Learn how to cook healthy baked chicken breasts in the oven in less than 30 minutes! Using boneless skinless chicken and a touch of seasoning, this is a fantastic recipe to use anytime you need a quick dinner, or for adding to other recipes like salads, wraps, pasta, and more.
I bake a batch of these lean chicken breasts almost every Sunday so I always have protein ready to go. It makes eating healthy feel effortless, whether I need a quick lunch, post-workout snack, or an easy dinner the whole family will eat.
Each serving is high in protein and low in fat, making this an ideal choice for weight loss and balanced eating. Let’s make your next meal prep Sunday the easiest one yet!
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Healthy Baked Chicken Breast
- Juicy, tender, and never dry — even when reheated.
- High in protein, low in fat and low carb too — perfect for losing weight.
- Ready in under 30 minutes using a simple seasoning with just a few ingredients
- Meal prep friendly — stays delicious for days.
- Versatile — serve whole, sliced, diced, or shredded in countless meals.
We've been creating high protein low carb recipes like this one since 2018, this is probably the recipe we make the most at home!
Looking for more easy meal prep chicken recipes? Try our Instant Pot frozen chicken tenderloins or frozen breasts, quick boiled chicken breasts, or learn how to make juicy shredded chicken step-by-step!
✨ Grab your free printable list of high protein foods to help plan more protein packed meals like this!
👉 Click here to get the list
Ingredients you'll need
Here’s what you’ll need for this simple recipe. I’m sharing my favorite seasoning mix, but feel free to swap in your favorite spice blends or marinades — it’s so easy to customize!
- boneless skinless chicken breasts, our 2 lb pack included 4 breasts
- extra virgin olive oil (optional to keep the fat down, or spritz the chicken with olive oil cooking spray)
- fine sea salt
- paprika - we used sweet paprika, smoked paprika would also add a great flavor
- garlic powder
- ground black pepper
- dried herbs such as Herbs de Provence, Italian seasoning, dried basil, or dried oregano. We used Herbs de Provence.
Kitchen tools
- A rimmed baking sheet like this half sheet pan is recommended. It's great for sheet pan dinners, roasting veggies, or for baking cookies.
This is just an overview of what you'll need and the steps you'll take. Get the full quantities and instructions down in the printable recipe card.
How to bake chicken at 375 F
Our go-to chicken baking time is 375F, using this temp gets your dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes. You can cook the meat at 400 F or even 425 F, but of course, you'd need to adjust the cooking time.
Step 1 Prep. Preheat your oven to 375F. We like to add parchment paper to the baking pan to make clean-up easy. Blot the chicken dry with paper towels and add them to the pan.
Step 2 Season with the spices and dried herbs. Drizzle with olive oil.
Step 3 Bake the chicken for 25-30 minutes, or until it reaches 165 F when checked with a digital meat thermometer. We recommend checking the chicken after 20 minutes to help you guestimate how much longer the baking time will be.
Remove from the oven and let the meat rest for 5-10 minutes before serving the breast whole, or slicing or dicing it for other purposes. This helps the juices to evenly distribute into the meat and keeps it moist.
Meal Prep Tip
If you’re meal prepping, let the cooked chicken cool completely before slicing and storing in airtight meal prep containers. This keeps it juicy and easy to portion for the week!
Helpful Tips
- The baking time will vary a bit depending on the chicken breast size. Two of ours were a bit smaller and they were done after 26 minutes and the other two larger ones were done after 30 minutes. Remove the chicken as they get done if they aren't the same size.
- Very large chicken breasts (close to 1 lb each) will take about 40-45 minutes to cook.
How to Store & Meal Prep Baked Chicken Breasts
- Store cooked chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- For longer storage, wrap individual portions in plastic wrap or foil, then place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- To reheat, warm gently in the microwave or oven, or enjoy cold sliced over salads and wraps.
Meal Prep Ideas & Serving Suggestions
- Serve the breasts whole with your favorite veggie sides, like my Cauliflower Mac and Cheese, riced broccoli, and a crisp salad.
- Dice and toss with our Mediterranean Chicken Salad, Southwestern chicken salad, or our Greek salad bowl for an easy power lunch.
- Shred to make a high protein chicken salad for lettuce wraps or sandwiches.
- Add sliced chicken to macro bowls (like our popular BBQ chicken sweet potato bowl), pasta, or tacos — so many possibilities!
FAQ
How many calories and protein are in a baked chicken breast?
One 6-ounce cooked chicken breast has about 165 calories and 31 grams of protein. The exact numbers may vary based on size and seasoning.
Is baked chicken breast good for weight loss?
Absolutely! It’s a lean source of protein that keeps you full and satisfied, making it a staple for weight loss and healthy eating. Our simple healthy baked chicken breast recipe works for many popular weight loss programs like high protein low carb, macro tracking, Weight Watchers, keto, carnivore, and more.
How do I keep baked chicken breasts juicy?
Bake at 375°F, don’t overcook (use a meat thermometer!), and let the chicken rest for 5–10 minutes before slicing so the juices stay locked in. If you slice the chicken too early, juices leak out instead of distributing within the meat.
More healthy sheet pan recipes
- 15 minute chicken and vegetables
- Healthy baked chicken tenderloins
- Baked chicken thighs and sweet potatoes
- Healthy baked thin chicken breasts
✨ Grab your free printable list of high protein foods to help plan more protein packed meals like this!
👉 Click here to get the list
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Recipe
Baked Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
Equipment
- 1 sheet pan
Ingredients
- 2 lb chicken breasts boneless skinless, 4 breasts
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried herbs Herbs de Provence, Italian seasoning, dried basil, or dried oregano.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and place them on the baking sheet.
- Evenly sprinkle the salt, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, and dried herbs over the chicken. Drizzle with the olive oil.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F. The baking time will vary slightly depending on the size of the chicken breasts. 2 of ours were done at 26 minutes and the other 2 were done after 30 minutes. Very large chicken breasts (like 1 lb each) will take about 40-45 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let the meat rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing or serving. Slice and eat as a main dish or let it cool completely to cube or shred for salads, wraps, pasta, and more. Enjoy!
Notes
- 100g of chicken is about 4 oz of meat. 2 ½ lbs raw chicken cooked and became a total of 800g cooked chicken meat, or 200lb per chicken breast.
- You can easily change the seasoning flavors depending on what you're serving these with. Taco seasoning, Italian seasoning, a store bought mix like McCormick's, or a chicken rub are great ideas.
- If you're using this to meal prep chicken for the week, you can skip the olive oil if you'll be slicing, dicing, or shredding the chicken for another recipe like a salad or wrap.
- Leftovers will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Rehoboth says
Delightful recipe
Thanks