Chicken Breasts Done Right
Jun 24, 2013
For twenty years or so, I have struggled to make chicken breasts taste good. Haven’t we all wished for chicken breasts that actually had flavor whether we needed them shredded or in chunks to use in a recipe? Boiling makes them bland, baking makes them dry. Sautéing is as close as I got.
And then I made these.
These are good for any recipe, but also oh-so-yummy just to eat plain. My family went nuts over them.
They are FANTASTIC in recipes. They are good to eat right out of the pan. Juicy and flavorful, these are chicken breast perfection.
And make them ahead and freeze them individually to pull out, thaw, and use in any recipe for which you need chicken breasts.
And super easy. It’s basically just a really good spice rub made up of the following ingredients:
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Mix them all up and rub it into both sides of 1 to 1 1/2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Heat up a skillet good and hot. I love my cast iron for this for texture and flavor, but whatever skillet you choose needs to be oven proof as well. Add in 2 T. of butter or coconut oil and brown the chicken for about 2-3 minutes per side. It will be beautifully golden.
Put the whole hot skillet full of super hot chicken striaght into the oven and let it bake for 25 minutes. Depending on the thickness of the chicken, 25 minutes should be just about right, but do check the internal temperature making sure it’s at least 165 degrees. Try not to cut into to them too much and release all the yummy juices.
Let the cooked meat rest for about ten minutes before shredding, or dicing, or eating.
And, there ya go! Perfect chicken!
For ease of preparation, I make up several batches of the spice rub ahead of time and keep it in a spice container in my cupboard for anytime I need to quickly make up some chicken.
- 1-1½ lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. pepper
- ½ tsp. paprika (sometimes I used smoked paprika)
- ½ tsp. onion powder
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- 2 T. butter or coconut oil
- Mix all the seasonings in a bowl, and rub all of the spices into the boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat a skillet nice and hot (I love cast iron), and add in 2 T. coconut oil. Sear the chicken on both sides just until golden brown.
- Put the entire skillet full of browned chicken in the hot oven and let it bake for 25 minutes. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before shredding, dicing or eating.
Total recipe credit belongs to this woman whose recipe changed chicken forever. Thanks for that.
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Thank you so much for this recipe, it was so delicious and juicy! The best chicken breasts I’ve ever made
Happy dance happening here! :o) Thank you so much for your lovely comment! I am so so happy to hear that you enjoy this chicken as much as we do! Hope you are able to try more of my recipes and have such success!
My favorite part about this recipe is that the seasonings are equal parts, and therefore it requires no math to make up a whole jar of this rub! And and after making two family packs of this chicken, freezing some & using later as suggested, that’s exactly what I did tonight!!
I can already tell this is a lifesaving post. Bless you!
YES, yes, yes, Alyssa! This one flies under radar a bit as it’s not fancy or showy, but BOY, is it tasty! And by golly, it’s easy!! I’m thrilled that you found it and even more thrilled that you love it. Thanks once again, for stopping by with such kind words! :o)
These chicken breasts are amazing! So flavorful and moist. I used coconut oil which adds a unique flavor. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Cathy! Thank you so much!! My husband just said again tonight that these are his favorite. They turn out perfect every time. Thanks for the kind words. :o) Hope you find more food to love on my site.
These are my absolute FAVORITE!!! I really don’t like cooking chicken breasts Amy other way! Super easy, so flavorful and juicy. I love the sear you get on the outside as well. I serve them by themselves with different sides but I also love to cut them up warm and add them to my salads.
Hi, Angie! Yours is the kind of comment I love! You nailed all the reasons why I, too, love and make Chicken Breasts Done Right. In fact, just tonight, I made some quick Pesto Cream Pasta and pulled a couple of these chicken breasts that I had previously made and frozen and added them to it! YUM!! They are easy and flexible, and I’m thrilled that you love them! Thanks so much for stopping by! Hope you find lots more to love on TWN!!
[…] of a bowl with a fork! Whatever floats your boat, I suppose. It would be delightful served over Chicken Breasts Done Right, and outstanding on Pork […]
Although you don’t mention in the recipe, isn’t it best to cover the chicken while it’s baking so that the breasts do not dry out? I covered them. They smell wonderful! Thanks for the recipe.
Hi, Kim! Don’t they just smell the best? :o) No, I don’t cover them and they always turn out moist and delicious. I hope you loved them! Thanks for stopping by.
[…] to taste. I love this with Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders, Not Your Momma’s Meatloaf, or Chicken Breasts Done Right. See what you […]
The evening I tried these I may or may not have eaten dinner right out of the skillet….at the stove. No plate. No sides. Just 2 of these goodies. The best chicken ever. The coconut oil and spices together = amazingness.
Hey there, Corrine! Thank you for the compliments! It is so good and so juicy, isn’t it? One of my daughters asked for it for her birthday which still surprises me because it’s kind of *just* chicken breasts. But they’re so full of flavor that it really is understandable. Did you use refined (no flavor) or unrefined (tastes like coconut) oil? Just curious. :o)
I used unrefined coconut oil and REALLY enjoyed the subtle flavor with the perfect seasoning blend. So, so good!
[…] to be quicker, I often use this recipe for perfect chicken breasts and just shred one or two up and add it to the […]
[…] and share, or you can just eat it for dinner yourself. It’s especially nice if you have a chicken breast lying around waiting to be used or made ahead in the freezer and waiting for just this type of […]