Oven-Baked Chicken

Oven-Baked Chicken is the perfect recipe for busy weeknight dinners. This dish is so flavorful and easy to make, that the whole family will love it.

I don’t know about you – but dinnertime is such a busy time in our house. So I like to keep things as simple as possible whenever I can.

This chicken recipe is so easy to make and it’s a great option for a weeknight dinner. Oven-Baked Chicken is also a great meal to prep ahead of time and then just pop in the oven when you’re ready to eat. This recipe is sure to become a family favorite!

Back when I shared my Chicken Marinade recipe I shared how to make the chicken on the grill, since we almost always marinate and then take the cooking outside.

But since moving out of the city and much farther into the woods, we found ourselves with snow much earlier and much later in the year. That took grilling off the table for a few more months.

So we took our marinated chicken and did an oven-baked version that we are sharing here today. I know you’ll love it as much as we do.

oven baked chicken recipe

Here are some commonly asked questions

How long should I marinate the chicken?

While many believe that the longer the chicken sits in the marinade, the better it will be. By doing that it can actually end up making the chicken tougher once cooked.

For the best result, I recommend no longer than 12-24 hours. This recipe calls for at least 30 minutes, which is just enough to prep your other dinner ingredients and get the grill hot.

Can this be made with bone-in chicken?

Yes, you can make this baked chicken with bone-in chicken breasts. Just increase the cooking time to about 45 minutes since it takes much longer to cook bone-in rather than boneless.

How do you store leftover oven-baked chicken?

Make sure to wrap up any remaining chicken you aren’t going to eat & get it refrigerated within an hour. This is the best practice for reducing any bacteria from growing.

Place the chicken in an airtight container & label it with the date. Keep refrigerated until ready to enjoy again. Use within 3-4 days.

Ingredients for Oven-Baked Chicken

• fresh lemon juice
• Worcestershire Sauce
• olive oil
• fresh oregano – minced or dried oregano
• minced fresh parsley – and lightly packed or dried parsley
• fresh basil – minced and lightly packed or dried basil
• garlic – minced
• paprika
• salt
• black pepper
• boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• fresh parsley finely chopped, for garnish, optional

Should I cover chicken with foil when baking?

There’s no need to cover the baking dish before baking the chicken in it. During the baking period, leaving the cover off allows for the outside to brown a bit instead of the lighter, steamed chicken color.

How to Make Oven-Baked Chicken

1. Add all of the marinade ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk well until completely combined.
2. Add the chicken to a large resealable bag.
3. Pour the marinade over the chicken. Seal the bag.
4. Place in the refrigerator to chill for up to 4 hours.
5. Remove the marinating chicken from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
7. Set out a 13×9 baking dish and lightly drizzle the bottom with olive oil. You can use an oil sprayer if you prefer.
8. Place the chicken in the baking dish.
9. Discard the marinade.
10. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
11. Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
12. Slice and serve.
13. Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Can you overcook chicken breasts?

You can overcook chicken breasts. It results in juicy meat every time as long as you bake until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

Do I need to poke holes in the chicken before marinating it?

I see a lot of people doing this because they believe that it will help the marinade soak into the pieces of chicken. But just as I discourage people from using a fork to flip meat and chicken on the grill (because it breaks the seer and allows the juices to leak out – causing a dry result) I am also going to discourage you from poking holes before marinating.

Doing so will dry the pieces out faster when they are cooking. All the juices you just infused by marinating will then leak out of all those holes while it cooks.

Can this be cooked from a frozen state?

Unless you are cooking this chicken in a pressure cooker/Instant Pot – I don’t recommend cooking this from frozen. Please let the bag thaw first in the refrigerator for 1-2 days before cooking.

Products I love when making oven-baked chicken…

This chicken dinner recipe is SUPER EASY and delicious – and if you’re like me, then you maybe already have some of these items on hand OR maybe you have never baked chicken before, & you might be a bit nervous – but you’re going to love it. I have made a list below of the things I absolutely can’t live without when it comes to making this easy dinner recipe. (you can also SHOP MY FAVORITES in my store)

• zip-top bags
• mixing bowl
• whisk
• lemon juice
• Worcestershire sauce
• olive oil
• oregano
• parsley
• basil
• garlic
• brown sugar
• paprika
• salt
• black pepper
• casserole dish

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If you love this easy chicken dinner recipe, you’re going to love these other chicken recipes too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

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