Baked chicken breast has a reputation for being dry, but that almost always comes down to two fixable things: uneven thickness and overcooking past 165°F.
Pound it even, watch the thermometer instead of the clock, and let it rest — that's the entire trick to chicken that stays juicy.
Pull the chicken at 165°F exactly — even a few extra minutes in the oven is the difference between juicy and dry with breast meat.
Save this recipe for later — pin it to your chicken board.
Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness (about 3/4 inch) so they cook evenly.
Rub the chicken with olive oil, then coat evenly with garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, oregano, salt and pepper.
Place on a baking sheet and bake for 18-22 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 165°F (74°C).
Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing — this keeps the juices in rather than spilling out onto the cutting board.
Chicken breasts are naturally thicker on one end — without evening them out, the thin end overcooks and dries out before the thick end is done.
A meat thermometer is the only reliable way to avoid over- or under-cooking — an instant-read thermometer is worth the small investment for chicken breast specifically since it dries out fast past 165°F.
Cutting immediately after baking lets the juices run out onto the board instead of redistributing through the meat — resting 5 minutes keeps the chicken noticeably juicier.