How Long To Bake Chicken Breast

If you love your bite of umami you gotta love chicken. Lean, clean (mean machine!) and delicious, it’s perhaps a nonvegetarian’s most loved protein.

Boiled, broiled, baked or fried, its a universal partner for a plethora of ingredients and is always at the top of my indulgences, meaning I’m not too fond of eating non-vegetarian fare but a juicy chicken anything is kinda hard to resist say Plattershare Content Partner Parinaaz Marolia

Now though a great source of protein, an entire chicken would add up to a lot of calories, so even though you may be munching on that drumstick or thigh, what you unknowing may miss is the fact that these parts of the chicken are high in fats, not a great thing if you are a weight watcher.

A great option then for a non-vegetarian who is looking to either lose or maintain their weight is the chicken breast. Low in fat, high in protein and the absolute ease in preparation makes chicken breast the most sorted after food.

This fully lean piece of meat means you won’t feel like you’ve eaten a mountain and need to lie down for a bit while simultaneously proving you with much-required energy to carry out your daily tasks.

A simple breakdown of nutritional value of  chicken breast (100 gms) you will be consuming,

0 gms of carbohydrates,

27 gms of proteins and

1 gm of fat,

Total calorie intake being 130 calories,

ideal, in my opinion, to be paired with a clear chicken broth and some simple salad on the side for a filling, slimming and nutritious dinner option.

A great way to cook chicken that is nice tender, juicy while retaining all its nutrients is baking it.

So let’s check out an easy step by step method for oven cooked deliciously baked chicken breast.

Ingredients which you will need to bake the chicken breast will be:

• Butter or Olive oil – 2 teaspoons
• Boneless and skinless chicken breast – 1
• Salt and pepper powder to season
• Other spices of choice if using
• Lime slices – 5 – 6
• Fresh herbs of choice (if using) 4 to sprigs
• Unpeeled garlic cloves – 4 – 5 (if using)

How to make bake chicken breast?

• 200 degrees Celcius (400 degrees F) is the ideal temperature to bake chicken, so preheat your oven for 20 mins at the said temperature.
• Use an ovenproof dish and rub it well with 1/2 teaspoon butter or olive oil, this will prevent the chicken from sticking to the dish.

• Wash well and pat the chicken dry with a kitchen towel, rub in a teaspoon of butter or olive oil on both sides and season with salt, pepper and other seasonings if using.
• Place the chicken in the baking dish and tuck in lemon slices, sprigs of herbs or unpeeled garlic cloves for extra flavour.

• Wash well and pat the chicken dry with a kitchen towel, rub in a teaspoon of butter or olive oil on both sides and season with salt, pepper and other seasonings if using.
• Place the chicken in the baking dish and tuck in lemon slices, sprigs of herbs or unpeeled garlic cloves for extra flavour.
• Now cover the top of the chicken with baking paper that has been lightly greased with 1/2 teaspoon butter or olive oil (greased side facing down.)
• Place the paper snugly around the chicken, so that the chicken breasts are completely covered.

Check out the easy recipe for Baked Chicken Parmesan: 

Chicken parmigiana or chicken parmesan (Italian Pollo Alla parmigiana) is a popular Italian-American dish. It consists of a breaded chicken breast topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella, parmesan or provolone cheese. check out the recipe for baked Chicken Parmesan

How long does it take to bake chicken?

Transfer the dish to the oven and cook till the chicken fully changes colour and is opaque, start checking after 20 mins, total cooking time is 30 to 40 mins depending on how thick the chicken breast is.

So now you know how to make succulent chicken breast,  but this is not the end, Let’s explore how to use this baked chicken breast into your recipes and make a wholesome meal for the lunch and dinner.

About the Author: Parinaaz is an MBA Finance by profession and writer by passion. She blogs on  “A Dollop of That!”, which was the outcome of her passion for writing, which surfaced often but never overflowed and since she loves to experiment with ingredients, a recipe blog was her natural choice.

When Parinaaz is not blogging, she is running after a feisty four-year-old, practising Iyengar yoga, mimicking all and sundry or photographing pretty flowers depending on what time of the day it is. You can be in touch with Parinaaz on her blog – A Dollop of That, or like her Facebook page, or follow her on  Instagram, Twitter handle and Google+