Garlic Butter Baked Chicken Breast

Try this garlic butter baked chicken breast recipe with juicy chicken smothered in a homemade herbed garlic butter sauce. It’s a quick and easy fix for weeknight dinners paired with your favorite sides.

Today we’re making a quick and easy garlic butter baked chicken breast. With a few simple ingredients like butter, garlic, paprika, Italian seasoning and fresh parsley, we’re taking the humble chicken breast and transforming it into tender, juicy chicken that’s packed full of flavor.

It’s a little bit of decadence, but worth the indulgence. Pair it with a salad, or some greens on the side like broccoli, green beans, or asparagus. Add it to a bed of white rice or with some mashed potatoes. For other good baked chicken breast recipes, try this easy oven-baked chicken or some baked Parmesan and herb-crusted chicken. But back to the recipe, let’s start cooking!

GARLIC BUTTER BAKED CHICKEN BREAST RECIPE TIPS

Chicken – Be sure to pound it to an even thickness so it cooks evenly in the oven. A mounded center usually means the ends will be drier by the time the thicker part finishes cooking. You can use a meat mallet or a rolling pin and place the chicken breasts between some plastic wrap, parchment paper, or in a Ziploc bag.

If you don’t own a mallet or don’t like pounding meat, you can also slice the chicken breasts lengthwise to make them skinnier. And if you don’t mind frozen chicken, some brands of frozen individually wrapped chicken breasts like Purdue also come pre-pounded and thin.

Searing – This step is optional but we do it to get a golden crust. If you want to only bake it, leave out the olive oil from the ingredient list and skip this step.

Cook time – Cook time will vary depending on the thickness and weight of your chicken breast and the power of your oven. A reliable way to check is with a meat thermometer. Remember to insert it into the thickest part of the breast and you’ll know it’s cooked when the internal temperature reads 165˚F. Another way to tell if the chicken is done is to slice it down the thickest part and make sure that it’s white throughout.

Garlic – I used fresh garlic but you can substitute it with some garlic powder.

Skillet – I used a 12″ carbon steel skillet cause it’s oven-proof and lighter than regular cast iron. If you don’t own any oven-proof skillets, try searing the chicken breasts over the stovetop and then transferring them to a baking sheet or baking dish to finish off cooking in the oven. I recommend a baking dish over a baking sheet because it’s easier to keep the sauce together to spoon onto the chicken later.

Add more flavor – Add a few dashes of red pepper flakes in the garlic butter for more flavor. Or add more seasoning to the chicken breasts like thyme, garlic and onion powder, smoked paprika, chili powder, or cayenne.

Serve with – Serve with a side of greens like a salad, green beans, broccoli or asparagus and with some rice, mashed potatoes, or mashed cauliflower for a well-balanced meal.

And that’s about it. Enjoy your chicken and happy eating!

MORE CHICKEN BREAST RECIPES TO TRY

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