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Learn how to make oven baked chicken with the best chicken breast marinade recipe! This is my go-to marinade and method for cooking chicken in the oven – it’s so good and juicy and perfect for dinners or meal prep.
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Oven Baked Marinated Chicken Recipe
It’s always so hard for me to cook chicken just perfectly so that it’s moist and tender but cooked all the way through. I’ve found that there are a few secrets to making the perfect Oven Baked Chicken Breasts and I’m going to share them with you!
Using my easy tips for making Oven Baked Chicken will result in the perfect chicken every time. It’s flavorful and easy and perfect for meals all week long.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- The baked chicken marinade is simple – you probably have all the ingredients already – and it makes the chicken taste amazing.
- Learn how to bake the chicken in the oven and end up with moist and juicy chicken breasts – not dry!
- This is great for meal prep – make a big batch on Sunday and enjoy it all week long.
Chicken Breast Marinade for Baking
I absolutely love this recipe and it’s a variation of the steak marinade I always use.
I know, it has a lot of ingredients, but it tastes so much better than a store-bought marinade. In a pinch we buy 30-minute marinades, but I much prefer this one.
Your marinade ingredients are:
- Olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar
- Lemon juice
- Honey
- Worcestershire sauce
- Low-sodium soy sauce
- Dijon mustard
- Garlic
- Pepper, onion powder, and Italian seasoning
How to make the best marinade for chicken?
Simply mix those together in a bowl or measuring cup. You don’t have to chop the garlic, just crack it a bit and you can leave it whole.
Add your chicken breasts and let them marinate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Marinating time is important for your chicken! It helps the chicken absorb the flavor but also keeps it moist and tender.
How to cook marinated chicken in the oven?
First, make sure your chicken breasts are even thickness. You can buy thin cut breasts or place the raw unmarinated chicken in a large gallon size bag and seal all but one inch of the zipper. Pound the thick part of the breast with a rolling pin so that the chicken is uniform in size. This assures that the chicken will cook evenly and not be dry at one end and raw at the other.
Once the chicken is done marinating, I add them to a baking dish I’ve sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. You’re going to bake them at 400°F until they’re cooked through, about 35-45 minutes. This is where an instant read thermometer comes in handy! They aren’t expensive and will ensure your chicken is cooked just perfectly without any guesswork.
When are oven baked chicken breasts done?
Your chicken breasts will be done when they reach an internal temperature of 165°F. That’s why it’s important to pound them to even thickness and have the thermometer!
Once your chicken is done, let it rest about 10 minutes before slicing. The flavor of the marinade adds so much to the chicken and it’s perfect with any side dish!
FAQs
This is an all-purpose marinade with soy sauce, Worcestershire, and lots of spices. The flavors go with most meals.
Depending on the thickness of the chicken, cook the boneless breasts for approximately 35-45 minutes at 400 degrees.
Chicken is done when it registers 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer.
Easy Oven Baked Chicken
Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard or any kind
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 6-7 pieces)
Instructions
- Whisk oil, vinegar, lemon juice, soy sauce, worcestershire, honey, dijon, Italian seasoning, onion powder and pepper together. Add the garlic cloves.
- Place chicken in a large gallon size bag. Pound with a rolling pin to make the breasts even in thickness. Pour the marinade over the chicken, seal the bag, and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Take chicken out of the refrigerator and place in a baking pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray (let it come to room temperature while the oven is preheating). Discard marinade.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a meat thermometer place in the thickest part of the breast registers 165°F. Cook time will depend on thickness of chicken.
- To grill: preheat grill to 400°F. Spray grill with nonstick grill spray. Grill 5 minutes per side with the grill open, then close the grill, watching to make sure it doesn’t get too hot or there are no flare ups, and cook until chicken registers 165°F on a meat thermometer.
- Let meat rest at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Recipe Notes
- Be sure the chicken is even thicknes. Place raw chicken in a gallon size ziploc bag and pound with a rolling pin to make them even.
- Marinate the chicken for at least 4 hours for best flavor.
- Make sure the chicken is cooked to 165 degrees.
- Use the chicken as is with a side dish or use it for meal prep all week.
Recipe Nutrition
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Last Updated on February 11, 2023
I have made this recipe many times and it is by far, the best chicken marinade recipe. Chicken comes out perfectly cooked and very tasty. This recipe has renewed my faith that skinless boneless chicken breasts can be delicious if done like this!
Covered or uncovered?
When baking? I bake uncovered.
This marinade is the best! It’s simple and has so much flavor I’ve used it several times since I found it through a Google search. I’ve also shared it with my adult children and my team. I will be grilling some chicken this weekend. Thank you!
The flavor profile seems good but I cannot comprehend the cooking time. I took mine out at 25 minutes as the temperature was well above 165 already. 35-45 minutes is a long time for baked chicken. What am I missing here?
It depends on the size and thickness of your chicken
Excellent recipe that leaves the chicken flavourful and moist.
I’ve made this a few times and grilled them on the BBQ. Delicious as always a hit with guests. Thanks for sharing it.
cover or uncover during baking?
Hi- should I use a baking pan or a baking dish for this recipe? The blog states dish, but the recipe calls for a pan… Looking forward to trying this! Thanks!
I never leave comments, but this recipe is beyond amazing. I found it on Pinterest and it’s the most delicious marinade in the world. And it’s really easy. I’m so glad I found it. I’ve prepared this two nights in a row. I love it.
I made this and It was so yummy!! Wonderful recipe.
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