Name: Sheet Pan Chicken Breasts
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 3 chicken breasts; 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 tsp salt; 1 tsp cracked black pepper; 1.5 tsp granulated garlic; 1 tsp dried oregano

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If you’ve ever wondered how to achieve a perfectly baked chicken breast, this is the recipe for you! We are experts in sheet pan meals and this staple Sheet Pan Chicken Breast is a recipe every home cook needs. This recipe is perfect for so many uses and meal prep alike. Perfect chicken baked on a sheet pan is one recipe you’ll make once, and use weekly, just like we do!

Sheet Pan Chicken Recipe

We are big fans of sheet pan dinners around here. We’ve used sheet pans for everything, from fajitas to BBQ dinners, to salmon and seafood. Sheet Pan Chicken Breasts are our most used recipe though! This is so simple, and the key to perfectly baked chicken is a good seasoning, and cooking them just long enough until they’re fully cooked, but not too long so they stay moist.

The key to a perfectly baked, moist & tender chicken breast is an accurate temperature reading. Use an electric meat thermometer for accuracy! Chicken is fully cooked per the FDA once it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

To make this, a sheet pan, and parchment paper.

Use parchment paper versus foil as foil perpetuates heat. Parchment allows for even heat distribution. It also is a natural non stick surface.
- You can use foil in a pinch, but spray it with nonstick.
I used a small 9×13 inch sheet pan because I only cooked 3 breasts and still had ample space.
If you’re making more chicken breasts, use a larger sheet pan.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan, you want about 1-2 inches between chicken breasts to allow them to fully cook.
- If they’re too close together, it takes longer, and that will result in a less than ideal chicken breast.

Ingredients for Baked Sheet Pan Chicken Breasts

This recipe is super customizable, so if you have a seasoning blend you like, by all means use it. We use a simple blend of spice cabinet staples to keep the natural flavor of the chicken breast the superstar of this recipe.

Chicken Breasts: Typical store-bought chicken breasts are between 5-8 ounces. I purchase my chicken breasts at Costco.
Olive Oil: This helps the seasoning stick to the chicken, and creates a slight browning to the exterior of the chicken. Rub the entire chicken breast with olive oil using clean hands.
Salt & Pepper: If you have a premade seasoning blend you like, skip this along with the garlic and oregano.
Granulated Garlic: Just a little goes a long way. Granulated onion also works in a pinch.
Oregano: For a little added flavor. You can use any dry herb you have on hand.

More Options for Seasoning Chicken Breasts (including store bought)

This recipe is more of a method than an exact science especially when it comes to the seasoning. This recipe is pretty simple which is great for meal prep, but if you want some more flavor, we’ve put together a list of our favorite chicken seasonings!

Blackening Seasoning: You can find our recipe for baked blackened chicken seasoning here! It’s got a sweet smokey flavor that is truly restaurant worthy (and also still just as easy to make as this recipe).
Dan-o’s: I’ve only tried the Original flavor but it’s great. The ingredients are whole and it has a pinch of rosemary, lemon zest, and orange zest. A giant container has lasted me over a year!
If you want to explore other store bought options, Sporked wrote an article on The Best Chicken Seasonings that is worth a read.

Play around and create your own spice mix, it’s an easy way to get creative in the kitchen with flavors.

I do recommend dried spices and herbs for this recipe (fresh can burn if baked for too long, especially with the olive oil). Here’s some ideas!

Rosemary
Thyme
Fennel
Parsley
Dill
Granulated Onion
Cumin
Cayenne Pepper
Paprika
Smoked Paprika
Citrus Zest
- Lemon
- Orange
- Lime

Baking Chicken Breasts on a Sheet Pan

Once the chicken has been seasoned, bake them in a 400 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes. Each oven can vary in temperature, so at the 15 minute mark, use an electronic meat thermometer to check the internal temperature at the thickest part of the chicken to prevent overcooking. If it’s 165, remove from the oven. If it has a ways to go, place it back in the oven in 5-7 minute intervals until it reaches 165 degrees fahrenheit.

One thing to consider when baking chicken is that chicken breasts are naturally all different sizes. If you are working with chicken breasts that are drastically different, consider pounding them with a meat tenderizer until they are roughly the same thickness (without too much pounding, we don’t want to make cutlets!).

Serving Baked Chicken Breasts

Once the chicken is fully cooked, remove it from the oven and allow for it to rest for about 5-7 minutes, which helps keep the juices intact. After that, you’re ready to eat! One of my favorite simple dinners is chicken, rice, and steamed broccoli. Super clean eating!

Dinner Hack: Cook rice at the same time as the chicken using our baked rice recipe!

Some other great side dishes to go with simple baked chicken would be our Mediterranean Couscous Salad, One Pan Tomato Orzo, and Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob. You could also use this on top of a nice easy healthy salad!

More Recipes featuring Chicken Breasts:

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Cheers to easy kitchen staple recipes! – Kathi and Rachel