Rosemary Chicken Breasts {Juicy Recipe}

Rosemary chicken breasts in a baking dish.

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 40

Total Time: 45

This rosemary chicken breast recipe delivers big flavor with simple ingredients, using a quick sear and oven finish to make dinner easier and more efficient.

5 from 29 votes

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Ingredients

1 ½ pounds chicken breasts, about 3 breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper, for seasoning
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, *
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3 cloves garlic, minced or grated*
¼ cup chicken broth or water
½ lemon, juiced & zested

Instructions

Prep:

Preheat the oven to 400F and lightly spray a rectangular baking dish with oil. Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel and season both sides with salt and pepper. I use about ½ teaspoon of each.
In a small dish, combine the melted butter, rosemary, garlic, zest, and juice of ½ lemon. If you love lemon zest, zest the entire lemon, the yellow part only, not the white rind.

Sear the chicken:

In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, distribute the oil around the pan, then place the chicken breasts on the hot surface. Once you place them, don’t move them. Cook the first side for 4 to 5 minutes, until the chicken breast lifts easily and you’ve achieved a nice golden sear. Flip them over and sear the second side for 3 minutes.
Place the seared chicken breasts in the baking dish. Distribute the herb mixture over the chicken breasts. Pour the chicken broth (or water) into the baking dish. This keeps the chicken moist while baking.

Bake:

Bake the chicken breasts for 20 to 25 minutes. This will vary depending on the thickness and size of your chicken breasts. At minute 20, remove the baking dish from the oven and check that the internal temperature reads 165F on a meat thermometer. If not ready, continue baking for 5 more minutes. Take them out of the oven when done.
Let them rest for 5 minutes before serving. This locks the juices in.

Serve:

Serve whole or slice the chicken breasts on a board. Spoon the herby sauce from the bottom of the baking dish over the chicken.

Notes

You can skip the searing step and bake the chicken breasts in the baking dish longer, for 35-40 minutes. Searing them first cuts down the baking time and gives the breasts a nice golden exterior that baking alone can't provide.

Swap the fresh chopped rosemary for 1 teaspoon dried rosemary.
Swap the fresh garlic cloves for 1 teaspoon garlic powder.

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