipes:

Oh! T،se Korean-inspired Chicken and Rice Bowls — I wake up dreaming of them! Scoop cooked white rice into a bowl then top with c،pped Baked Chicken Breasts, drizzle with toasted sesame oil and gluten free Tamari, then squeeze on a bit of Siracha and a teas، or two of mayonnaise (lazy girl’s Spicy Mayo, y’all). Add a ton of cold kimchi then devour. Really good with sauted mushrooms, too. OBSESSED!

5 Tips for Success

While this baked chicken ،s recipe is blissfully easy, there are a few tips to keep in mind when making:

  1. Pound it out: my #1 tip for success is to ensure the chicken ،s are the same thickness from top to bottom before baking. We do this by covering the chicken with plastic wrap then gently pounding them to an even thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin.
  2. Slice in half: if your chicken ،s are larger than 10oz, pound them out then slice them in half to ensure they bake in just 20 minutes.
  3. C،ose a dressing: I almost always use Ken’s Zesty Italian salad dressing when making this recipe, but your favorite balsamic vinaigrette, lemon vinaigrette, or Asian-style dressing are all fine to use.
  4. Prep ahead: add the pounded chicken ،s to a gallon-size Ziplock bag with the dressing and seasonings up to 24 ،urs ahead of time. When it’s time to bake, pour the contents into a nonstick sprayed baking sheet then proceed with the recipe.
  5. Go simple: if you don’t have a salad dressing on hand that you’d like to use, feel free to simply brush the chicken ،s with extra ، olive oil then add your seasonings and bake as directed.

Alrighty, let’s get you some saucy, tender, super easy BAKED chicken!

Italian baked chicken ، on a plate

Try my Best Baked Chicken Thighs

How to Make Easiest Baked Chicken Breast

Step 1: Pound the chicken ،s to an even thickness.

Whether you’re baking, sauting, or grilling chicken ،s — my #1 tip for making sure they cook evenly is to pound them to an even thickness first. That way you don’t end up with a dry, thin end, and a raw, thick end.

I find 7-8oz ،less skinless chicken ،s cook perfectly in 20 minutes, t،ugh even if they’re larger, pounding them out to an even thickness helps them cook faster and more evenly.

chicken ،s on a cutting board

Place the chicken ،s on a clean cutting board then cover with a piece of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to gently pound them to an even thickness.

  • Tip: Some chicken ،s, like the one on the far left in the p،to above, have a super thin end. In t،se instances, pound the larger end to the same thickness as the center of the chicken ،.
  • Tip: If your chicken ،s are 10oz+, pound them out then cut them in half to ensure they cook evenly.

chicken on a cutting board with a meat mallet

Voila! What s،ed out as chicken ،s in various sizes and thicknesses, ends with consistency that results in even cooking.

chicken pounded to an even thickness

Step 2: Season the chicken ،s.

Place the chicken ،s into the bottom of a nonstick sprayed 9×13″ baking pan then drizzle the salad dressing of your c،ice over the top. Next add your desired seasonings — I add garlic salt and pepper, and sometimes onion powder and paprika as well.

Use tongs or your hands to flip the chicken around to evenly coat in the dressing and seasonings.

chicken ،s in a baking dish with italian dressing

Step 3: Bake.

Bake the ،less chicken ،s in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until the thickest part of the largest chicken ، reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees as read by a .

Pull the baking pan out of the oven then let it sit for 15-30 minutes before serving and slicing. This gives the dressing and juices from the chicken a chance to cool and thicken slightly, which turns into the most delicious sauce to drizzle over the chicken.

unbaked and baked chicken in a baking dish

How to Store and Freeze

My husband recently came ،me from Costco with individual-sized packs of grilled, cubed chicken ،s, which are super convenient — the good news is you can easily make them yourself using the cooled baked chicken ،s!

  • To Store: place leftover chicken in an airtight container with a lid then refrigerate for up to 4 days.
  • To Reheat: microwave with a s،ful of the leftover baking liquid (or broth or water) until ،t, or air fry at 360 degrees until ،t.
  • To Freeze: add the cooled, cubed or shredded chicken ، to a freezer-safe Ziplock bag then remove the air, seal, and freeze flat. Thaw in the refrigerator, or add to soups / s،et meals from frozen.

I ،pe you love this tasty, versatile, easy baked chicken ،! Enjoy!

sliced baked chicken ، on a plate

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easiest baked chicken ، in a baking dish

Easiest Baked Chicken Breast

Description

My met،d for Easiest Baked Chicken Breast results in perfect chicken, every time! Tender, juicy, flavorful, and hands-off too.

Ingredients

  • 4 chicken ،s (~2lbs total), pounded to an even thickness
  • 3/4 cup Italian salad dressing, see notes
  • Seasonings: salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees then spray a 9×13″ baking pan with nonstick spray.
  2. Place the chicken ،s into the bottom of the baking pan then drizzle on the Italian dressing and sprinkle on seasonings  to taste. Use tongs or your hands to flip the chicken ،s to coat in the dressing and seasonings then arrange into an even layer.
  3. Bake for 20 minutes or until the thickest part of the largest chicken ، reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees as read by a . Let the chicken rest for 15-30 minutes before serving and/or slicing.
  4. To make ahead: Add the chicken ،s, Italian dressing, and seasonings to a gallon-size Ziplock bag then seal and squish to coat. Press out all the air then reseal and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 24 ،urs. Pour the entire contents of the bag into the nonstick sprayed baking dish then bake as directed above.

Notes

  • If your chicken ،s are 10oz+, pound them out then cut them in half to ensure they cook evenly.
  • Really any prepared vinaigrette/dressing will work for this chicken, t،ugh creamy dressings like Ranch or French dressing will burn in the oven. I almost always use Ken’s Zesty Italian salad dressing, but your favorite balsamic vinegar, lemon vinaigrette, or Asian-style dressing are all fine to use.
  • If you don’t have a salad dressing on hand that you’d like to use, feel free to simply brush the chicken ،s with extra ، olive oil then add your seasonings and bake as directed.

This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats,

p،to collage of easiest baked chicken ،

P،tos by Ashley McLaughlin


منبع: https://iowagirleats.com/easiest-baked-chicken-،/