March 24, 2019

by Olena

Oven Baked Chicken Breast

March 24, 2019

by Olena
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★★★★★

4.9 from 77 reviews

Healthy and juicy Baked Chicken Breast in the oven with 5 minutes of prep. This simple chicken breast recipe will become your go-to! Just like my cilantro lime chicken and baked chicken thighs.

Serve alongside quinoa or brown rice, use to make healthy chicken salad or meal prep.

Sliced baked chicken breast in a baking dish

How to Cook Chicken Breast in Oven

It’s no secret chicken is America’s most popular meat and chicken breast is the most sold cut of chicken. There is “a rumor in town” that chicken breasts are dry. And it is sort of true. So I will show you the best way how to bake healthy, juicy and flavorful chicken breast in the oven. With simple spices and no marinating.

This easy chicken breast recipe will become your favorite!

Tips for Juicy Chicken Breast:

  • Bake uncovered to avoid poached or steamed chicken.
  • Do not over bake and remove chicken from the oven when internal temperature is around 150 degrees F.
  • Let meat rest covered after baking to ensure juiciness. That’s when it will reach internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
  • Slice against the grain.
  • To save money, you can buy chicken breast with bone in and skin on. Then remove skin and save bones for soup.

sliced oven baked chicken breast on the cutting board

1. Chicken Breast Seasoning:

I’m from Ukraine where 30 traditional dishes are made with same 15 ingredients. I’m a strong believer in simple cooking. My recipe needs only a few simple spices. It’s the cooking method that makes this chicken breast the best in the world!

  • Smoked paprika
  • Dried oregano, basil or Italian seasoning
  • Garlic powder
  • Salt and pepper
  • Light olive oil or avocado oil

Tip: Use grated clove of fresh garlic instead of garlic powder. If you love garlic like me and have time. 

baked chicken breast recipe

Can I Use Regular Paprika?

There is a big difference between regular and smoked paprika. The smoky flavor. Right! Just like if you were to make my healthy barbecue sauce without the liquid smoke. It would be just a glorified ketchup. Same goes for oven baked chicken breasts. Smoked paprika adds unbelievable flavor.

You can use regular paprika but the breast wouldn’t be the same. Find smoked paprika in a supermarket near you, stock up and use up.

2. How Long to Bake Chicken Breast?

The secret to tender and juicy chicken is to bake it quickly at high temperature. Baking chicken breast at 350 or even 400 will steam it rather than bake. And produce dry meat.

Cooking time varies depending on thickness of meat. It’s very easy.

  1. Thin under 2 inches thick: Bake for 25 minutes.
  2. Thick over 2 inches thick: Bake for 35 minutes.

Or in both cases until internal temperature of 150 degrees F. Make sure to check with instant read thermometer before removing chicken breast from the oven.

Tip: Do not cover chicken during baking. Covering chicken breast during baking will result in “boiled” like chicken. 

Cooking Frozen Chicken Breast:

Follow instructions above and add extra 10 minutes to baking time. It is a loose recommendation and depending on thickness, make sure to check with meat thermometer for 150 degrees F internal temperature.

3. Let It Rest and Slice:

Remove baking dish from the oven, cover with silicone lid or foil and let chicken breast rest for 5-10 minutes. Letting meat rest and cool down a bit allows the muscle fibers to better hold onto the juice. Another secret to juicy perfectly baked chicken breasts.

Tip: Do not skip.

After resting, it’s time to cut your juicy tender chicken. Slice against the grain. Not lengthwise but crosswise. The way that makes short slices. Just watch the video. Or this is a great demo.:)

How to bake chicken breast in the oven

How Many Calories in a Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast?

I used 2 lbs or 3 large chicken breasts. There are 8 servings. 1 serving is 1/2 cup and it contains 151 calories. Please note nutritional information is estimated to serve as a guideline only.

What to Serve With Chicken Breast?

Our default is quinoa or brown rice with a version of cucumber and tomato salad depending what’s in the fridge. We are Ukrainian-Russian household, for sure.:)

If you are watching carbs, I highly recommend to try my cauliflower mashed potatoes that taste so real. Or if it’s warm enough to fire up the BBQ, try these mind blowing grilled vegetables.

how long to bake chicken breast

How to Store or Freeze Chicken Breast

Refrigerate baked chicken breast for up to 5 days in an airtight container. To keep chicken moist, slice right before serving.

Freeze cooked chicken for up to 3 months, again in an airtight container. I love glass containers because there are numerous studies on how chemicals contained in plastics are in our bloodstream. Plus so much better for the planet. I think it is best to cut, slice or shred your chicken before freezing it. It will thaw faster and you can add it to your meal right away. Frozen and thawed chicken is great to be added to casseroles.

More Healthy Chicken Breast Recipes

In case you are looking for more healthy easy chicken recipes, I got you covered!

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Baked Chicken Breast

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.9 from 77 reviews

Healthy and juicy Baked Chicken Breast in the oven with 5 minutes of prep. This simple chicken breast recipe will become your go-to!

  • Author: Olena of ifoodreal.com
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: North American
Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs boneless & skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 tbsp avocado or olive oil
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
  2. In a medium baking dish, place chicken, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with smoked paprika, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Using tongs or hands, move chicken around to coat on all sides evenly (I place bottom of breast on top of seasoned one and then swoosh around).
  3. Bake for 25 minutes (thinner) to 35 minutes (2″+) or until 150 degrees F internal temperature. Remove from the oven, cover with foil or lid, and let rest for 10 minutes for the juicies to settle (don’t skip!).
  4. Slice against the grain and serve along any side with a salad. Meal prep for the week, use in salads and casseroles.

Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Freeze: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Notes

I used 3 huge organic breasts.

You can use regular paprika, however the best chicken is with smoked one. Just buy it.:)

★ Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating in the comments.

Recipes and images are a copyright of ifoodreal.com

 

olena osipov in the studio

Hello and welcome to iFOODreal.

My name is Olena Osipov. I'm a mom to 2 boys and a wife to Alex. And this is our healthy family recipes blog. I grew up in Ukraine on real food. As an adult, I tried many diets without results. Now for over 10 years, I cook quick and easy healthy meals for my family. I can help you with “What’s for dinner?” too.

What You Will Find Here

Healthy family recipes with simple ingredients. Many are inspired by my Ukrainian heritage. I share mostly dinner recipes because it just never ends... I’m obsessed with healthy freezer meals. And more than in love with my Instant Pot.

A Little More About Me

Originally from Ukraine, I now reside on magic Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada with my family. I started this blog in 2012 when I ended up at home with 2 small kids unemployed and a wee bit chubby.

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178 comments on “Oven Baked Chicken Breast”

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  3. Love Love Love this recipe! I make it at least once a week. We have as main course, as is, the first night. Then I freeze some and make the rest in quesadillas on 2nd night! Thank you!

    ★★★★★

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    1. Thanks for the positive feedback Shan! What a great idea to cook one night and use the chicken for other meals on subsequent nights. Way to meal plan!

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  4. Hello, from Thailand! Looking forward to making this healthy meal for my boyfriend and I tomorrow for dinner along with a cucumber salad. Thank you!

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  6. Was as delicious as it was described. I am not a meat eater, but cook for others & this was well received!!

    ★★★★★

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  7. Sounds so good I’m definitely going to try this I’m trying to loose weight and I’m a very picky eater

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  8. Hello from Australia! I made this for lunch today for friends and it was absolutely delicious. I had been going to use ordinary paprik,a but your note to get the smoked paprika “just buy it!” persuaded me to get some last minute – I was very glad I did as the taste was worth it. As someone else said in the comments, I too would normally never have cooked it at such a high temperature and uncovered, but I will definitely cook chicken breast like this again 🙂

    ★★★★★

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    1. Hi Roni! Thank you for the positive feedback. I love hearing that my chicken breast recipe is being cooked all the way in Australia! So glad that you went with the smoked paprika!

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  9. Thank you! I’ve been cooking for decades and needed a refreshing idea for simple baked chicken. This recipe and your technique tips were outstanding! I’ll be making this part of my go-to dinner rotation.

    ★★★★★

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  11. WOW….we just had the most delicious dinner. I followed your ‘Baked Chicken Breast’ recipe exactly…. and it could have won a prize for being moist, awesome presentation, and very flavourful!

    I prepared a salad and steamed some baby carrots and my husband followed your recipe for baked potatoes in the Instant Pot. Another great recipe. It was a Sunday Dinner on a Thursday.

    Thank you Olena. I’m in my 70’s and done alot of cooking over the years, and I would never have cooked chicken breasts without a cover and at 450 degrees. For sure I’d have had a cover and had the oven at 325 degrees. It goes to show that with a little help one can learn at any age.

    ★★★★★

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  12. Delicious! Used Bell & Evans bone-in breasts cooked to 150 degrees & 1t minced garlic per breast with generous amounts of the seasonings. As a side, cut thick slices of green & yellow squash, tossed with EVOO & same seasonings plus caraway seeds. Covered those, cooked in oven alongside chicken dish. After chicken rested, tossed veggies in chicken drippings & served together. Quick, healthy, & scrumptious.

    ★★★★★

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  13. Was a nice change from plain baked chicken. My husband’s tastebuds are still off-kilter with seasonings, from the chemo and radiation prior to his stem cell transplant. A bit too much garlic for him, but he was able to eat it. I’m glad I Googled and chose your recipe to try. Thanks for posting it!

    ★★★★

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  20. Yummy! I added extra roasted garlic (cause we ❤ garlic!). Thanks for the covering the chicken after bake tip!

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  24. Hi Olena, l watched your video on baked chicken. It looks so yummy. I went out to my grocery store and looked for smoked paprika … hubbie said get paprika. I continued to look a d finally found it. Yeah! Making this chicken breast tonight. So very grateful. ~Joyce

    ★★★★★

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  27. Made this chicken recipe and will definitely make again. It was quick and easy and the chicken was tender and juicy. This recipe is a keeper.

    ★★★★★

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  29. Unbelievably moist and delicious. I have made this recipe several times, shared it with others, and it never fails to come out perfectly!

    ★★★★★

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  30. This is by far the best chicken recipe I’ve ever tried. I’ve made it every Sunday for the past two weeks as part of my meal prep for the week. The only thing I do differently is add a package of Italian salad dressing mix for additional flavor. Very impressed! Thank you!

    ★★★★★

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  31. I made this tonight for my family and the missionaries. This is the absolute best chicken I have ever made! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe! It’s simply amazing.

    ★★★★★

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  32. I will ALWAYS make chicken this way now, and will try many different combos of seasoning. The biggest take away from this recipe is the well made point of covering with aluminum foil and resting for 10 to even 15 minutes…sooooo moist and juicy!!!! The leftovers will be fantastic for my go to lunch salads. I ended up goofing and somehow used double the amount of spice needed
    (thinking I had twice as much chicken, but did have about 2 lbs! ) – so to fix the too much seasoning, I gave each piece a good rub and rinse under fairly warm water. Perfect save for my error. Steamed fresh carrots with buttered rice. Fabulous!!!

    ★★★★★

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  34. I’ve made this recipe several times and absolutely love it! The chicken always comes out moist and tender, and is perfect eaten alone or added to other recipes.

    ★★★★★

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  35. This receipe is on point. I used Garlic Paste instead and Parsley Flakes instead of the Oregano and it was Beautiful. Only if i could upload a picture. Mmmmmm yummy. Thanks mama Olena.

    Reply

    1. This baked chicken recipe is very versatile. You mean seasonings? It is just a well seasoned chicken like a rotisserie, for example, that goes with anything. 😉

      Reply

  39. i was looking for a way to bake chicken breasts without a lot of calories. I tried your recipe. It was delicious! So juicy. We loved it! I will certainly make it again.

    ★★★★★

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  40. All of these recipes sound wonderful. I cook dinner for two families each of 2 older adults.
    I am going to try the Baked Chicken Breast as it sounds so hood.
    Looking forward to the emails too
    Thankyou

    Reply

  42. I made this last night – my very fussy 8 year old LOVED it. I was stunned!! It was delicious and I’ll definitely be making it again!

    Reply

    1. That’s awesome! Why not? Real food is delicious. Many times all it takes is just to offer and one to try. 🙂 My kids friends come and eat and love most of our food although they never tried it before.

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      1. Baking chicken has always been my least favorite way to prepare it because it comes out so dry. Your advice of higher temp (I always cooked @ 350) for shorter time and letting it rest produced the juiciest chicken I’ve ever made! My dad said “wow!” and my kids cleared their plates. Thank you for my new menu staple!

        ★★★★★

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        1. Hi Kira! I am happy to hear that you found the recipe helpful and that your family loved it! Higher temp is the way to go for juicy chicken!

          Reply

  43. This was deliciousssss!!! This was my first time baking chicken breast and no one got salmonella! But all jokes aside best recipe for a healthy lifestyle 🙂 thank you so much for sharing this

    ★★★★★

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  46. Thank you so so much for this great recipe, Olena! It tastes so good, it changed the way I see chicken breast (I used to relate it to boring and dry diet recipes). I added some onions to the baking dish – they got all caramelized and tasted great with the chicken juices.

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  47. Perfect balance of seasoning and bake time producing tender, juicy chicken. Next batch I will try substituting Garam Masala — a favorite spice blend of my daughter.

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  49. My boyfriend absolutely despises chicken and I’m far from a fan of chicken breast. But we just started a diet together and decided we need to be more open minded. This is the first chicken breast recipe and to put it simple… this recipe is a keeper! We both have a newfound love for chicken! This recipe is simple and easy to put together and it’s beyond delicious! Thank you so much for sharing it!

    ★★★★★

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  50. Who thought chicken could be so moist! I make these up Sunday night and toss in my salad at lunch. Another staple recipe for me

    ★★★★★

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  51. Olena, in the Notes you said you used 3 huge breasts, but in actual recipe it’s 2. So does the amount of seasoning change for the 3 breasts? Thanks!

    ★★★★★

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        2. Wonderful way to prepare chicken! The coating adhered and the flavorful and juicy chicken was delicious! The directions were excellent- the tender chicken carved so easily. Loved it!

          ★★★★★

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  56. I’ve made this recipe three times with rice. The family loves it, the chicken has flavor and is not dry due to the seasons used. It a quick meal on busy week days.

    ★★★★★

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  57. I made juicy chicken and it was great. Gone in no time. I also made cucumber tomato salad to go with it. That also was excellent. Would go good with anything you put with it. Made toco shrimp. Could not stop eating it. The sauce was very creamy. Could not tell it was not full of fat.

    ★★★★

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  58. This is my go-to baked chicken breast recipe when I don’t have time to thaw them. The chicken always turns out juicy and seasoned deliciously! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.

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  59. Where has this blog been my whole life? I wish I could cook everything at once but that isn’t a sound idea. Me and my hubby have been trying to eat healthy. What brought me to your blog was your salad recipes and here I am 30 pages in and can’t stop except to comment. Thank you for your dedication and hard work! You have a new follower.

    ★★★★★

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    1. Welcome, Sana! That is so good to hear!:) Please make a few a recipes at a time (not the whole blog at once haha) and I would love to read your feedback on each of them. Be healthy!

      Reply

  60. I only added more spices and the juice left with the cooked chicken was fantastic. Possibly it was the chicken breasts themselves but as tasty as they were, they were still tough. I used Springer Farms brand skinless & boneless breasts: no GMO, antibiotics etc. I hate hard to chew chicken. Can you make a recommendation? Love your site!

    ★★★★★

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  62. I have made this several times. My family love it. I am 79 years old and love learning new tricks from young women like you.
    Love your web site and have tried many of your recipes. Thanks for teaching us old dogs new tricks.

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    1. Awe, you are so welcome! So happy to hear you are enjoying my recipes! And thanks for your kind words. Please don’t be shy to leave me a comment with a star review once you make any recipe. Have a great week!

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    2. 68 yrs old here and I agree. So glad to find Olga’s site. Just made my first recipe and learned a lot.

      ★★★★★

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  63. I like your office you seem like a person that will go far in your life i bet it is beautiful there i live in arizona it is very hot here even in the winter sometimes is warmer then normal iam originally from california and ended out here with my 5 kids i lost my husband to brain tumors hes been gone about 18 years now i think of him everyday he loved my cooking though so much for that you seem like a very nice smart women i cant wait to try your recipes have a great day

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  65. Love this recipe! Chicken is tender and juicy every time. I cook it often in the mornings and my children take fresh chicken sandwiches to school instead of deli meat!!

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  68. I love love this simple and delicious baked chicken recipe. I love smoked paprika.
    And left over chicken is great cut up and put in a fresh green salad. I give it a five star rating. Thank you!

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  70. I’m making this tonight! I’ll let you all know how it turns out!
    But just curious… do you happens to know the nutrition facts on this recipe?

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  71. So much flavor with almost no effort a only a few ingredients. Will be become a regular meal in our house.

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  72. I forgot to ask, the juice that is left after cooking the chicken is soooo good, if I wanted more of it to pour on top, would I add more oil?? It was so delicious I wish I had more.

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    1. So happy to hear, Cristina! I know, right?! I always pour some of that juice over my quinoa! I think if you add 1/2 cup water or broth to the bottom of the pan before cooking you will have more sauce. Bake uncovered. You don’t want to steam baked chicken breast in lots of liquid.

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  73. I made this today & wow, it was delicious and yet so simple to make. Super moist and tender. My chicken breasts were pretty thick so cooking at 30 minutes was actually good. Going to make this again and again… thank you for sharing!

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  74. Hi, if I use chicken thighs instead, so I use the same oven temperature, time and cover the chicken?
    Thanks

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    1. I would say to thaw one whole baked chicken breast will take 2-3 hours on a counter or overnight in the fridge. I usually thaw on a counter. Chicken is already cooked. Just make sure when freezing breasts are not in one big blob – lay them flat. This way they will thaw fast.

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  76. Thank you for the recipe, my husband and I absolutely loved it. It was so easy to prep and I’ve never baked such a tender and juicy chicken before! It’s definitely my favorite healthy chicken dish. I’m looking forward to trying more of your recipes very soon.

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    1. Oh, yay! So glad you enjoyed my baked chicken breast. Yes, “simple” is definitely the keyword to survive as life seems to get busier and busier.:)

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    1. Awesome!!! Any smoked paprika works. I prefer the one without silicone dioxide. Just fyi they put a bunch of preservatives in smoked paprika. Who would think, right?! I end up buying organic.

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  82. Thank you Olena,
    I’ve been looking for a quick healthy recipe that’s delicious and the kids love. Finally found it!

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  83. This is the best chicken breast recipe ever. Easy, delicious and juicy! We ❤️ it! It’s baking right now…

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  85. This baked chicken recipe is what I have been looking for for years! It is the most juicy, moist, flavorful baked chicken I’ve had. It tastes great reheated which makes it absolutely perfect for meal prepping! This is now a staple in our home. Can’t go wrong with this super easy recipe.

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  86. This was delish. I was skeptical but prepared and baked exactly like the recipe. Most tender and moist chicken we have had in a long time. The breasts were huge and I baked 40 minutes, let them rest for 10 minutes. Thanks, this one is a keeper.

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  88. Best, easiest and quickest way to make oven baked chicken. It’s not dried out at all and has a lot of flavour. I have made this recipe three times already, my now go to quick week night recipe. Thank you

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  91. This chicken is so flavorful and juicy. My new go to recipe for baked chicken! My husband has refused to eat baked chicken for years, but he inhaled this dish. Thank you!

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  93. Excellent chicken! Great idea. Thanks again for the recipes and clean eating principles- my energy level and positivity has increased exponentially!!
    So glad l stumbled upon your website!!

    Reply

    1. My pleasure! Eating whole foods makes a huge difference how you feel. I think I would be hybernating if I ate processed white carbs like majority of NA.

      Reply

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