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The easiest way to bake chicken breasts (and the tastiest too!) Garlic butter baked chicken breasts are seared, on the stove and finished in the oven topped with homemade garlic butter and trust me, they are fantastic!
Garlic butter baked chicken breasts have the potential of becoming my favorite recipe of the year.
And it all starts with the humble chicken breast. Season it with the kitchen usuals – dried thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, and a hint of paprika along with the staple salt and pepper. Sear that chicken off in the hottest skillet and then into the oven it goes topped with a knob of melted garlic herb butter.
And then it’s as easy as serving it with your favorite side salad, pasta dish, fresh focaccia if you’re fancy and have your life together, or even a swoop of garlic mashed potatoes.
Quick Monday night dinners are something everyone needs in their repertoire.
EDM, you’ve heard of it. No, I’m not talking about electronic dance music, I’m referring to Easy Dinner Mondays. As in it’s the first day of the week and you really cannot get it together but still need to feed the tiny (and big) human beings you’re responsible for.
It’s kind of my favorite food genre. I mean, if you need proof, I’ve got it. There’s my skillet lemon garlic chicken, baked bruschetta chicken, balsamic tomato baked chicken, pesto baked chicken, and the cheesy bbq chicken, just to name a few. I kid you not; I live for Easy Dinner Mondays.
But also, quick clean up because ain’t nobody got time for that!
Hands down the best chicken I’ve ever made! So easy and adaptable! We dairy and soy free in our home and even with using our version of butter it was still so juicy and packed full of flavor! So excited to have found your website and already bookmarked more recipes to try!
What do you need to make garlic butter baked chicken breasts?
- chicken breasts
- salt and pepper
- paprika
- dried thyme
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- oil (for searing)
- butter
- fresh parsley (dry will also work in a pinch, use 1/2 the quantity listed)
- freshly minced garlic
- Italian seasoning
- honey
- pinch of red pepper flakes, optional
How to make the garlic butter for garlic butter chicken breast:
You won’t even believe how easy it is.
- put the ingredients for the garlic butter in a small bowl (or measuring cup)
- zap in the microwave until it melts and combines
FAQs about this recipe
Yes, you can swap the boneless skinless chicken breasts for boneless skinless chicken thighs. But keep in mind that since chicken thighs aren’t usually the same weight as chicken breasts, they may require a little less time in the oven. Be sure to use a meat thermometer to check and make sure the internal temperature reaches 165ºF before eating.
If you’re lactose-free or you follow a paleo/keto diet, you can swap the butter for ghee in this recipe. If you’re dairy-free, you can swap the butter for margarine or any plant-based butter.
If you don’t have an ovenproof skillet, transfer the seared chicken breasts into an oven-safe baking dish. Then pour the garlic butter on top and bake in the oven as listed. Keep in mind that it may take a few minutes longer to cook the chicken since you’re starting in a cold baking dish. By baking it in the same skillet we seared the chicken in, we get a bit of a head start.
What do you suggest serving with this chicken recipe?
- garlicky extra crispy roasted potatoes
- smashed potatoes
- guacamole salad
- easy California pasta salad
- roasted garlic Italian couscous salad
- superfood broccoli salad
- zucchini and corn saute
- the best brussels sprouts
I hope you’ll try making garlic butter baked chicken breasts this week. It’s seriously one of the easiest recipes I’ve ever shared, and it’s because Mondays are meant to be easy in the dinner department even if the rest of the day isn’t just that.
Garlic Butter Baked Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 4 chicken breasts 5 ounces each
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or grapeseed, vegetable, etc.
Garlic Butter:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
- 3 cloves garlic minced or grated
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ⅛ teaspoon of red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- PREP: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 425ºF. Pound the thickest part of the chicken breast using the flat portion of a meat mallet (with a piece of plastic wrap placed on top of the breast.) This will ensure even cooking. Combine the salt, paprika, black pepper, dried thyme, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with this seasoning. You can allow the chicken to sit at room temperature for 5-20 minutes if you have time, or cook it immediately.
- SEAR: Add the oil to a cast-iron skillet (or any oven-safe skillet) over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot add the chicken breasts in a single layer and sear for roughly 1-2 minutes on each side. You don’t want to cook them all the way through, just give it a nice crust on both sides.
- GARLIC BUTTER: While the chicken is cooking, combine the butter, parsley, garlic, Italian seasoning, honey, and red pepper flakes (if using) in a small bowl. Zap in the microwave in 15-20 second increments until the butter melts and all the ingredients combine.
- ROAST: Pour the garlic butter over the chicken breasts and place the skillet in the oven for 10-14 minutes OR until the chicken cooks all the way through and reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF. Remove from the oven and allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- If you don’t have an ovenproof skillet, transfer the seared chicken into an oven-safe baking dish. Pour garlic butter on top and bake in the oven as listed. Keep in mind that it may take a few minutes longer to bake the chicken since you’re starting off in a cold baking dish. By baking it in the same skillet we seared the chicken in, we get a bit of a head start.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This? Leave a comment & rating below!
I just ran across this recipe looking for a different baked chicken dish. The aroma is delightful while its in the oven and the presentation in the cast iron skillet is perfect. Chicken was moist and the flavors AMAZING! 10 thumbs up!
My family likes to try a new recipe at least once a week. Came across this one and my kids now have it listed as a common dish in our house. I actually have it in the oven now. Absolutely love it!!
I’ve made this recipe twice now and it was delicious both times. As a family we eat a lot of chicken and this recipe gives boring chicken a simple but very tasty twist. Thank you for the recipe! It’s a keeper.
Utterly delicious. Didn’t have thyme so I used rosemary instead and it was amazing. Will absolutely be making this again!
This was soo good. It was juicy and flavorful. So easy to make. I used broccoli and cheese and a pig of garli butter rice. An amazing dinner.
Holy crap. This was so good I had to post here and say how good this was. SO GOOD for keto people. Delicious for everyone! I can’t believe I didn’t make it asap as soon as I read it. Going to be a staple.
Hi Vincent! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe and really appreciate you circling back to leave a review 🙂
This chicken hit the spot! My only suggestion would be to marinate it at least 8 hours before with the dry ingredients. Thank you for sharing. On to the next one.
Wondering if this would be good on chicken thighs.
I think so!
I had to tweak it a bit, with what I had in pantry, cilantro instead of parsley, but this is delicious!! It looks and tastes delicious!
Hi Adrianna! I’m so happy to hear you tried out this recipe. Swapping out the herbs for what you have on hand is never a bad idea! Appreciate you taking the time to come back and leave a review 🙂
Made this a week ago, and had to come back and leave a review. This recipe was so great! So much flavor!! I didn’t have honey when I was making it, so I used maple syrup and it tasted fantastic. I’m making it again tonight for some guests, and I’m happy to say I went out and bought honey lol! My fiancé loved it as well, especially since all we eat is chicken in our house (fiancé is a picky meat eater). Thank you for sharing a great recipe, as am still learning how to cook!(-:
So happy to hear it was a hit for you, Cat! Appreciate you circling back to leave a comment!
This recipe was SO easy and quick. My family said this was a very tasty dish. I don’t consider myself a good cook so when my family really likes something I cook it’s a big deal! I wish I could post a pic because it truly was picture perfect. Thank you for the recipe. This will be one that I make again and again.
I’m so happy to hear the chicken was enjoyed, Sandy! Unfortunately, there isn’t a way to share the picture here but if you have Instagram, feel free to tag me in the picture with @littlespicejar or #littespicejar! I’d love to take a look 🙂
What are the nutrition facts for this recipe?
Thank you!
Just made this. Haven’t dug in yet. Only problem with the recipe I wished it said how long to heat the oven foe.
Glad to hear you gave the recipe a try, Christina! Unfortunately, because every oven requires a different amount of time to preheat, it’s impossible for me to provide a time for how long it will take. Instead, I suggest investing in an oven thermometer. It’s fairly inexpensive and I find it’s very helpful in making sure your oven reaches the desired temperature.
Hands down the best chicken I’ve ever made! So easy and adaptable! We dairy and soy free in our home and even with using our version of butter it was still so juicy and packed full of flavor! So excited to have found your website and already bookmarked more recipes to try!
Happy to hear you were able to adapt this recipe for your family’s needs! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and comment 🙂
My fiancé smiled when he put the first piece in his mouth! This was delicious. I will be sharing this website with my friends
So happy to hear it was enjoyed and thank you for sharing 🙂
With Covid-19 going on I wanted a recipe that was simple enough to make with whatever was in our spice cabinet and every other chicken breast recipe needed lemons which I didn’t have. The only thing I didn’t have here was thyme but it still turned out AMAZING which is incredible for my first time actually making chicken so thank you so much for a simple and delicious recipe. I’ll definitely be making this again.
So glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and comment 🙂
Absolutely delicious! And so fast and easy to prepare! Thank you for a great dinner!
So happy to hear that, Carolyn! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and comment 🙂
this was so easy and yummy 🙂
My family LOVED this!
This was fantastic and so easy. Thank you. it is now on our menu rotation. Everyone loved this!