This recipe for easy roast split chicken breast is a dinner favorite-simple, foolproof, and packed with flavor. This basic cooking method ensures juicy, delicious chicken every time. It's my go-to for an easy meal that never disappoints, and making extra means you'll have leftovers perfect for chicken salad, soups, or sandwiches. Try this recipe for bone-in roast chicken breast, and it just might become a staple on your menu too!
If you've never made a roast split chicken breast, this recipe will become a go-to part of your weekly meal planning. The bone helps preserve flavor and moisture, and they are more economical than boneless skinless chicken breasts. Once you make this recipe a few times, you probably won't need to the recipe as it's a simple method.
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Why You Should Make This
- Bone in skin-on chicken breasts are budget friendly.
- Once you make it a few times you won't need the recipe.
- No dry chicken. This is juicy chicken breast, flavorful and delicious.
- It's super simple but not boring.
- It's an easy dinner and will become a go-to recipe.
- Leftovers make more easy meals, like chicken soup or chili, chicken tacos, and chicken salad.
While the chicken breasts are baking, make your side dishes and toss a salad.
Recipe Ingredients
This oven baked bone in chicken breast is very simple in terms of ingredients. The basics are chicken, salt and pepper. That's it.
- Chicken breast: Buy bone in chicken breasts with the skin on. They have more flavor and moisture than boneless, skinless. You might see them labeled as split chicken breasts because a whole chicken breast is two halves still connected in the center. You can split them yourself or ask the butcher to do it for you.
- Oil: Use olive oil or avocado oil. What not to use? Standard vegetable oil.
- Seasoning: Just sea salt or kosher salt, and black pepper.
- White wine: To deglaze the pan after searing. Options below.
- Butter: Unsalted butter so you control the salt. Just a little on top when roasting.
Make a couple of extra chicken breasts and make turkey and wild mushroom soup using leftover chicken. It's hearty and flavorful.
Chef's tip on cooking oil: If you have standard vegetable oil, toss it. Its industrially produced with chemicals, often genetically modified, and terrible for you. Here's a great article that explains more. While some articles say you can't cook with olive oil, it's not true. Just don't take it to the point of smoking, and that's true of any oil. Other good and healthy options are avocado oil, and healthy new vegetable oil replacement. It's terrific.
Substitutions and Variations
- Add butter: Adding a small amount of butter for baking creates a little more pan juices to pour over the top of the chicken when serving. I recommend (and only buy) unsalted butter because I prefer to control the salt myself in recipes. If you buy salted butter, be careful with the amount of salt you season the chicken with.
- Deglaze the pan: I use dry white wine, but chicken broth works too, alone or with a squeeze of lemon juice. Another nice option is French dry white vermouth. It's white wine flavored with aromatic herbs and comes in small bottles at many stores. No liquids? Skip it. It adds flavor but works without it.
- Compound butter: Add thin slices of this herbed compound butter on top of the chicken breast before roasting.
If you'd like baked chicken with a southern flair, try this southern baked chicken from my friend Lori.
Chef's Tip: When (if) cooking with wine, don't open a big bottle for a small amount. Use the mini, airline-sized bottles of either chardonnay or sauvignon blanc. They are inexpensive and sold in 4-packs in the wine department of your grocery store.
Recipe Instructions
Get the chicken pieces out of the refrigerator 45-60 minutes before the start of cooking to get the chill off. Yes, it is food safe to do this. It gives you better results than cooking really cold chicken.
Pre-heat the oven to 375°F. Ready a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil or a piece of baking parchment.
Step 1: If the bone-in chicken breasts come with side ribs attached, trim them off. Use a large heavy knife, cleaver, or poultry scissors. There is not much there to eat so you are not wasting meat by trimming. Trim any extra fat at the top end.
Chef's Tip: Why trim the side bones? Because the chicken breasts fit in a fry pan or skillet more easily and onto a baking sheet better without the rib bones, plus they look nicer for presentation. They're also easier to eat without the little rib bones. Leave them on if you prefer.
Step 2: Sprinkle bone-in chicken breasts with a little olive oil and season with sea salt and ground black pepper.
Step 3: Start by searing the chicken breast skin side down until crisp and golden on the stovetop. The chicken should sizzle when it hits the pan, but watch your heat level. Allow a golden brown crust to form, then turn the chicken breasts over.
Step 4: Add wine or broth (optional). Allow liquid to cook down for one minute, then place chicken breasts on the rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil and pour liquid over the top.
Step 5: Roast chicken breasts in the oven until an instant-read thermometer reads 160°F degrees in the thickest part of the breast meat without touching the bone, about 30 minutes. The internal temperature of the chicken breasts will rise to the perfect temperature of 165 degrees upon resting for a few minutes before serving.
Use the juices like a sauce when it's done, pouring over the top of the chicken.
Serving Suggestions
Cut the chicken breasts crosswise in half to serve (if they are large) or leave them whole, depending on the size. Serve with a side vegetable like basic broccolini, five minute green beans, or roast carrots with fresh thyme.
Potatoes are always great with roast chicken, whether crispy roasted red potatoes or creamy sweet potatoes, or riced mashed potatoes.
Storing and Leftovers
Let the chicken cool, then package in an airtight container, labeled and dated. Leftover chicken keeps up 3-4 days. Beyond that, slice or shred extra meat and freeze for future use in tacos, this curried chicken salad, chicken tortilla soup, or avocado chicken salad.
Remember to label and date any packages. Use within 3 months.
Recipe FAQs
Generally 30-45 minutes. Timing depends on the size of the chicken breast, how cold it was out of the refrigerator, your individual oven, whether you sear it on the stove top first, and the oven temperature. For the best results, get the chicken out of the refrigerator 45 minutes before baking or roasting to get the chill off.
I recommend baking them at 375°F. Follow my recipe and sear first then oven finish for moist and delicious bone in chicken breasts in 30 minutes. A lower temperature will take a few minutes longer, a higher temperature will be faster.
The USDA states that chicken must be cooked to 165°F to be safe to eat. The only way to tell is to use a digital kitchen thermometer. Place the tip of the probe half way into the thick part of the chicken breast for a reading (and don't touch the bone).
More Chicken Recipes
Chicken is so versatile! If you want more bone in chicken breast recipes try the Thai lemongrass chicken or braised chicken with cashew gravy. For chicken thighs, try this recipe for savory bone-in thighs.
⭐️Did You Make This?
If you make these bone-in chicken breasts, please comment and let me know, and if you loved it, please give it a 5 star rating! They really help other readers.
📖 Recipe
Roast Split Chicken Breast
Equipment
- Fry pan, skillet or cast iron pan
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds bone-in chicken breasts, skin on 4 individual chicken breasts or 2 whole chicken breasts, to split.
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup dry white wine or chicken broth or dry white French vermouth
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter optional
Instructions
Prep
- If chicken breasts are refrigerated, allow them to sit on the counter approximately 45 minutes to get the chill off. You'll have better results when baking.
- Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment and set to the side. With a sharp heavy knife or poultry shears, cut off the rib bones and any excess fat from chicken breasts, leaving skin on top attached. Sprinkle with a ½ tablespoon of olive oil then season with salt and pepper.
Sear on Stovetop
- Heat a cast iron skillet, stainless steel sauté or fry pan over medium heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. When oil is hot and moves around the pan easily, place chicken breasts rounded side (skin side) down in the pan. The chicken should sizzle when it hits the pan. Allow the chicken breasts to cook undisturbed for about two minutes. Peak underneath and if the skin is golden brown, turn the breasts over and cook for another minute. Pour in the wine or broth (turn your vent system on). It will sizzle up wildly so don’t be alarmed. Cook a minute longer.
Finish in Oven
- Move the chicken to the baking sheet, top up, and pour any liquid over the top. Top each chicken breast with a thin slice of butter if using. Place chicken in the oven and roast until 160-165°F is reached, about 30 minutes. Remove the chicken and allow to rest for a few minutes. Serve and enjoy, pouring any pan juices over the top. As soon as any extra is cool, refrigerate for 3-4 days, or shred, or chop, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- This recipe adjusts easily to how many you are serving. Plan one breast per person; maybe a half of a chicken breast for kids or smaller appetites, especially if they are large sized.
- For cooking with wine, use mini bottles of wine (airline size). The small size is very convenient when you just need a little wine.
- To accurately measure the internal temperature of the chicken, use a digital kitchen thermometer.
- Tip! Put a pat of butter on top of each chicken breast before putting in the oven for baking for even more flavor and pan drippings.
Nutrition
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Barbara says
Great easy recipe! We make this once a week I make one extra and put the chicken on a salad for lunch.
Easy and quick and has become a family favorite!
Sally Cameron says
That's just what I do, and usually use the leftovers for salad or for soup. So handy to have extra chicken in the fridge.
Barbara says
Wonderful and easy! I used the leftovers and made a salad the next day and put the chicken on top! This chicken recipe is fast to make and delicious!
Sally Cameron says
Thanks for reporting back Barbara! Such a simple recipe and so good! Everyone always enjoys it. It's my go-to dinner, and terrific for leftovers.
CarlV says
Why not just leave the chicken in the cast iron skillet in the oven, remove the chicken and make sauce/gravy in the pan?
Thanks!
Sally Cameron says
You certainly could Carl! Adding a little butter is nice too.
Ron Woodman says
Don't use the small bottles of wine for cooking as it leaves nothing to drink! Unless you open a second.
This chicken is easy to make tastes great.
Sally Cameron says
Ha! Man after my own heart ;). I use the small ones to cook with and open a regular bottle to drink. That way you can cook with less expensive wines and drink better ones!