Short on time for dinner, yet not so desperate to use the skillet? Baking chicken breast in the oven is quick, yet it makes a real dinner!

Cooking food that has a solid structure — like any type of meat or vegetables — no matter the temperature of the oven, it’s called roasting. With that out of the way lets dive into how to prepare chicken breast using the dry heat of the oven.

When we are the type of cook who likes to stare how the skin crackles under the scorching heat of the broiler from start to finish then roasting isn’t one of the most time-consuming tasks in the kitchen, but a passion.

What’s in the skillet?

If the blood of spit jacks doesn’t run in our veins though, roasting seems like an excruciatingly long period of time, torn out of our unjustifiably short life on Earth. No wonder, many of us opts for flipping things ready in our trusty skillet in minutes, rather than sitting out the necessary time for golden brown crust.

The cooking time in a skillet is shorter, not just because there is direct contact with heat but because on the cook top, we don’t really go for huge pieces of food at once but rather chop them up to be suitable for the cooking method we use while we don’t have second thoughts stuffing whole animals into the oven and let them enjoy the ride.

What’s with the time?

Or rather, we enjoy the time roasting gives us, if we can remember tossing the whole thing in the oven, to be ready on time for dinner. Many times, getting on time with the schedule is easier said than done, especially if our drilled in daily routine got lost somewhere between the last school year and the next.

Late dinners and tantrums are exponentially related not just in kids or in those who are trying to get rid of added sugar in their diet but in those who don’t spend every waking minute thinking about food too.

Although we expect to see big fans of food to go “hangry”, those who aren’t passionate about food and use it just to get by can cause much trouble if the meal is not on their table at times when the gremlins awaken in them.

When to bake chicken breast?

So, in case of emergencies, butterfly a chicken breast and drop it on a bowl of salad is our safest bet, that’s nourishing and can be shoved down on anybody throat as a real meal, especially if we include some cheese and croutons with it: Chicken Caesar Salad Recipe

With a bit more time at our hand, we can make the same meal a lot less demanding though.

Chicken breast isn’t like the rest of the chicken meat since it contains no strike through bones or tendons that would elongate its heat treatment. The same properties that make it ideal for quick skillet meals, make it perfect for not so slow oven dinners too.

How to prepare chicken breast?

Although a whole chicken or even cut up parts that contain bones need a considerable time in the oven, chicken breast alone can be done in about half as much time.

Sure, we can pull out all the usual tricks from our recipe book that we use when preparing meat, like brine or marinate for hours or days to make it juicier or tastier but if we just need a fairly quick meal while we walk the dog then baked chicken breast is a way to go.

A quick rub with spices is all a chicken breast needs to be a lovely dinner in no time. Although most chicken breasts are sold without skin if we like to buy our chicken whole, and can resist of making crispy chicken skin every once in a while, we can leave the skin on the breast too for a true crispy skinned chicken rotisserie feeling.

Ingredients

3 lb / 1400g Chicken breast (6)
3 teaspoons / 15g Salt
3 cloves / 10g Garlic
½ piece / 75g Onion (pureed or 1teaspoon dried)
2 teaspoons / 0.5g Paprika
Optional
- 1 teaspoon / 2g Mustard seed (freshly ground)
- 1 teaspoon / 0.5g Provencal herbs mixture (check out how to make Chicken Provençal Recipe)

How to make Baked chicken breast

If there is time, brine the chicken breasts; if not, just skip this step. Check out how to brine.
Rub the chicken breast evenly with the spices and herbs. Alternatively, use a large bowl with a lid or plate on top and shake everything until the breasts are evenly covered.
Place the chicken breast on a baking tray.
Roast the chicken breasts in a preheated 425°F / 220°C oven until its internal temperature reaches 165°F / 75°C, 15 – 20 minutes. Place the skinless breasts onto the middle rack while the chicken breasts with skin on closer to the top so the more heat can crisp the skin.
Check if the meat is cooked through either by cutting it at a less visible place. If presentation is not important just cut it anywhere.

Enjoy!

Note: Baking is a cooking method that changes the food structure from liquid to solid. Where this structural change is not happening -like it is the case with meats and vegetables including chicken breast- the process is not called baking but roasting.

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