Baking juicy chicken at home has never been easier than with this garlic herb chicken breast recipe.
I’ve had my fair share of thin sliced chicken breast recipes (oven baked) that lead to dry chicken, or meat that’s tough. Keep reading to learn how this simple recipe results in juicy chicken breasts baked at home every time.
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Oven Baked Garlic Herb Chicken Breast Ingredients:
Boneless skinless chicken breasts are an easy way to keto meal prep for the week. Whether you want to chop the meat up for a chicken salad, or you’re in search of a quick and easy chicken recipe for dinner – you’re in the right place!
The main ingredients for this juicy baked chicken breast recipe include 3-4 boneless chicken breasts, olive oil, water, salt, and your preferred seasoning for chicken.
My favorite blend of seasoning for the best chicken includes garlic powder, thyme, paprika, salt and black pepper. Feel free to swap Italian Seasoning for thyme, and chili powder for paprika if you want to mix this simple seasoning recipe up. Onion powder is another great addition to most chicken spice mixes.
If you prefer spicy chicken, try a a pinch of cayenne pepper or a spicy creole seasoning mix. You can even use your favorite taco seasoning for an easy recipe that’s oozing with Mexican flavor.
How to Make the Juiciest Chicken Breast:
Chicken Meal Prep:
Start by combining the salt and cold water in a bowl to create the brine. Add the chicken into the salt water mixture. Allow it to soak in the fridge for 10 – 30 minutes.
While you wait for the chicken to brine, you can mix the oil and spices into a paste and set aside. If you use olive oil, don’t use extra virgin olive oil, as it has a very low smoke point. Instead, use a light olive oil, or even avocado oil.
When you’re ready to remove the chicken from the fridge, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
While various sources argue a lower cooking temperature is better, a higher temperature decreases the opportunity for your meat to dry out. You’ll also have a juicy dinner on the table in less time.
The cook time also depends on the thickness of the chicken breasts. If a piece of chicken is too thick, you can slice it in half to create chicken cutlets. You can also use a meat mallet to pound the chicken to create an even thickness.
Uneven chicken results in a longer cooking time, which could dry out parts of your chicken – so try to make the chicken breasts as even as possible.
Once the chicken is ready, remove it from the brine and pat both sides dry with a few paper towels. If you allowed the chicken to brine for longer than 30 minutes, you may need to rinse the chicken before drying.
For best results, wait another 20 – 30 minutes before baking the chicken since chicken cooks best at room temperature.
Bake the Chicken:
Once the chicken is dry, and the olive oil and spices are mixed, brush the oil onto each chicken breast. You can use a basting brush, or rub chicken breasts with your hands to ensure both sides of the chicken breast are liberally coated.Β
Then add the chicken into a glass baking dish or sheet pan. Keep the chicken breasts close together, but only in a single layer.
Bake until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. This should take approximately 15-18 minutes at 450 degrees F. Use a meat thermometer or an instant read thermometer to determine when the chicken is ready.
Finally, remove the chicken from the oven and allow it to rest for at least 5-10 minutes. This step helps seal in the juices.
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Low Carb Chicken Breast Recipes Boneless Chicken Tips:
Follow these simple steps when it comes to keeping thin chicken breasts nice and juicy:
Brine before you bake chicken breasts: To boost the natural flavor and moisture, place chicken breasts in a mixture of cold water and salt for 10 – 30 minutes prior to baking. Keep chicken refrigerated while brining. This step results in tender chicken that is neither tough, nor dry.
A good brining ratio includes 1/4 cup of salt for every quart (4 cups) of water. You can get away with half of this ratio if following this recipe.
Cook chicken that’s at room temperature: If you came here in search of instructions for how to cook frozen chicken without thawing, I want to warn you that’s not the best way to cook chicken since that method results in dry and tasteless meat. For best results, let the chicken rest on the counter for 20 – 30 minutes prior to baking.
Coat the chicken before baking: Always coat the chicken in the spice and oil mixture before baking. This helps seal in the flavor and provides the chicken a nice crust to hold in the juices.
Allow the chicken to rest: Immediately slicing the chicken could result in dry chicken since the juices you worked so hard to preserve will come spilling out. Allow the chicken to rest for at least 5-10 minutes. You can cover with aluminum foil to retain the heat while you wait.
Slice against the grain: This will result in the most tender cut. Use a sharp knife for easy slicing.
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Juicy Chicken Breasts FAQ:
Cook time depends on both the cooking temperature used, as well as the size of the chicken breasts. Since a high temperature keeps chicken juicy, I recommend a cooking temp between 425 – 450 degrees F.
18 – 25 minutes
400 Degrees F: 20 – 30 minutes
375 Degrees F: 25 – 35 minutes
350 Degrees F: 30 – 40 minutes
Yes, this recipe is also great with chicken thighs. Chicken thighs could be a good choice if you don’t have time to brine since they contain more fat, which means they are more flavorful.
Yes, but keep in mind the baking time will be reduced since chicken tenders are smaller.
No, but not following through with this step could result in dry or tough meat.
My favorite low carb side dishes for a complete meal include creamy garlic green beans or cauliflower mac and cheese. Whether they follow a low carb diet or not, your whole family will love these flavorful keto side dishes.
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Of course, cilantro lime cauliflower rice is another great recipe that’s a family favorite and goes well with chicken.
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Sweet potatoes are a great side dish if you don’t follow a low carb plan, or even if you’d like to add a carb up day to ramp up your fat burning on keto.
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The Garlic Herb Chicken Breast Wrap Up:
Whether you’re looking for an easy weeknight meal, or simple keto meal prep – this thin sliced chicken breast recipe results in flavorful chicken breast baked in the oven every time.
Keep this easy oven baked chicken recipe handy since if you’re anything like me, it will become a weekly go-to recipe. Please share with your friends on social media too.
Keep scrolling for the full recipe card and nutrition information.
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Thin Sliced Chicken Breast Recipes Oven Baked
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More Fat Burning Recipes from Eating Fat is the New Skinny:
Garlic Butter Chicken Fajitas
Keto Cheesy Bacon Chicken
Keto Chicken Tenders
Garlic Herb Baked Chicken
A juicy baked chicken recipe that’s great for keto meal prep, and also makes a quick and easy high protein dinner. Swap the chicken spice mix with your favorite spices to keep this simple chicken recipe interesting.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Keto Lunch / Dinner Recipe
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Keto / Low Carb / High Protein
- Diet: Diabetic
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs chicken
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil or Avocado Oil (not extra-virgin)
- 1 tsp Garlic powderΒ
- Β½ tsp ThymeΒ
- Β½ tsp PaprikaΒ
- Β½ tsp Sea SaltΒ
- Β½ tsp Black PepperΒ
For Brining:
- 2 tbsp salt
- 2 cups cold water
Instructions
- Start by brining the chicken: pour water into a bowl and stir in salt. Add the chicken into the water and place in the fridge for 10-30 minutes.
- If you have thick chicken breasts, slice in half to create chicken cutlets. This will reduce cooking time.Β
- Next, mix the olive oil with the spices in a small bowl into a paste. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Then remove chicken from the brine and pat dry with a paper towel. Allow the chicken to sit out while the oven heats up so it comes to room temperature.
- Brush oil mixture onto thinly sliced chicken breast. Coat both sides until well coated and place into the baking dish.
- Bake for approximately 15 – 20 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.Β
- Remove chicken from the oven. Allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes to seal in the juices.
Notes
- Cook chicken at a higher temperature so it doesn’t dry out.
- Baste the chicken with the juices halfway through cooking for even juicier chicken.
- Coat the chicken liberally with the oil and spice paste to lock the juices inside.
- It’s imperative to allow chicken to rest after cooking for best results.Β
- Keep chicken in fridge while brining to avoid harmful bacteria.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 359
- Sugar: .1
- Sodium: 151.2
- Fat: 14.5
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Trans Fat: .2
- Carbohydrates: 1
- Fiber: .3
- Protein: 52.8
- Cholesterol: 144.6
Keywords: thin sliced chicken breast recipes oven, thin sliced chicken breast recipes, low carb chicken breast recipes boneless
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