Do you want to learn how to bake chicken with butter? There is a right way and a wrong way to cook chicken. If you follow these instructions, your dinner should turn out wonderful.
Baking chicken with butter is delicious. Don’t believe me? Here’s my recipe and you’ll be the judge. Step 1: Preheat oven. Step 2: Rub chicken with butter and sprinkle salt on it. Step 3: Bake it!
BAKED CHICKEN BREASTS
My all-time favorite oven baked chicken breasts recipe! It never fails me, thanks to this simple 5-step method that is easy to make and customize with your favorite seasonings.
A few weeks ago on Insta, I asked if you all might be interested in a back-to-basics series about the best ways to bake proteins (i.e. chicken, pork, steak, seafood, tofu, etc.) in the oven. And your answer? A resounding yes please. Tons of you had requests and questions about methods for cooking various proteins, plus more than a few tales to tell about proteins gone not-so-right over the years. And oh boy, I hear ya. My little kitchen has seen more than its share of overcooked steaks, completely dried out pork chops, salmon skin glued to pans, and not-so-crispy tofu over the years too. Which are never fun, especially since proteins can be pricey and intended for special occasions. But hey, it’s all part of the adventure of learning how to cook. And eventually, I’ve trial-and-errored my way to some basic methods for baking proteins that have become super-reliable, super-delicious staples in my kitchen.
So over the next two weeks, I thought we could work our way through each of them, beginning today with the #1 most requested protein here on Gimme Some Oven…
…chicken.
Specifically, boneless skinless chicken breasts.
Over the years, I’ve received countless requests for new chicken breast recipes, and many more for tips on how to bake chicken breasts in the oven. Because anyone who worked with chicken breasts before know that they can be incredibly versatile, yet also incredibly finicky to work with, especially when baked in the oven. Cook them the wrong way and you’ll end up with a dry, rubbery, tough, and flavorless disaster. But cooked the right way?! We’re talkin’ juicy, tender, flavorful, perfectly baked chicken breasts that you will love.
The good news is that they’re also totally easy to customize with your favorite seasonings or sauces. And also, incredibly easy to make with my 5-step baked chicken breasts method. Thousands of our readers have tried it over the years and reported back that this method was a game-changer with cooking chicken. So if you have yet to give it a try, let’s bake some chicken together!
BAKED CHICKEN BREASTS RECIPE | 1-MINUTE VIDEO
Baked Chicken Breasts Recipe
BAKED CHICKEN BREAST INGREDIENTS:
To make this baked chicken breasts recipe, you will need:
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: You can either purchased fresh (my preference) or frozen (which you will need to completely thaw before using). Some chicken also comes pre-brined nowadays, in which case you can skip step one below.
- Butter or olive oil: Your pick! I like the extra flavor of butter, but olive oil will also work well.
- Kosher Salt: An essential ingredient in our brine, and also to season the chicken.
- Seasonings: I included an all-purpose blend of smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and black pepper in the recipe below, which is super-simple and goes with just about anything. But feel free to sub in any dry seasoning blend that you prefer.
Also, if you make baked chicken (or any other kind of baked proteins) regularly in the oven, I one million percent recommend having a cooking thermometer on hand too. It is quite simply the most foolproof way to ensure that your chicken is not over- or under-cooked, and works like a charm. I recommend either this:
- Instant-read cooking thermometer (pictured below): which I have owned and used for years when cooking chicken, which retails for about $9.99 on Amazon.
- Dual-probe wireless meat thermometer: which I also own and love because it can be used inside of a hot oven (especially helpful for baking steak, salmon and pork), which retails for about $24.99 on Amazon.
My original photo for this recipe (2015).
HOW TO BAKE CHICKEN BREASTS:
Alright, so here’s the secret! To make perfectly baked chicken bbrrreasts, you simply need to follow this 5-step acroymn: B.B.R.R.R.
- Brine
- Brush
- Rub
- Roast
- Rest
Step 1: Brine
I’m telling you — this step is an absolute must for anytime you want to bake chicken breasts in the oven. Brining chicken is super-easy, it makes your chicken extra juicy, and best of all, it can be effectively done in just 15 minutes. Plus, if you brine chicken in lukewarm water, it also helps bring the chicken to room temperature, which makes for more even cooking. Win-win!
To brine chicken, simply fill a big bowl with lukewarm (not hot) water. Stir in a handful of salt until it mostly dissolves. Then add your chicken breasts and let them sit in the saltwater to brine for at least 15 minutes. If you are doing this in advance, you can cover and refrigerate the bowl of chicken and saltwater for up to 6 hours. But you don’t want to let the chicken brine for much longer than that.
When you’re ready to go, remove the chicken from the brine. Give it a good rinse it with cold water to wash off the salt, and then pat it dry with some paper towels. And voila — your chicken is officially brined.
Really, don’t skip over this step! It makes a world of difference.
Note: That said, some store-bought chicken breasts are now sold pre-brined. So double-check your packaging beforehand. And if your chicken has already been pre-brined in a sodium solution, just move onto step two. 🙂
Step 2: Brush
…your chicken breasts with melted butter. Or at least, I highly recommend using butter. It adds great flavor and helps give a nice golden crust on the outside. But if you’d rather use olive oil (or another favorite cooking oil), feel free.
Brush the breasts liberally on both sides to prevent the chicken from sticking to the pan, and also to help the seasonings stick. Then place the chicken breasts in a large baking dish or roasting pan.
Step 3: Rub
If you’re really wanting to keep things simple, you can simply sprinkle some salt and pepper onto the chicken breasts. But again, chicken will pick up the flavor of whatever seasonings you add. So even if you’re making a simple dish that calls for “plain” chicken breasts, I highly recommend the simple chicken seasoning recipe I have included below that includes salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika.
Step 4: Roast
So this is the step that causes some squabbles amongst chicken lovers — how long to bake chicken breasts? And what is the correct temperature to bake chicken? Do you bake it low and slow (as in, 30 minutes at 350°F)? Or do you roast chicken high and quick (as in, 15 minutes at 450)? I have tested out both — and just about every interval in between — dozens upon dozens upon dozens of times. And in the end, I fall firmly in the latter camp when it comes to baked chicken.
I like to roast my chicken breasts on high heat. ?
Depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts, roasting chicken at 450°F should require a cooking time of about 15-18 minutes (depending on the thickness/size of your chicken breasts). It’s speedy and it’s easy. But mostly I love it because cooking at high heat quickly develops a nice crispier “crust” on the outside of the breasts, which also helps to lock in those juices and keep the oven roasted chicken perfectly tender on the inside. It’s the best of both worlds.
I highly recommend investing in a small cooking thermometer to measure the cooked chicken temp in order to tell if it is ready to go (the FDA says that the safe cooked chicken temp is 165°F), versus cutting into it with a fork, which lets those good juices seep out. I use this instant-read thermometer that I bought on Amazon for $10, and it will accurately measure your internal chicken temperature in seconds.
Step 5: Rest
This one is a non-negotiable. You must, must let your beautifully baked chicken breasts rest before cutting into them — a tip which applies to cooking any meat, really. If you cut in right away, you will lose all of the amazing juices and some of the tenderness that we’re going for. But if you give your freshly baked chicken breasts a brief rest, it will finish cooking and lock in all of those delicious juices, resulting in the most tender and juicy and delicious baked chicken.
I recommend loosely tenting a sheet of aluminum foil over the pan to keep the heat in while the chicken rests. And then after 5-10 minutes, you can finally serve and enjoy your perfectly-cooked chicken breasts.
And enjoy every last bite. ♡
HOW TO SEASON BAKED CHICKEN BREASTS:
Again, I’m a big fan of the classic paprika-garlic-pepper mix in the recipe below. But if you’d like to mix things up, feel free to sub in any of your favorite dry
Butter Baked Chicken Recipe
This butter baked chicken recipe is simple and easy to make and so packed full of flavor. It’s perfect for a weeknight meal but fancy enough to serve to guests. Creamy, indulgent and oh so tasty!
I love baked chicken recipes, they require minimal prep and then hands off cooking, and if done properly, the chicken is juicy and succulent, just like in this recipe! I can’t wait for you guys to try this!
How to Make Butter Baked chicken
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Lightly grease Baking Dish.
- Dip Chicken Breasts into water.
- Coat with mixture of flour & seasonings.
- Place Chicken Breasts into the pan.
- Cut butter into small squares and sprinkle over chicken.
- Cook for 15 minutes.
- Combine dry milk powder & hot water in a bowl. Pour milk around chicken.
- Cover with aluminum foil and return to oven.
- Bake at 350F for 30-40 more minutes or until internal temp reaches 165F.
- Enjoy!
What is in this butter baked chicken recipe?
You just need a handful of store bought ingredients to make this tasty chicken dinner!
- flour
- salt and pepper
- herbs de Provence
- paprika
- dry milk powder
- butter
- chicken breasts
That’s it! Creating a delicious meal that the whole family will love doesn’t need a tonne of fancy ingredients!
How do you know when the chicken is cooked?
The butter baked chicken will take about 30 to 40 minutes to cook. When it is ready the top will have turned golden brown. If you have a food thermometer it should read 165F in the largest part of the chicken breast. You can also pierce the chicken with a fork, if the juices run clear it is ready.
What do you serve with butter baked chicken?
This is a really versatile dish and it’s easy to turn it into a well balanced meal. I like to serve with steamed or roasted veggies like green beans, carrots or broccoli and a potato side dish is always a great option! The sauce is rich and flavorful but not overpowering so it’s easy to pair with most sides.
Top Tips to Make This Butter Baked chicken Recipe
- Use free run / organic chicken breasts that haven’t been raised on antibiotics.
- Cook in a pre-heated oven for the best results.
- Be sure to cover the chicken with foil once the milk is added so the tops don’t burn.
- Serve hot with your favorite side dishes.
BUTTERY BAKED CHICKEN
Creamy Buttery Baked Chicken is simple and full of flavor. It is another great dinner idea for any occasion!!
I cook with chicken breasts A LOT. It’s probably our go-to meat. With that being said, I have a lot of favorite baked chicken breast recipes, like Salsa Chicken, Creamy Swiss Chicken Bake, BBQ Baked Chicken, and this Buttery Baked Chicken!
BUTTER-Y + DELICIOUS
Dinner is a great meal, and it’s something I look forward to, but more often than not, I usually want to make something easy and semi-quick.
I’m either looking for a good crock pot meal or something simple because it’s hard to want to slave over an intricate meal after a long busy day. Fortunately, today’s recipe is one that is quick and takes little prep time!
If your family likes chicken, then you’ll definitely want to try this Buttery Baked Chicken. With butter, evaporated milk and cream of chicken soup, it’s another chicken dinner winner.
Buttery Baked Chicken is great over rice or pasta, served with Roasted Broccoli, Mashed Potatoes, or any type of salad. It’s a heavenly meal!
HOW TO MAKE BUTTERY BAKED CHICKEN
CHICKEN. Dip each chicken piece in a bowl filled with about ⅛ of your evaporated milk. Coat well and then roll it in the flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Melt butter in 9×13 pan and cook the chicken in the melted butter for 1 hour at 350°F.
SAUCE. Mix together water, can of soup, and the rest of your evaporated milk.
BAKE. After chicken has been baking for 1 hour, turn chicken and pour soup mixture on top. Bake for 30 more minutes until golden brown. Serve as is. Creamy and Delish!!
TIPS + VARIATIONS
Dry chicken? Because of the butter that the chicken is cooking in, it should not dry out. I have never had it dry out before, but if you would like to cover the pan to prevent it from drying out, you can. However, I would remove it towards the end of the cook time to let the chicken brown.
Recipe Variations:
- Squeeze some fresh lemon on top.
- Melt a little bit of your favorite cheese (shredded) on the chicken the last few minutes of cooking.
- Add some rosemary or thyme. Or season it to your personal taste.
- Use chicken thighs in this recipe if you prefer.
FAQ
How to store leftovers? STORE leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last in the fridge for 3-5 days.
How to reheat? REHEAT it in the microwave until heated through.
How to make this in the crock pot? Just put the melted butter into the crockpot and the prepared chicken pieces on top of it. Cook for 4-5 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low.
Half way through the cooking time, turn each piece over and pour in the soup mixture. Cook for the remaining time.