Chicken is something I eat a lot of. I try to only eat red meat very rarely. Maybe only once or twice a month. The rest of the time I eat chicken, or fish, or no protein at all.
Chicken used to be a fairly cheap protein, at least in the UK. I have found it to be fairly expensive here in Canada, but not quite as expensive as beef, which is extortionate in price!
Having said that, it is not at all unusual to pay almost $10 for two boneless skinless chicken breasts, which to me seems like a lot of money. I do like to buy the free-from chicken, which means it is chicken which hasn't been fed anti-biotics.
Most of the time what I will do is buy whole chickens when they are on offer and then cut them into pieces at home myself. It is a well known fact that the more your food is handled at the store, the more expensive it will be.
So, buying whole chickens and cutting them into smaller portions yourself only makes sense.
Don't get me started on the cost of good fish. The local fish plant around the corner from me will sometimes have it on offer at $6 a pound, which is a steal, but you have to buy ten pounds of it.
The breast of the chicken is the healthiest part of the chicken to eat. Its a very lean source of protein and fits into many diets including the Mediterranean Diet, and is considered to be quite heart healthy.
It also lends itself to a variety of methods of cooking and flavors. It actually has a very benign flavor itself, which means that it adapts to other flavors very easily!
Unfortunately, as it is so lean, it also lends itself to being over-cooked very easily and therefore becoming dried out. There is nothing so unpalatable as an over cooked chicken breast!
This chicken recipe I am sharing with you today has been adapted from a site called BellyFull and promised to be moist and tender, being perfectly cooked and filled with loads of flavor. Fool proof and delicious was the promise.
I have to say it delivered on all counts. I did adapt it to make only two servings. With there only being myself in this house, I don't want to be eating chicken for four days on the trot. Two I can manage!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE OVEN BAKED CHICKEN BREASTS
Simple ingredients really. You know me. I don't do complicated if I can help it! Simple and easy is my favorite way to go!
- 2 (6 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 3/4 TBS soft light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/3 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 TBS light olive oil
Italian seasoning is a specific mix of herbs, etc. meant to be used in Italian cookery. It is composed of a mix of basil, oregano and parsley, plus a few other bits. It is very easy to make your own. You can find my recipe for it here.
Other than that I used light olive oil because basically I think it is a waste to use Extra Virgin Olive oil in cooking. Save EVOO for recipes that you know its delicious flavor will be highlight in and not hidden!
HOW TO MAKE OVEN BAKED CHICKEN BREAST FOR TWO
Easy, easy, easy. Success is all in the timing!
Preheat the oven to 425*F/220*C. Line a small baking sheet with some aluminum foil and spritz lightly with some non-stick cooking spray.
Measure the brown sugar and all of the spices and herbs into a small bowl and combine well using your fingertips to break up any lumps of sugar if there are any and thoroughly combining everything.
Put the chicken pieces into a plastic bag and bash lightly with the side of a rolling pin to even out their thickness. They should be no more than 3/4 inch thick to enable even cooking.
Place the chicken on the baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil and then massage it into the chicken on both sides. Sprinkle with the herb seasoning, again on both sides, coating as much surface area as possible.
Cook in the preheated oven for 18 minutes. The inside temperature should reach 162*F/72*C. It will increase to 165*F/74*C as it sits and rests.
Leave to rest for five minutes before slicing and serving. This helps the chicken to reabsorb any juices.
Serve hot with your favorite sides. I served mine with brown rice and a frozen broccoli cauliflower mix!
This really turned out tender and moist and yes, perfectly cooked. Timings really are just suggestions however. If your breasts are really large, you may need a bit longer and if they are quite small, then it may finish cooking sooner.
This was delicious. I have enjoyed one piece of chicken on the day and will enjoy the other piece turned into fried rice or as a tasty sandwich. You really can't go wrong!
Some other Chicken Breast recipes which you might enjoy are:
CRISPY CHICKEN BREASTS WITH A HONEY GARLIC SAUCE - Perfectly cooked with a deliciously spicy coating and served with a lush sauce that is the perfect balance of hot, sweet, salty and garlicky.
PARMESAN CHICKEN BREASTS WITH CRISPY PROSCUITTO - Fabulously tasty.
Moist and tender chicken underneath a crust of crisp Prosciutto ham and meltingly tasty Parmesan cheese. The perfect blend of savory and salty. What's not to like?
Yield: 2
Author: Marie Rayner
Oven Baked Chicken Breast
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 18 MinTotal time: 23 Min
Chicken breasts are coated in a simple seasoning mix filled with complex flavors and then cooked to tender and moist perfection.
Ingredients
- 2 (6 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 3/4 TBS soft light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/3 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 TBS light olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425*F/220*C. Line a small baking sheet with some aluminum foil and spritz lightly with some non-stick cooking spray.
- Measure the brown sugar and all of the spices and herbs into a small bowl and combine well using your fingertips to break up any lumps of sugar if there are any and thoroughly combining everything.
- Put the chicken pieces into a plastic bag and bash lightly with the side of a rolling pin to even out their thickness. They should be no more than 3/4 inch thick to enable even cooking.
- Place the chicken on the baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil and then massage it into the chicken on both sides. Sprinkle with the herb seasoning, again on both sides, coating as much surface area as possible.
- Cook in the preheated oven for 18 minutes. The inside temperature should reach 162*F/72*C. It will increase to 165*F/74*C as it sits and rests.
- Leave to rest for five minutes before slicing and serving. This helps the chicken to reabsorb any juices.
- Serve hot with your favorite sides.
Did you make this recipe?
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