We can never have too many delicious and quick chicken recipes, can we?! You'll love this healthy, juicy Italian baked chicken. Boneless skinless baked chicken breast recipe, prepared with a simple spice mixture, garlic and olive oil, and finished with fresh parsley and basil!

Can you bake chicken breast without drying it out? Yes! Be sure to check out my tips and watch the video below.

Italian Baked Chicken with Tomatoes. Garnished with Basil and Parsley

Boneless skinless chicken breast is a great source of lean protein; that's why they are a dieter's best friend. They are also convenient. They may even look less intimidating to cook than say bone-in chicken thighs (this cilantro lime chicken is my favorite thigh recipe, by the way).

But, even renowned chefs will tell you that boneless skinless chicken breasts are the least forgiving. Let's face it, they can just be plain boring and, often times, dry.

Not this Italian chicken recipe. Just a few tips ensure this easy baked chicken breast recipe is flavorful and juicy! It's the same technique I use for my grilled chicken breasts and pan-seared chicken breasts, and it's totally no-fail: it works every single time!

How long to bake chicken breast?

It's important not to over-bake boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Baking time will vary, depending on the size of the chicken breast and your oven temperature:

  • To bake chicken breast at 425 degrees F like in this recipe: it will take somewhere between 18 and 20 minutes.
  • To bake at 400 degrees F: the chicken breast will cook in 22 to 26 minutes depending on the size of the chicken breasts.
  • To cook chicken breasts at 350 degrees F: this will take closer to 30 minutes or so.

I prefer a high-heated oven at 425 degrees F for this chicken recipe. In my experience, cooking them at a lower heat for 30 minutes will produce dry meat.

To determine if your chicken is fully cooked, cut a small part with a knife, and the juices should run clear. But a few more tips are worth noting when it comes to perfectly cooked chicken breasts...

Important tips for juicy baked chicken breast

Particularly for those who are new to cooking, one of the big questions is, "how do I bake chicken breast without drying it out?" Here are a few tips that have worked well for me:

  • Pound the chicken. I'm a big fan of pounding chicken breasts into thinner, more evenly flat pieces; it helps it cook faster and more evenly. And by pounding, you're also mechanically tenderizing the chicken breast, which means you'll end up with a juicer and tastier chicken dinner.

Italian baked chicken in baking dish, garnished with parsley and basil.

  • Avoid baking the chicken for too long. This is the thing about cooking chicken breast, one minute makes a difference! Like I mentioned earlier, at 425 degrees F, the chicken should take about 18 minutes to bake.  Always watch carefully, and test the chicken temperature using an instant thermometer to avoid baking too long (Once the chicken registers 165 degrees F, it's ready. 18 to 20 minutes at most.)
  • Should you cover the chicken breast with foil when baking? In this recipe, I have found that covering the chicken breasts for the first 10 minutes or so was helpful in allowing steam to cook the chicken from the inside first. Then, once uncovered, it finishes cooking more quickly, which helps to avoid dry chicken breast.
  • Let the chicken rest before serving or slicing through. This is a known rule, just like with a good steak, once chicken breast hits that magic 165 degrees F, remove from heat and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes so that the juices redistribute. And this time, I actually covered the chicken while it rested. I've found that to work even better.

How to season baked chicken breast?

The sky's the limit when it comes to flavoring chicken. To begin with, be sure to season chicken breasts well on both sides with salt and pepper. Then, layer more flavor in the form of spices and aromatics that you liked.

For this Italian baked chicken, I used a simple mixture of: oregano, fresh thyme and sweet paprika along with fresh minced garlic (or, you can easily use Italian seasoning).  To bring everything together, add a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a splash of lemon juice.

TIP: For best flavor, the key is to toss the chicken well to coat evenly with the seasoning mixture, and if you have just 10 minutes, allow it the time to marinade.

How to bake chicken breast?

Let's walk through how to make this oven baked chicken breast recipe, step-by-step (print-friendly recipe and video below):

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. First, pound chicken breasts to thinner, more even pieces. A clean way to do this is to place the chicken breast in a zip-top bag first, then pound on your cutting board. (sorry, I had removed the zip-top bag in this picture.)

Chicken breast pounded using a kitchen mallet

2. Season with salt and pepper, then combine with remaining spices and fresh garlic. Add a generous drizzle of Early Harvest extra virgin olive oil and juice of about ½ lemon. Work it! Make sure chicken is well coated with the spices etc.

Chicken breast combined with spices, fresh garlic, olive oil and lemon juice in mixing bowl

3. Prepare a lightly oiled baking dish like this one. Spread red onion slices on the bottom to make a bed for the chicken. Now Arrange chicken on top and throw in tomatoes ('cause Italian!)

Chicken breasts arranged in a baking dish with red onions and tomatoes. Ready for baking

4. Cover and bake for 10 minutes, then uncover and finish baking until chicken's internal temperature reads 165 degrees F, about 10 minutes more or so (depending on how thick your chicken pieces are.)

Don't forget. Remove from heat and let chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes (you can cover it during this time). Garnish with fresh parsley and basil.

Finished Italian baked chicken, garnished with parsley and basil

Favorite things to serve along

There are endless sides and salads I can recommend to serve with baked chicken breast. This easy Mediterranean olive oil pasta carries similar flavors and the same sorta theme.

Other sides I love: this simple tomato panzanella salad; grilled zucchini salad; oven fries; baked zucchini; or the obvious choice, Italian roasted vegetables.

One last tip, prepare your sides ahead since baked chicken breast takes little time in the oven.

More chicken recipes to try:

You may also enjoy our collection of Mediterranean diet recipes. For all recipes, visit us here.

4.83 from 223 votes

Easy Italian Baked Chicken Breast Recipe

The Mediterranean Dish
Italian Baked Chicken Recipe with Onions, Tomato and Basil
Easy Italian baked chicken breast, flavored with a simple spice mixture along with fresh garlic and olive oil, and finished with parsley and fresh basil. Be sure to read the tips for best results.
Prep – 10 minutes
Cook – 18 minutes
Cuisine:
Italian
Serves – 6 people (up to)
Course:
Dinner

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 teaspoon dry oregano
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon Sweet paprika
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • 5 to 6 Campari tomatoes, or small Roma tomatoes, halved
  • Handful chopped fresh parsley for garnish
  • Fresh basil leaves for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  • Pat chicken dry. Place a chicken breast in a large zip-top bag and zip the top (make sure to release any air in the bag first), then place it on your poultry cutting board. Using a meat mallet like this one, pound to flatten the chicken. Repeat the process with the remaining chicken breast pieces.
  • Season the chicken with kosher salt and pepper on both sides and place in a large mixing bowl or dish. Add spices, minced garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and lemon juice. Combine to make sure the chicken is evenly coated with the spices and garlic.
  • In a large lightly oiled baking dish or pan, spread the onion slices on the bottom. Arrange seasoned chicken on top, and add the tomatoes.
  • Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 10 minutes covered, then uncover and bake for another 8 to 10 minutes or so. Watch carefully. This can take less or more time depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts. To be sure the chicken is cooked through, use an instant digital cooking thermometer. It should register 165 degrees F.
  • Remove from the heat. Let the chicken breasts rest (cover with foil or another pan) for 5 to 10 minutes or so before serving. Uncover and garnish with fresh parsley and basil. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • Important Cook's Tips: Do not skip pounding the chicken (step #2). Pounding the chicken into thinner, and more evenly flat pieces helps it cook faster and more evenly. And by pounding the chicken breast, you're also mechanically tenderizing it, which means you'll end up with a juicer and tastier chicken dinner.
  • Cook's Tip: Let chicken rest before serving to allow juices to redistribute.
  • Visit Our Shop to browse Mediterranean ingredients including extra virgin olive oils and spices

Nutrition

Calories: 191.8kcalCarbohydrates: 3.4gProtein: 32.6gFat: 4.5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 96.8mgSodium: 177.5mgPotassium: 641.6mgFiber: 0.8gVitamin A: 349.6IUVitamin C: 6.3mgCalcium: 24.3mgIron: 0.9mg
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I'm Suzy; born and bred right on the shores of the Mediterranean. I'm all about easy, healthy recipes with big Mediterranean flavors. Three values guide my cooking: eat with the seasons; use whole foods; and above all, share! So happy you're here...
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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Absolutely a delicious dinner. So easy and quick.
    Plenty leftovers for another night. Will be making
    This dish often.

  2. 5 stars
    I used bone in chicken thighs it took longer but delicious. I also used a 15 can of diced tomatoes because I didn’t have fresh tomatoes. Thank you so much for this recipe it was so good

      1. Hi there. The nutrition information appears right below the recipe notes. You should see a "Nutrition Facts" label.

  3. Made this recipe for dinner tonight to try something different. My husband and I really enjoyed it! I will say I had to cook it a bit longer than noted to make sure the chicken was cooked thoroughly and even sprinkled some parm cheese on top and broiled for 5 minutes! So good! We will be making this again
    Super easy and flavorful, made some buttered linguine as a side.

  4. 5 stars
    This turned out way better than I could have ever imagined! I used Roma's from the garden. Husband is now in love with me again, haha. Wish I had found this before I quit that horrible nutricken diet. Thank you Suzy!

  5. I made this recipe a few weeks ago and getting ready to make it again tonight. it was soooo good. really easy and full of flavor. I didn't have any chicken breasts on hand and used boneless, skinless thighs. I pounded them as well -- they took a little longer to cook, of course, but were very good -- yum! and husband really liked it too!

  6. 5 stars
    Can I replace chicken breast with the thigh of the chicken? I don't like chicken breast very much
    Thanks

    1. Sure! And if you do so, you can skip the whole bit with pounding. Chicken thighs are tender and don't really require that.

  7. 5 stars
    I made this dish according to the recipe. The only difference, I used some grape tomatoes I had on hand instead of regular tomatoes. It came out excellent and full of flavor

  8. 5 stars
    This was delicious! So easy to make! I am going to try the chicken with the marinade on the grill. Can’t wait to make this again. My husband loved it!

      1. 5 stars
        This was an easy recipe to make and it was so delicious!! You did an amazing job explaining every step of the recipe thoroughly.

        This dish will definitely be added to my families dinner rotation.

  9. 5 stars
    I am always on the look out for new chicken recipes to try and I love that this is so doable and looks so good!

  10. Looks fantastic! Can’t wait to try it! Did you ever try it with thinly sliced chicken breasts? Do you think they are as juicy? How about a little white wine. Thx. Love your recipes