Baking the chicken for a short time in a hot 450°F oven helps seal the juices, while prolonged cooking in a moderate 350°F oven can dry it out. Chicken breast is easy. I always have it on hand, and there are countless recipes where I can use it, such as pizza chicken, blackened chicken, and pesto chicken. But I usually simply bake it in the oven. And when I do, I make sure not to dry it out. The secret? I cook it for a short time at a high temperature. Baking the chicken for 30 minutes at 350°F will yield dry meat. Baking it for 20 minutes at 450°F will result in delightfully juicy chicken.
Storing Leftovers
Using the Leftovers
Recipe Card
Chicken breasts: I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts in this recipe. Olive oil: You can use olive oil spray or brush the chicken pieces with olive oil. To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and dried oregano.
Mix the spices in a small bowl. Spray or brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle them with the seasonings. Bake the chicken breasts uncovered until their internal temperature reaches 165°F. This should take about 20 minutes in a 450°F oven. Loosely cover them with foil and let them rest, then slice and serve. Look how juicy and perfect the chicken turned out! This is exactly how you want it - fully cooked and white but juicy: The photo below shows two chicken breasts I got at the grocery store. One weighs 8 ounces, and the other weighs 13 ounces. Just looking at the picture, you can tell that they would need different cooking times: So check after 20 minutes. If you need to cook them longer, loosely cover them with foil to prevent the tops from burning in the hot oven.
How to Check for Doneness
While you could cut a small slit in the thickest part of the chicken to ensure it’s cooked through, the disadvantage is that juices will escape and leave you with drier meat. That’s why the best method to check for doneness is to use an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken. Aim for an internal temperature of 165°F.
Buffalo cauliflower Carrot chips Roasted peppers Roasted broccoli stalks Eggplant chips Zucchini pizza bites Roasted zucchini Roasted yellow squash Roasted eggplant
In the photo below, you can see I used the same oven to bake the chicken and roast peppers and onions: I then served them for a delicious dinner: I like baking several chicken breasts at a time because the leftovers are incredibly versatile. I keep them in a glass food storage container, as shown in the image below: However, the leftovers can easily dry out when reheated, so I typically use them cold. They are perfect as a topping for a salad such as arugula salad, Cobb salad, or the simple salad shown in the photo below of baby spinach, tomatoes, red onions, and shaved parmesan: Apart from using the leftovers in salads, I use them in many recipes. Here are a few ideas:
Stuffed poblano peppers Enchilada casserole Chinese chicken salad Chicken chili Chicken patties Moo shu chicken
