If you’re looking for a Quick and Healthy Oven Baked Chicken Breast recipe, look no further. This is hands down the most popular healthy oven-baked chicken recipe I’ve used, and for many reasons. It’s simple, just a few ingredients, less than 30 minutes from start to finish, very macro-friendly, and most importantly, delicious.
Juicy Oven Baked Healthy Chicken Breast
As much as I love a juicier cut of meat or chicken on the bone; chicken breast is a winner when it comes to high protein, affordability, and great macros . It’s also incredibly versatile and quick to cook so I’ll be featuring a lot more recipes based on chicken breast in future – check out our recipes section and stay tuned!
Let’s cut to the chase. For this healthy chicken breast recipe you won’t need to run to the grocery store for any of the items on this list. These ingredients should all be in your spice rack or pantry which is why this recipe is so simple and easy.
We’ll mix together the spices, flatten the breasts, rub the spice mix into them, and roast.
The Seasoning: Garlic, Oregano, Paprika, Brown Sugar
Table of Contents
The Seasoning
Paprika, oregano (or thyme), garlic powder, and brown sugar. Now – I’ve tried this both with and without the brown sugar and either method works. If you’re being more carb and sugar conscious then omit or reduce the sugar – it’s fine. If you want some extra flavour then go for it. The sugar brings the chicken to life, crispy and caramelised. I’d even recommend making a batch of the spice mixture to store in a jar to save time in future.
Pounding the Breast
No, not that crude innuendo. Pounding the chicken breast is a technique that shouldn’t be overlooked. Cooking with a flat, evenly spread breast makes for even cooking and a greater surface area to coat with flavor – not to mention a more tender breast.
First, you should butterfly the chicken (How To Butterfly a Chicken Breast – Youtube link). Then use a rolling pin, a meat mallet, or something flat and heavy; pound the chicken until it’s flatter (roughly 1.5cm or 0.6 inches). Be careful not to go crazy here, as you don’t want to pulverize it to pieces. When doing this, cover the chicken with some cling film before your roll or pound the breast.
Lay some greaseproof paper or foil down on a baking tray – cover one side of your chicken breasts with a dash of olive oil or MCT oil, then generously sprinkle some of the spice mixes onto each breast. Use your hands here to get all of the creases and crevices of the breast coated with seasoning. Lay these down on the greaseproof paper, and repeat on the other side.
Slap these into the oven for 18 minutes.
Healthy Oven Baked Chicken Breast
Ingredients
3 or 4 chicken breasts, 150 – 180g / 5 – 6 oz each
Drizzle of olive oil (roughly 2-3 tbsp)
Seasoning:
1 1/2 tbsp (12.5g) brown sugar
1 tsp (5g) paprika
1 tsp (5g) dried oregano (or thyme)
1/4 tsp (1.25g -2g) garlic powder
1/2 tsp (2.5g) each Cornish Sea Salt and pepper
Optional garnish:
Parsley (finely chopped)
Oven Baked Healthy Chicken Breast with Brown Rice, Peas, and Broccoli
Macro nutrients
Serving: 158g Calories: 286kcal
Carbohydrates: 4g (1%)
Protein: 46g (92%)
Fat: 7g (11%)
Saturated Fat: 1g (5%)
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g
Monounsaturated Fat: 1g
Any thoughts or comments, feel free to leave some feedback below
Enjoy!