The secret to making really juicy chicken breasts is really easy, follow these tips and you’ll be surprised by how juicy and yummy the chicken breast you cook will be. From knowing how to marinate the right way to cooking with the right ingredients, tools and heat, once you know what’s important, the cooking of a nice, juicy chicken breast becomes really really easy.
Thanks to Chef Jeff Trombetta for this amazing recipe! Featured photo: juicy yogurt marinated chicken by Laney Schwartz, Life Is But a Dish.
On this page: The basic method · Our air fryer video · 5 recipes worth making
The basic method for juicy chicken breasts
Every recipe further down builds on the same five habits. Get these right and even a plain chicken breast stays juicy.
- Even it out. Pound the thick end until the whole breast is roughly the same thickness, so the thin end isn’t drying out while the thick end catches up.
- Salt it early. Season with salt at least half an hour ahead, or give it a quick brine. Salt helps the meat hold on to its moisture.
- Pat it dry and get the pan hot. A dry surface browns instead of steaming, and browning is where the flavor comes from.
- Cook to temperature, not to time. Chicken is safe at 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part, the USDA guideline, and every minute past that dries it out. An instant-read thermometer takes the guessing away.
- Let it rest. Give it five minutes on the board before slicing, so the juices stay in the meat instead of running out.
Watch: our air fryer chicken breasts
This is our most-watched video, with more than 2 million views: chicken breasts that come out of the air fryer crisp on the outside and juicy inside.
5 more juicy chicken breast recipes worth making
Each of these takes the basic method somewhere different. We’ve listed what goes into each one, but the full recipes belong to the cooks who created them, so follow the links for their method. Looking for more from our own kitchen? Try our melt-in-your-mouth oven baked chicken breasts, the 10-minute honey glazed chicken breast, our balsamic glazed chicken breast or the bacon and spinach stuffed chicken breast.
Jump to: 1. Pan-fried, Cantonese style · 2. Oven-baked · 3. Grilled · 4. Spinach and feta stuffed · 5. Air fryer
1. The Pan-Fried Chicken Breast My Dad’s Made 100,000 Times
Why it stands out: It’s a Cantonese restaurant classic that Daddy Lau has cooked for more than 60 years. A quick brine and a light cornstarch coating keep the lean breast silky, and it’s finished in a glossy onion sauce. It’s the most unusual chicken breast on this page, and the one to try if yours always turns out dry.
Good to know: The ingredient list looks long, but most of it is sauces you probably already have.
You’ll need: chicken bouillon powder, chicken breast, cooking wine, cornstarch, ginger, light soy sauce, oil, oyster sauce, red onion, salt, sesame oil, sugar, water, white onion, white pepper.
Serves: 4 · Time: about 25 minutes
Get the full recipe from Daddy Lau at Made With Lau →
2. Oven Baked Chicken Breast
Why it stands out: No brining and no marinating. A simple paprika and herb rub with a little brown sugar, and a short, very hot bake, give a caramelized crust. The chicken makes its own light pan juices to spoon over.
Good to know: It’s the fastest recipe here, which makes it the easy weeknight pick.
You’ll need: brown sugar, chicken breasts, dried oregano or thyme, garlic powder, olive oil, paprika, parsley, pepper, salt.
Serves: 4 · Time: about 25 minutes
Get the full recipe from Nagi Maehashi at RecipeTin Eats →
3. The Best Grilled Chicken
Why it stands out: The clever part is the marinade: it takes its lemon flavor from the zest instead of the juice, so the outside doesn’t turn leathery. The breasts are also pounded even, so they grill through without dry edges.
Good to know: Plan ahead: it needs at least 4 hours in the marinade.
You’ll need: black pepper, boneless skinless chicken breasts, dried oregano, dried thyme, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, salt.
Serves: 4 · Time: about 30 minutes, plus marinating
Get the full recipe from Jennifer Segal at Once Upon a Chef →
4. Spinach & Feta Stuffed Chicken Breast
Why it stands out: The breasts are stuffed like spanakopita, with spinach, feta, scallions and fresh mint, and you get a choice of two finishes: a tomato sauce or a lemon and caper butter sauce.
Good to know: It’s the most work of the five, so save it for guests or a Sunday dinner.
You’ll need: baby spinach, balsamic glaze, butter, capers, chicken breasts, chicken broth, cream cheese or ricotta, dried oregano, coriander and cumin, feta cheese, fresh mint, garlic, lemon juice, marinara sauce, olive oil, scallions.
Serves: 5 · Time: under an hour
Get the full recipe from Dimitra Khan at Dimitras Dishes →
5. Ridiculously Good Air Fryer Chicken Breast
Why it stands out: Instead of cooking whole breasts, the chicken is sliced into thin, flat pieces and coated in a smoky paprika rub. They cook in minutes, with crisp, caramelized edges and juicy middles.
Good to know: Slicing the chicken thin is the whole trick here. Thick pieces won’t come out the same.
You’ll need: avocado oil, boneless skinless chicken breasts, brown sugar, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, smoked paprika.
Serves: 2 to 4 · Time: about 20 minutes
Get the full recipe from Lindsay Ostrom at Pinch of Yum →
Kitchen Kit
- An instant-read thermometer, the one tool that guarantees juicy chicken
- A cast iron skillet, for a proper golden sear
- An air fryer
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Looks delicious