Crispy Oven Baked Chicken
Oven baked chicken that is a little crispy, perfectly juicy and so quick and easy you can make it on a busy weeknight?! Yes, please! This Crispy Oven Baked Chicken recipe is ready in less than 30mins and is a family dinner favorite in our house.
The Secret to Timing Oven Baked Chicken
Baking chicken for dinner on a busy weeknight, after a long day of work, school and activities was so daunting to me for a long time, that I almost never made it.
Since the size and thickness of chicken breasts can vary so drastically, the cook time would vary too. Sometimes the chicken would cook faster than I planned, and would dry out or even burn. Other times, it would cook much slower than I had planned, and all of my side dishes would be ready and getting cold, while the chicken was still raw in the middle. It was just an overwhelming task for this tired mama to take on most days.
Of course, chicken is a family favorite, and is so versatile, that it was frustrating not to have an easy recipe for it in my back pocket.
One day, I was rolling out dough for cut out cookies, making sure it had consistent thickness, when I had a “Eureka” moment. It dawned on me that if I made the chicken breasts more consistent in size every time, the cook time would be the same every time as well.
For a while I would put the chicken breasts in a plastic bag and pound them out using a meat mallet to give them an even thickness. But I ultimately decided that was still too much prep work for me. Instead, I started simply cutting the chicken breasts in half across the center so that I had two smaller pieces of chicken that were roughly the same size. That was a game changer when it came to cook time, and it allows me to more accuracy time and coordinate the meal.
How to make Juicy Baked Chicken
Chicken is pretty finicky to bake in the oven. It goes from undercooked and unsafe to eat, to overcooked and dry in just a few quick minutes.
Or sometimes you get the tough, overcooked outside, but still have a raw pink center.
The best way to ensure juicy chicken is to coat it in mayonnaise. Sounds odd, right? But it works perfectly every time.
The fat content in mayo helps trap the moisture into the meat by serving as a barrier of sorts. The thick consistency of mayonnaise stays in place while the chicken cooks much better than oil or butter, as those both break down to a runny liquid during the cooking process.
Slathering the chicken breasts in mayo, not only locks moisture into the meat, it also serves as a perfect “glue” to hold seasonings and/or breading in place around the outside of the chicken. This adds mouthwatering flavors and a crispy texture to your dish.
Ingredients for Crispy Baked Chicken
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- mayonnaise (I like this one, this one or this one…do not use Miracle Whip as it is too sweet and will throw off the flavor of your chicken)
- parmesan cheese (shredded or grated)
- panko bread crumbs
How to Make Oven Baked Chicken
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Open the package of chicken, and using sharp scissors or kitchen shears, cut any unappetizing pieces off chicken and discard. Cut the chicken breasts in half the short way at a point that will give you two approximately equal size pieces of chicken. Note: chicken breasts tend to be thicker and round on one end, and thinner and pointier on the other end. Simply cutting down the center of the breast may still give you two pretty different sizes. Use your best judgment to cut in a spot that will result in even sizes.
Place chicken 1-2 inches apart in a large glass baking dish. Scoop 4T of mayo into a small dish and use a spoon to place a dollop of mayo on each piece of chicken. Use the back of the spoon or a butter knife to spread the mayo evenly over the top and sides of each chicken breast. Note: be very careful not to dip or set the used utensils back into the the jar of mayo after it has touched the raw chicken (which can carry harmful bacteria until its cooked). I always recommend spooning the mayo into a small dish from the jar first, and then spooning the mayo onto the chicken from the dish to avoid any accidental contamination of your entire jar of mayonnaise.
Sprinkle 1/3 cup of shredded parmesan cheese and 1 cup of panko bread crumbs evenly on top and sides of each piece of chicken. Use the back of a spoon to press them firmly into the chicken. Use a clean butter knife to scoop up any topping that falls between the chicken, and press it into the sides of each breast. Try to evenly coat the top and sides of each piece.
Bake uncovered for 20-22 minutes or until the breading becomes slightly golden, and the thickest center part of the chicken reaches 165 degrees. I recommend using a meat thermometer like this one for an accurate reading.
Pro Tip: Don’t let your chicken go more than a few degrees past the 165 temperature, as it starts to dry out pretty quickly after that.
Optional Step: If you like your outer breading a bit crispy, turn your oven to the broil setting and pop the chicken back into the oven for another 30-60 seconds. The fast shot of high heat will nicely toast the bread crumbs and crisp up the parmesan. Turn your oven light on and watch it the entire time as it can very easily burn.
Serve warm. We like it with a side of BBQ sauce for dipping, mashed potatoes and a Best Ever Side Salad.
What to Serve with Oven Baked Chicken
Honestly, the sky is the limit when it comes to side dish options because this chicken is so versatile, you can really pair with anything. Here are some ideas…
- mashed potatoes
- french fries
- rice or quinoa
- roasted vegetables
- side garden salad or Caesar salad
- baked beans
- coleslaw
- pasta salad
- corn salad
- steamed green beans or asparagus
- mac n cheese
- baked sweet potato
Bonus Recipes
Looking for more chicken recipes? Try these…
BBQ Chicken Quesadilla with Pineapple
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Crispy Oven Baked Chicken
Equipment
- 1 sharp kitchen scissors like these
- 1 large glass baking dish like this one
- 1 small dish
- 1 spoon
- 1 butter knife
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Open the package of chicken, and using sharp scissors or kitchen shears, cut any unappetizing pieces off chicken and discard. Cut the chicken breasts in half the short way at a point that will give you two approximately equal size pieces of chicken. Note: chicken breasts tend to be thicker and round on one end, and thinner and pointier on the other end. Simply cutting down the center of the breast may still give you two pretty different sizes. Use your best judgment to cut in a spot that will result in even sizes.
- Place chicken 1-2 inches apart in a large glass baking dish. Scoop 4T of mayo into a small dish and use a spoon to place a dollop of mayo on each piece of chicken. Use the back of the spoon or a butter knife to spread the mayo evenly over the top and sides of each chicken breast. Note: be very careful not to dip or set the used utensils back into the the jar of mayo after it has touched the raw chicken (which can carry harmful bacteria until its cooked). I always recommend spooning the mayo into a small dish from the jar first, and then spooning the mayo onto the chicken from the dish to avoid any accidental contamination of your entire jar of mayonnaise.
- Sprinkle 1/3 cup of shredded parmesan cheese and 1 cup of panko bread crumbs evenly on top and sides of each piece of chicken. Use the back of a spoon to press them firmly into the chicken. Use a clean butter knife to scoop up any topping that falls between the chicken, and press it into the sides of each breast. Try to evenly coat the top and sides of each piece.
- Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 20-22 minutes or until the breading becomes slightly golden, and the thickest center part of the chicken reaches 165 degrees. I recommend using a meat thermometer like this one for an accurate reading. Tip: Try to get your temperature right at 165, as it starts to dry out pretty quickly after that.
- Optional Step: If you like your outer breading a bit crispy, turn your oven to the broil setting and pop the chicken back into the oven for another 30-60 seconds. The fast shot of high heat will nicely toast the bread crumbs and crisp up the parmesan. Turn your oven light on and watch it closely as it can very easily burn.
- Serve warm with your favorite side dishes. We like it with a side of BBQ sauce for dipping, mashed potatoes and a Best Ever Side Salad.
