Goodbye, dried out chicken breast. Hello, juicy flavor! Try this simple Baked Bone-In Chicken Breast tonight.
Sometimes the best things in life are simple. A perfect red rose. A warm cup of coffee. Your toddler taking an actual nap at an appropriate time of day. This baked chicken breast, made with bone-in chicken breast and the skin left intact, is just another thing on the list.
Somewhere along the way of the past few decades, boneless, skinless chicken breast has become the ubiquitous meat on American dinner tables. It requires little to no prep, does not contain many reminders of the actual animal it came from (bones, skin, and other elements that might fall under the ick category), and is a lean, versatile protein option. However. It is easy to overcook, and can sometimes be bland, resulting in a dry, meh meat option. Especially just on its own. If you know how to prep and cook bone-in chicken breast, those downsides disappear, resulting in a delicious, meta-chicken flavor and texture.
With just a few healthy ingredients, you can create a satisfying, crowd-pleasing meal without much hands-on time. The oven baked method means two important things: one, you can have time to whip up the rest of your meal, and two, the steady 350 degree-bake delivers evenly cooked, juicy chicken with that homecooked roasted chicken flavor.
Once you get on the Bone-In Chicken train, check out Oven-Baked Greek Chicken Thighs. choo choo
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts bone-in, skin on
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 lemon zest
- Pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper
- Fresh parsley chopped
- Lemon wedges to garnish
Preparation Steps
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking dish with parchment paper. Add the dried oregano, minced garlic, olive oil, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Stir until combined.
Step 2: Season the chicken breasts with a pinch of salt and black pepper, then brush with the olive oil mixture until well coated.
Step 3: Bake the chicken breasts for 30- 35 minutes in the preheated oven until browned and cooked. Transfer to a plate.
Step 4: Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes. Remember, cooking is tiring, even for the chicken. Sprinkle with some fresh chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges. Enjoy!
Top Tips For a Perfect Baked Bone-In Chicken Breast
- When zesting a lemon for the seasoning, just grate the yellow part of the peel. If you grate down into the white pulpy part, you are going to get a bitter flavor.
- If possible, bring the raw chicken breasts to room temperature while making the seasoning.
- The skin is left on in this recipe to envelop the meat while cooking. It’s like a tiny chicken blanket, keeping your bird juicy and delicious!
- Toward the end of baking time, grab an instant read thermometer and check for doneness. Chicken needs to be at 165 degrees.
- Resting time: yes, it’s necessary. Resting the chicken for about 10 minutes allows the texture to firm up.
FAQs
What’s the best temperature to cook bone-in chicken breasts?
While some cooks bake bone-in breasts at a higher temperature, the 350-degree temp allows for the most even cooking, especially near the bone, where the meat takes the longest to cook.
Do I have to use parchment paper on the pan?
No, but it makes clean up so much easier. It also prevents the juices from browning or even burning in the pan. If you don’t have parchment paper on hand, just keep an eye on the chicken while it bakes.
How do I know when the chicken is done?
Undercooked chicken is eew, plus unhealthy. For best results, use the instant read thermometer and remove from the oven when it’s at 165 degrees internally. If you don’t have one, you can still check for doneness by noticing the color of the juices coming out of the chicken -if they are clear or white-ish, it’s done. The resting time also allows for extra insurance on the doneness factor.
Serving Suggestions
With this Bone-In Baked Chicken breast as a main course, you can create any number of different meals, from simple to fancy. If you want a healthy, simple meal, just serve with some steamed green veggies and lemon wedges on the side. For a heartier option, nothing beats roasted chicken and potatoes of your choice. And if you’re cooking to impress, try a stovetop risotto next as an accompaniment. While this recipe is enough for two servings, it is very adaptable to scale up – just increase everything and you can feed however many people you need to!
How to Store
Making ahead and/or freezing ahead is not recommended for this recipe. That being said, prepping ahead works just fine. Make the seasoning marinade up to 24 hours ahead of time and you’ve got a fridge-to-table meal in less than an hour. For leftovers, you’ve got tons of options. Store any leftovers on the bone in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. You can also pull the meat off the bone after it’s cooked and freeze any leftovers to use in casseroles or soups where you need cooked chicken.
Baked Bone-In Chicken Breast
Ingredients Â
- 2 chicken breasts bone-in, skin on
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 lemon zest
- Pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper
- Fresh parsley chopped
- Lemon wedges to garnish
InstructionsÂ
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking dish with parchment paper. Add the dried oregano, minced garlic, olive oil, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Stir until combined.
- Season the chicken breasts with a pinch of salt and black pepper, then brush with the olive oil mixture until well coated.
- Bake the chicken breasts for 30- 35 minutes in the preheated oven until browned and cooked. Transfer to a plate.
- Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes. Remember, cooking is tiring, even for the chicken. Sprinkle with some fresh chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges. Enjoy!
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