Juicy Oven Baked Chicken Breasts or Thighs - Easy Recipe! (2024)

This easy baked chicken recipe is one of our all-time favorite dinners! Bone-in and skin-on breasts (or thighs!) are marinated in a citrusy, garlicky glaze and then baked in the oven. You’re going to love this simple baked chicken.

Table of Contents

• Easy Oven Baked Chicken
• What You’ll Need
• How to Bake Chicken in the Oven
• How Long Do You Bake Chicken For?
• Do You Cover Chicken When Baking?
• Internal Temperature for Chicken
• Tips for Success
• What Goes with Baked Chicken?
• How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
• Get the Recipe

Easy Oven Baked Chicken

Chicken is the star protein in our house. It’s affordable and pretty hard to mess up. Give me chicken in a stir fry, a soup, a taco – and I’m happy. But, this baked chicken recipe is so good it makes me more than happy! It makes me overjoyed. It’s easy, it’s tender and everyone loves it. What more can you ask for?

This recipe has a simple, flavor-packed chicken marinade that honestly does most of the work for you. Let the chicken breasts or thighs soak up the marinade, then pop them in a baking dish, put them in the oven, and then walk away for 45 minutes. No need to stand over the stove, or fuss over a complicated recipe. Pour yourself a glass of wine and kick your feet up while your oven makes the best baked chicken recipe of your life.

What You’ll Need

Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need to make this baked chicken recipe. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for specific amounts.

For the chicken marinade:

• Olive Oil
• Citrus Juice: Orange juice & Lemon juice
• Salt & black pepper
• Spices: Italian seasoning, Paprika & Garlic

Then to finish up you’ll need:

• Chicken breasts and/or thighs: Use bone-in, skin on chicken.
• Italian Seasoning: You’ll use just a bit more to sprinkle on the chicken before baking.
• Salt and freshly cracked pepper: Also to sprinkle on before baking.

How to Bake Chicken in the Oven

• Marinate: Mix together all of the ingredients besides the chicken. Place chicken in a bowl or large ziplock bag. Add the marinade to the chicken and toss to coat. Cover the bowl or seal the ziplock bag and place it in the fridge to marinate for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven: When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Prep the chicken. Place the chicken breast, bone side down, on a baking pan. Spoon a little extra marinade on top of each piece of chicken and then toss the remaining marinade. Sprinkle the chicken with a bit more Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
• Bake. Bake the chicken in the preheated oven until the chicken meat is no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear. This should take about 45 to 55 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast meat should read 165°F.
• Rest and Serve: Cover the chicken loosely with foil and allow it to rest for 5 minutes, then serve. This ensures your chicken stays extra juicy

How Long Do You Bake Chicken For?

For this recipe, you can choose to use chicken breast or chicken thighs. Here’s a quick look at how long you would bake each cut of meat:

Chicken Breasts

Chicken breasts have a tendency to dry out more quickly than a chicken thigh so the cook time will be shorter. Here are some simple cooking time guidelines:

• Bone-in skin-on chicken breasts: bake at 375°F for just about 45 minutes.
• Boneless skinless chicken breasts: bake at 375°F for just about 20 minutes.

You’ll know the chicken is done when it is no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear. For the most accurate results, I use an instant-read meat thermometer. I insert it into the thickest part of the meat and I look for a temperature of 165°F.

Chicken Thighs

Bone-in skin-on chicken thighs are, IMO, the most underrated cut of chicken. The dark meat is juicy and moist and doesn’t really dry out.

Bake your chicken thighs in a 375°F oven for about 55 minutes. Use that instant read meat thermometer to make sure you reached an internal temp of 165°F.

Do You Cover Chicken When Baking?

You don’t need to cover the chicken breasts or thighs when baking them in the oven. I do like to wrap the chicken in foil after it is done cooking, during the rest period. It is a simple trick you can use to make sure your chicken is extra tender and juicy.

Internal Temperature for Chicken

The perfect internal temperature to cook your chicken is 165°F. This temperature will ensure the meat is cooked through and no longer pink, but also that it isn’t dry or tough. It’s the best temperature for moist, juicy chicken every time.

If you’re not sure how you can tell what the internal temp is, use an instant read meat thermometer. Insert it into the thickest part of the meat and you’ll have your answer in seconds.

Tips for Success

There are few simple tricks I use to make sure my chicken comes out perfect every time. Here’s what I recommend:

• Pat your chicken dry with a paper towel before marinating, this will make it marinade stick to the chicken better.
• Don’t rush the marinating step. Trust me, if you give your chicken breasts or thighs time to really soak up the marinade you will be richly rewarded with juicy, flavorful baked chicken.
• Don’t forget to let your meat rest, wrapped in foil, for 5 minutes before you cut in. This will make your chicken extra juicy and tender. Why? Because when you bake chicken all the juices rush to the center of the meat. When you give the cooked chicken breasts or thighs time to rest the juices have time to redistribute throughout the meat.

What Goes with Baked Chicken?

• Starchy sides. I’m thinking rice or mashed cauliflower, mashed potatoes, and egg noodles.
• Veggies. Broccoli, green beans, or any green veggie will pair great with this meal! I really love this chicken with my green bean casseroleor creamy baked brussels sprouts!
• Sauces. I have also been know to drizzle tzatziki sauce on my chicken and potatoes.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

You’ve got two options for storing your leftover baked chicken – the fridge or the freezer. Whichever you choose, you are going to want to wrap the chicken tightly or store it in an airtight container.

• Fridge: Your chicken will be good for about 3 days in an airtight container.
• Freezer: Wrap your chicken tightly in foil, then place in an airtight, freezer safe container. It will last about 4-6 months.

When you’re ready to reheat your baked chicken, place it in a baking dish and warm them in the oven. To avoid drying out, you could whip up some extra marinade and spoon it over the chicken.

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