# Juicy Oven-Baked Chicken Breasts

> Chicken breasts dry out because they are **cooked past 75°C** and because they are uneven in thickness. The fix: **brine them for half an hour**, pound them to one thickness, and use a hot, short oven — **200°C for 20 minutes**, not 180°C for forty.

**American Cuisine · 67 min · 4 servings · 230 kcal per serving**

Chicken breast is the most-used protein in any diet and the one that dries out most. It is not difficult — it simply has a very narrow margin for error because it carries so little fat.

## Ingredients

- 4 — chicken breasts
- 4 cups — lukewarm water
- 3 tbsp — salt
- 2 tbsp — olive oil
- 1 tsp — paprika
- 1 tsp — garlic powder
- 1 tsp — dried thyme
- 0.5 tsp — black pepper
- 1 — lemon

## Method

1. **The brine** — Dissolve the salt in the lukewarm water and soak the breasts for **30 minutes** in the fridge. The brine lets the meat protein hold extra water, so it stays juicy even if it goes slightly over in the oven.
2. **Level the thickness** — Pat the breasts dry, place each between two sheets of cling film and pound gently until they are **an even 2 cm thick**. The thin end dries out before the thick end is done.
3. **Season** — Brush the breasts with olive oil and sprinkle on the paprika, garlic, thyme and pepper. **Do not add more salt** — the brine has salted them enough.
4. **Preheat** — Heat the oven to **200°C with the tray inside**. A hot tray browns the underside immediately and seals it.
5. **Short bake** — Bake for **just 18-20 minutes**. High heat for a short time cooks the outside quickly before the inside dries — the opposite of low heat for a long time.
6. **Rest** — Take them out and cover with foil for **5 minutes before slicing**. Cutting immediately loses all the juices onto the plate. Squeeze lemon over before serving.

## Tips

- Half an hour of brining transforms the result — the most important step in the recipe.
- An even 2 cm thickness — the thin end dries out while you wait for the thick end.
- 200°C for twenty minutes, not 180°C for forty — long cooking is what dries it out.
- 5 minutes of resting before the knife, or all the juice ends up in the tray.

## FAQ

### Why do chicken breasts dry out?
They are overcooked. Breast is almost fat-free so the margin for error is narrow. Brine for half an hour, level the thickness, and bake for only 20 minutes at 200°C.

### What does the brine do?
It makes the meat proteins unwind and hold extra water, so the piece stays juicy even if it goes slightly over in the oven. Half an hour is enough — beyond two hours it turns salty.

### How do I know it is done?
A meat thermometer reading 74°C at the thickest point is the most accurate. Without one: press it — if it springs back quickly it is done, and if it stays indented it is still raw.

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Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/american-cuisine/juicy-oven-baked-chicken-breasts
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-10-29