How do I keep oven baked chicken breasts moist and juicy?

The best ways to keep chicken from drying out require a few simple steps. First buy bone in, skin on chicken breasts instead of boneless. Use butter on and under the skin to moisten and flavor the chicken. Braising the chicken also keeps it juicy and makes plenty of flavorful sauce to drizzle over the meat. And don't overcook it. Use a meat thermometer to check for when it's done. Also, make sure to let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes or so to make sure the juices stay in the chicken.

Should I cover chicken while its cooking?

If you want the skin to remain browned and crispy, don't cover the chicken. It will cook pretty quickly and it's not necessary to cover to speed it up. But I like to cover it for most of the cooking to keep the chicken moist. And I uncover during the last 10 minutes or so. You can also put the Dutch oven under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp up the chicken skin.

How to make gravy from the chicken?

To make rich, flavorful gravy, remove chicken and vegetables from the dutch oven, cover with foil to keep warm. Measure out 1/4 cup of juices and make a "slurry" by adding about 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch, flour or arrowroot powder. Heat the liquid to a low simmer on the stove and slowly add the slurry stirring to thicken. You can adjust as needed by adding more water or chicken broth.

Can I cook the chicken breasts from frozen?

Although I prefer to use fresh or thawed chicken because I think the texture is better, you can use frozen breasts in this recipe. You won't be able to brown the breasts because of the extra moisture, but you can broil them at the end of cooking to get the skin a bit crispy. Keep in mind the frozen breasts will take up to 50% longer; check the meat thermometer.

Baked Bone In Chicken Breast ⋆

Description

Serve a 'company's coming' meal to your family on a weeknight with this tender and delicious Bone In Chicken Breast recipe. There are plenty of healthy vegetables and herbs adding to the flavor. Dinner is on the table in less than an hour.

Ingredients

Units Scale

4 bone -in chicken breasts, ( about 10-12 ounces each including bone)
2 tablespoons herb butter
1 teaspoon each: paprika, garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 carrots, sliced
1 medium onion
1 lb. string beans
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F
Combine dried seasonings together in a small bowl.
Spread 1-2 teaspoons butter under and onto the skin of the chicken.
Rub seasonings onto the chicken and under skin.
Heat oil in dutch oven over medium flame.
Brown chicken breast for 2 minutes, turn and brown the other side.
Add vegetables, broth and herbs to pot. Cover with lid.
Cook for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. and cook for another 10-15 minutes or until meat thermometer registers 165°F.
If chicken is done and the vegetables are not soft enough, remove chicken to a platter, cover with aluminum foil and cook vegetables another 5-10 minutes.
If you want a pan gravy, remove vegetables to platter with chicken and keep warm with foil.
Heat the juices in the dutch oven over medium flame. Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch, flour or Arrowroot powder and stir into the juices and bring to a simmer. to You can also add additional chicken stock and thickener to make extra gravy if needed.

Notes

*You can also the chicken and vegetables in a large roasting pan. Sear the breasts in a large skillet and transfer to the pan and cook as listed.

*To keep the crispy skin on the chicken, don't cover in the oven.

*There's no need to baste the chicken, it will be moist from the butter and opening the oven will affect the cooking time.

*To test the chicken for doneness, use a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the meat, avoiding the bones. 165°F is the proper temperature for chicken.

*Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat for 1-2 minutes in the microwave. Or place in oven safe casserole or pan, and heat in a 350*F oven for 10 minutes or so.