Perfect every time roasted bone-in, skin-on chicken breast. Perfectly juicy and tender on the inside with crispy flavorful skin. This recipe is a meal prep staple in my house, as delicious straight out of the oven as it is a few days later. You will never want to cook boneless, skinless chicken breast again!
If you love this and want to learn how to cook other parts of the chicken perfectly, be sure to check out my Crispy Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Thighs and Healthy Oven Crisp Chicken Wings.
I'm kicking off the new year with one of my most relied on, foolproof, tried and true, better than a little black dress, perfect every time roasted chicken breast!
That seemed like too long of a title for a blog post so I went with “perfect every time roasted split chicken breast” because it is…
PERFECT
EVERY
SINGLE
TIME!
I have made this recipe no less than 1000 times. It was a staple in my personal chef days, and a staple now. This recipe is EIGHT BILLION times better than any boneless skinless chicken breast recipe.
Juicy tender chicken with crispy salty skin. This chicken is irresistible straight out of the oven, but just as good a few days later in sandwiches, bowls, chicken salads, or soups.
Okay…Let's Get Cooking!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
Detailed measurements and ingredients can be found within the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Chicken Breast – Bone-in, skin-on. You can purchase either “split” chicken breast or whole chicken breast but it must contain bone and skin for this recipe
- Olive Oil – Or you could use avocado oil.
- Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder – I like to keep the dried seasoning simple
- (optional) Fresh Thyme – You can add fresh thyme if you have it but it isn't necessary.
TOOLS YOU WILL USE
- Roasting pan, or sheet pan
- Knife
- Cutting board
SPLIT CHICKEN BREAST FAQ
A split chicken breast is a chicken breast with bone-in and skin-on, it is a whole chicken breast that has been “split” or cut in half.
1. Preheat oven and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper
2. Coat chicken breast all over with olive oil (I use my hands)
3. Season generously with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
4. Roast in the oven until the skin is crispy and delicious and the meat is tender (and 165°)
5. Allow chicken to rest for at least 5 minutes before you cut into it. This helps all of the juices redistribute so you are left with juicy tender meat. If you cut into the chicken too soon all of the juices will pool out and your chicken will be dry.
A “split” chicken breast is a whole chicken breast that has been “split” or cut in half. You can use a whole chicken breast for this recipe but this recipe will not work with boneless skinless chicken breast.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH ROASTED SPLIT CHICKEN BREAST?
Veggies of course!! Here are some of my favorite vegetable side dishes:
Roasted Green Beans with Mushrooms
HOW TO STORE LEFTOVERS
Slice any leftover chicken and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
The best way to reheat chicken is in a little bit of broth on the stovetop. This chicken is also great right out of the refrigerator in salads and sandwiches or sliced into a soup.
NUTRITION NERD CORNER 🤓 ISN'T CHICKEN SKIN BAD FOR ME?
Hear Ye! Hear Ye! This Nutritionist Approves of Chicken Skin!
Out of date nutrition advice will tell you to remove all skin from chicken because it has too much fat.
Oh, the horror! Fat!!
And yet, we are supplementing with collagen and espousing the benefits of bone broth (for collagen and glycine), and guess what chicken skin contains? Yup, collagen, and glycine.
Chicken skin contains about 35% collagen. You can think of collagen as the glue that holds your body together. It is a fibrous protein found throughout the body. Supplementing with collagen, or intentionally adding collagen-rich sources of food to your diet can be supportive for improved health of hair, skin, nails, and helps to maintain a healthy gut barrier, among other improved health benefits.
As a society, we have become accustomed to eating only animal muscle meat, but eating the whole animal (or at least parts beyond just muscle) ensures a better balance of amino acids.
Basically, don't be afraid to eat the skin. Cook protein that contains bones, and always assure you are eating high-quality organic protein.
Read my article on my favorite sources for organic, grass-fed, pasture-raised animal protein.
DIETARY MODIFICATIONS FOR THIS RECIPE
This recipe is naturally paleo, gluten-free, low-fodmap, Whole30, and Keto friendly.
I can’t wait for you to try this recipe for perfect every time roasted split chicken breast! When you make it, snap a photo and tag me on Instagram @abrapappa or use the hashtag #abraskitchen so I can feature your photo!
If you’ve tried this recipe, don’t forget to rate and leave a comment below. I love to hear from people who’ve made my recipes!
Roasted Split Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 4 split (2 whole) chicken breasts
- 2 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper (for easier clean up)
- Coat the chicken breasts in olive oil and season generously with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Place chicken on baking sheet and roast in oven for 40 minutes or until internal temperature reads 165°
- Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing
Video
Notes
- Do not use boneless skinless chicken breast for this recipe, it will not work.
- You can add any dried spices you like; paprika, chili powder, or curry powder are all great choices!
- 40 minutes seems to be the sweet spot for me, in the 100's of times I have made this recipe the chicken is perfect at 40 minutes. If your split or whole chicken breasts are super small you may want to check for doneness at the 30 minute mark.
Nutrition
MORE CHICKEN RECIPES YOU WILL LOVE
Whole Roast Garlic Chicken with Cauliflower
Pumpkin Parmesan Chicken and Mushrooms
Sticky Apricot Chicken Thighs – Instant Pot
Cauliflower Rice Detox Bowl with Za'atar Spiced Chicken Breast
