Garlic Butter Baked Chicken (Printable)

Juicy chicken breasts baked in garlic butter sauce with herbs—ready in 35 minutes for a flavorful weeknight meal.

# What You Need:

→ Poultry

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

→ Garlic Butter Sauce

02 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
03 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped, plus extra for garnish
05 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
07 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Optional Garnish

08 - Lemon wedges

# How-To:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a baking dish large enough to hold the chicken breasts snugly in a single layer.
02 - Pat the chicken breasts thoroughly dry with paper towels and arrange them in the prepared baking dish.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, minced garlic, chopped parsley, dried Italian herbs, salt, and black pepper until well combined.
04 - Generously brush the garlic butter mixture over each chicken breast, ensuring all surfaces are evenly coated.
05 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked through and juices run clear. The internal temperature should reach 165°F when checked with a meat thermometer.
06 - Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with additional chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The garlic butter pools in the bottom of the dish and becomes a sauce you will want to drag bread through.
  • It takes maybe five minutes of actual effort before the oven does all the work.
  • Cleanup is minimal since everything cooks in one dish.
02 -
  • Covering the dish with foil for the first 15 minutes locks in moisture then removing it lets the tops turn golden.
  • A meat thermometer is the single best investment for juicy chicken because guessing always leads to overcooking.
03 -
  • Pound thick chicken breasts to an even thickness before baking so nothing dries out while waiting for the thick end to cook.
  • Let the butter cool slightly after melting before adding the garlic so the heat does not cook out the raw bite.

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