Flavorful and Juicy Baked Chicken Breasts

I’m going to show you my secrets for the most flavorful and juicy baked chicken breasts. To avoid super dry chicken breasts, here’s the one thing you should do before cooking them.

Why You’ll Love This

Flattening the chicken is the perfect way to prevent moisture loss so you have super juicy pieces.

This is my go-to seasoning mix that turns bland pieces of chicken into super tasty pieces and it’s really easy to prepare.

Dried spices and herbs are a concentrating flavor so a little bit goes a long way.

The fat in the oil is also going to promote mailer branding, which is going to create hundreds of new flavors on the surface of the chicken.

Another benefit to using a baking sheet is that the shorter sides allow more air to circulate for even cooking and it cooks it a little bit quicker.

Wow, the pieces look super juicy and tender.

Resting allows the flavorful juices to redistribute into the muscle fibers that’s locked into the food instead of all over the cutting board and on your plate.

Meal prepping chicken breasts can save you time throughout the week and ensures that you have a healthy and protein-packed meal.

Wow, this mushroom sauce is going to be amazing with the chicken.

This easy baked chicken for us. It’s super easy to customize and add your own twists.

Ingredients

• chicken breasts
• 3 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons sweet or smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of onion powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• some olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 teaspoons of minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon of chopped rosemary
• 1 teaspoon of chopped thyme
• 4 cups of sliced mushrooms (creamy)
• 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
• 2 teaspoons of soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup of butter
• 1/4 cup of flour
• unsalted chicken stock (about 2 cups)

Instructions

1. Use a paper towel to dry the excess moisture off the surface.
2. Working one at a time, place it in a large resealable plastic bag.
3. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound the chicken.
4. You want the pieces to be a little bit less than 3/4 inch thick.
5. If you have to pick up really thick pieces over 10 ounces in size at the grocery store, you need to cut them in half first.
6. Using a really sharp chef’s knife, boning knife, or filet knife, start at the thicker end.
7. Gently place your hand on top and cut down lengthwise until you reach the tapered end.
8. This gives two even-sized cutlets.
9. Add the cutlet to the plastic bag and flatten it out just so that it’s an even thickness.
10. Just whisk this all together.
11. Brush some olive oil on the surface of each side of the chicken breasts.
12. Sprinkle about a half to one teaspoon per side, depending on how savory you like it.
13. Flip the pieces over and season the other side.
14. Line a large sheet pan with foil.
15. Drizzle some olive oil onto the foil.
16. Transfer the chicken breasts to the sheet pan.
17. Bake the chicken at 425 degrees.
18. The chicken is ready when it reaches between 160 to 165 degrees.
19. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for five minutes before slicing.
20. Add the chicken to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to five days.
21. In a piece of plastic wrap, store in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag for up to four months, then defrost before using.
22. To reheat the meals, just cover and microwave on the high setting in 15 to 30 second increments till hot.
23. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then add two tablespoons of olive oil.
24. Saute until lightly golden brown, about three to four minutes.
25. Add two teaspoons of minced garlic.
26. Add one teaspoon of chopped rosemary and one teaspoon of chopped thyme.
27. Saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
28. Add four cups of sliced mushrooms.
29. And a half teaspoon of kosher salt.
30. Quarter teaspoon of black pepper.
31. Saute until the mushrooms are tender.
32. Add two teaspoons of soy sauce and two teaspoons of balsamic vinegar.
33. Stir and cook for one minute.
34. Transfer the cooked mushrooms to a bowl so that we can cook the roux.
35. Add a quarter cup of butter and a quarter cup of flour.
36. Whisk to combine and cook until the roux is a golden color.
37. Gradually whisk in some unsalted chicken stock until it’s nice and thick.
38. Add back the mushrooms.
39. Add a generous amount of the sauce on top.

Cooking Tips

If you don’t have a mallet, you could also use a rolling pin or the bottom of a heavy pan.

If you do purchase these really large chicken breasts, you only need to buy two since you’re cutting them into two portions each.

It’s really easy to customize this seasoning mix.

If you want to go with a spicier Cajun flavor, try adding some oregano, thyme, and chili pepper like cayenne powder.

Try adding some ground mustard for pungency or ginger or for earthiness, coriander, and cumin.

To add a little sweetness, try some brown sugar and for warm spices, cinnamon and allspice.

If you’re not using the seasoning blend right away, don’t worry, just store in an airtight container for about two weeks.

This adds flavor and it protects the meat from drying out because it creates a lipid barrier preventing moisture loss.

I like to start up high so that you get even coating on each side.

The paprika in the seasoning mix is going to add a nice red hue to the chicken.

When the dried herbs and spices come in contact to the fat in the olive oil, it’s going to help draw out the fat-soluble flavor molecules so you have a more delicious piece of chicken.

I found this is the easiest method for cleanup.

You could also use a large baking dish if you’d like.

It’s been baking for about 14 to 17 minutes, depending on the thickness.

Sometimes chicken tastes tough and we think we overcooked it, but maybe we just weren’t slicing it the right way.

What makes slicing chicken a little bit tricky is that the muscle fibers don’t run in the same direction.

How you cut the meat is going to impact the tenderness of the chicken.

You can really see the way the grains run when you shred a piece of cooked chicken.

To break down the strands of muscle fiber so that the chicken tastes really tender, we’re going to cut against the grain.

You could slice the chicken straight down 100% against the grain, but I like to go at a slight angle. This ensures that you have some chew and the meat doesn’t just fall apart.

I used about two cups of stock to thicken the sauce, but you can add more to thin if you’d like.

Serving Suggestions

Now you can serve the chicken as is or slice it up.

To make a complete meal that you can just grab and reheat during the week, try adding some brown rice and vegetables or mashed potatoes and green beans.

I love steamed broccoli, also paired with your favorite type of rice.

To make a gourmet chicken dinner, let’s make a mushroom sauce.

Dinner’s ready.

I have all of the recipes for the side dishes.