If you are looking for chicken breast on the bone recipes, here's my best easy recipe: baked bone in chicken breast. Whether you call it roasted chicken breast or baked chicken breast, this foundational method will make you a fan for an easy chicken dinner. I make this every week. It's always on the menu because it's easy and delicious. Try it. And make extra for leftovers.
If you've never made baked bone-in chicken breasts 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.
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Why You Should Make This
- Bone-in skin-on chicken breasts are more 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 and Substitutions
This oven baked bone-in chicken breast is very simple in terms of ingredients. The basics are chicken, salt and pepper. That's it. Plus, I list two options for more flavor.
Basic Ingredients
- 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.
- Oil: I use olive oil but you can use avocado oil or coconut oil. What not to use? Standard vegetable oil. If you have it, toss it. Its industrially produced with chemicals, often genetically modified, and terrible for you. Here's a great article that explains more.
- Seasoning: Just sea salt or kosher salt, and black pepper, but you can add a little garlic powder, onion powder, or granulated garlic to the mix.
Optional Ingredients
- Butter (optional): 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.
- Deglazing liquid (optional): I prefer 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.
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 market.
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.
Sprinkle with a little olive oil and season with sea salt and ground black pepper.
Instead of baking the chicken breasts entirely in the oven, start by searing the skin side until crisp and golden on the stovetop. Place the chicken breasts in a hot pan with a little olive oil skin side down. The chicken should sizzle when it hits the pan.
Allow a golden brown crust to form, then turn the chicken breasts over and add wine or broth (optional). Allow liquid to cook down for a minute, then place chicken breasts on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil or a shallow roasting pan and pour liquid over the top.
Bake chicken breasts until an instant-read thermometer reads 160 degrees in the thickest part of the breast meat without touching the bone. The internal temperature of the chicken breasts will rise to the perfect temperature of 165 degrees upon standing for a few minutes before serving.
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Use the juices like a sauce when it’s done, pouring over the top of the chicken.
Chef's Tip: Put a pat of butter on top of each chicken breast before putting in the oven before baking for even more flavor and pan drippings.
Easy Steps
- Trim chicken breasts.
- Add a little oil to the skin side of the chicken and season.
- Sear in a medium-hot pan until golden brown on the skin (rounded) side.
- Deglaze with the wine or broth (optional).
- Place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil or a piece of baking parchment.
- Finish baking in a 375°F oven for approximately 30 minutes to 165°F (the safe internal temperature).
How to Trim Chicken Breast
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.
Also trim any extra fat at the top of the chicken breast or on the sides. Some stores do not trim, some do it for you.
Leave the skin on the chicken. It protects the tender breast meat while searing and baking, keeping moisture and flavor in. Remove it after baking or roasting if you don't want to eat it, but that crispy skin is delicious!
Chef's Tip: Why trim? Because the chicken breasts fit in a fry pan or skillet more easily and onto a baking sheet better without the ribs, plus they look nicer for presentation. They're also easier to eat without the little rib bones. Do you have to trim? No, do what works best for you.
Serving Suggestions
Cut the chicken breasts crosswise in half to serve or leave them whole. 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.
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 FAQ's
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.
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📖 Recipe
Baked Bone In Chicken Breasts
Equipment
- Fry pan, skillet or cast iron pan
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds bone-in chicken breasts, skin on about 4 pieces chicken breast
- 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
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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.
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!