Now that you are here…let’s make dry chicken breast a thing of the past.

There are two ways to prevent dry chicken breast:

1.       Cooking to just before 165 and pull it out of the oven to let it finish reaching its temperature of 165.

2.       Adding a little insurance to your recipe with mayo (or sour cream or yogurt).

Option #1 – I will be honest – this one has always been tricky for me, and I only recently figured out that it is because I wasn’t using the correct thermometer. Well, I was. I was using a meat thermometer, BUT by the time it got up to its final reading… the chicken was way past 165. So – I started using a digital instant-read thermometer. This has been a game-changer. My chicken always comes out at the perfect temperature now.

But – what if you don’t have a digital instant-read thermometer? No worries – I’ve got you covered.

Option #2 - We just need to add a little insurance. We’ll do that by topping the chicken breast with a mixture of mayo and seasonings. Below I will be sharing with you 3 different recipe options AND my personal recipe for Ranch Dressing Mix. I PROMISE you will want to try it.

Let’s get into it, shall we?

Juicy Chicken Breast Recipes

For all of these, you will want to preheat your oven to 425, and use four chicken breasts (if your chicken breasts are large, you can just use two breasts cut in half horizontally). If they are not the same thickness overall, you will want to pound them out a little to make them even.

Pat the chicken breasts dry, season with salt and pepper, and put them in a baking dish (11x7 or 9x13).

Top with any of the mixes below and bake for 20-25 minutes on the top rack of the oven (if the topping is getting too brown, cover with foil).

A Little Spicy

½ cup mayo

Zest & juice of one lemon

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp celery seeds

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1 pinch cayenne

Italian Parmesan

¼ cup mayo

¼ c breadcrumbs

¼ cup parmesan cheese

1 ½ tsp Italian seasoning

Parmesan Ranch

½ cup mayo

¼ cup parmesan cheese

6 tbsp panko breadcrumbs

1 tbsp Ranch Seasoning mix (recipe below or use store-bought)

Note: You can swap nonfat, low-fat, or full-fat mayo, sour cream, or yogurt in any of these depending on your dietary restrictions.

Ranch Dressing Mix

1 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp salt

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp ground black pepper

¼ tsp onion powder

1/8 tsp dried thyme

1/8 tsp dill weed

 

This mix is equal to one serving of ranch dressing mix and can also be used to make dressing and dip. I usually make it in big batches and simply take what I need for a recipe.

 

There you have it – all you need for wonderfully juicy chicken breasts every time!