Garlic Butter Baked Chicken (Print Page)

Juicy chicken breasts baked in a rich garlic butter herb sauce, ready in just 35 minutes for a comforting weeknight meal.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs / 680 g)

→ Garlic Butter Sauce

02 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
03 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped (plus extra for garnish)
05 - 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme)
06 - ½ teaspoon paprika
07 - ½ teaspoon salt
08 - ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

→ Optional Garnish

09 - Fresh lemon wedges
10 - Extra fresh parsley

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a baking dish large enough to hold the chicken breasts in a single layer.
02 - Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels and place them in the prepared baking dish.
03 - In a bowl, whisk together the melted butter, minced garlic, parsley, thyme, paprika, salt, and pepper until well combined.
04 - Pour the garlic butter mixture evenly over the chicken breasts, coating both sides thoroughly.
05 - Bake uncovered for 20–25 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and the juices run clear.
06 - For a golden, slightly crisp top, broil for 2–3 minutes.
07 - Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon wedges before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The garlic butter pools in the baking dish and turns into a sauce you will want to drag bread through.
  • It requires one dish and about ten minutes of actual effort, which makes it perfect for weeknights when you are running on fumes.
02 -
  • Do not skip the resting step because cutting into the chicken immediately lets all those juices escape and you end up with dry meat.
  • If your chicken breasts are very thick, consider pounding them to an even thickness so the outside does not overcook while waiting for the center to finish.
03 -
  • Marinating the chicken in the garlic butter mixture for 30 minutes before baking takes this from great to unforgettable with almost zero extra effort.
  • A meat thermometer is the single tool that stands between you and perfectly juicy chicken every single time, so invest in one if you have not already.

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