Description
This Simple Baked Chicken Breasts recipe delivers tender, juicy chicken with minimal ingredients and effort. Seasoned with olive oil, sea salt, and Creole seasoning, the chicken is baked to perfection and served with a flavorful pan sauce made from chicken broth and the pan's browned bits. It's an easy, foolproof dish ideal for weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 4 (5 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Seasoning
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt, or to taste
- 1 pinch Creole seasoning (such as Tony Chachere's®), or more to taste
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon chicken broth or water
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Gather all ingredients and preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Season Chicken: Rub each chicken breast with olive oil, then sprinkle both sides evenly with coarse sea salt and Creole seasoning to infuse flavor and ensure a tasty crust.
- Bake Chicken: Place the seasoned chicken breasts on a broiler pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then flip each breast.
- Continue Baking: Bake the flipped chicken for an additional 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked thoroughly — no pink in the center and juices run clear. An instant-read thermometer should register at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
- Make Pan Sauce: Remove the chicken breasts to a plate. Pour chicken broth into the broiler pan, scraping the bottom with a flat-edged wooden spatula to loosen all browned bits. Add additional broth as needed to get all flavorful residue but avoid overwatering it.
- Serve: Drizzle the prepared pan sauce over the baked chicken breasts before serving for added moistness and flavor.
Notes
- Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure chicken is perfectly cooked and safe to eat.
- Creole seasoning adds a nice kick, but adjust quantity according to taste preference.
- The pan sauce can be enhanced with a splash of white wine or lemon juice for extra flavor.
- Using chicken broth instead of water for the sauce enriches the flavor.
- If you don’t have a broiler pan, a rimmed baking sheet or oven-safe skillet will work.
