Oven-Baked Bone-In Chicken Breasts

Yes, I know you can slap a boneless, skinless chicken breast in a pan and have it cooked in 12-15 minutes. But in this post, I hope to convince you of the merits of batch cooking and baking bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts in the oven.

In addition to giving you a step-by-step guide to oven-baked split chicken breasts, I will also share some ideas for using versatile white meat to make meal preparation and planning quicker and easier.

Why I love this recipe (and you will too!)

1. Although they take a little longer to cook, bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts are very economical. They usually cost about half the price of boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
2. The breasts I cooked for this post weighed over a pound. With breasts this size, I can get at least two cups of cut-up cooked chicken per breast (8 cups total) for about the price of one rotisserie chicken.
3. This recipe for cooking split chicken breasts in the oven, like my Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts, is one of the easiest on my site. It requires five simple ingredients, including salt and pepper, four steps, and only one pan to wash.

Ingredient notes

• Bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts – the star of this show
• Olive oil – coats the breasts, helps crisp up the skin, and keeps them from drying out.
• Kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder – season the chicken to perfection.

Complete measurements are in the recipe card below.

How to bake bone-in chicken breasts

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel and place them on a rimmed baking sheet.
2. Coat each breast with olive oil using a pastry brush. Season generously with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

3. Bake in the oven for 45-55 minutes or until an instant-read meat thermometer reaches 165°F when inserted in the thickest part of the breast not touching the bone.
4. Remove from the oven, cover loosely with foil, and allow the juicy baked chicken breast to rest for 10 minutes before serving with your favorite sides.

 Serving and menu suggestions

I like to serve these oven roasted split chicken breasts as a main dish with simple sides, such as Loaded French Fries, Corn Casserole, American Coleslaw, or Garlic Parmesan Green Beans.

Recipe variations

• To make garlic butter herb chicken, mix melted butter with minced garlic, fresh rosemary, thyme, and parsley. Then, brush the mixture generously over the chicken before baking.
• Coat the chicken with olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, black pepper, and garlic powder for lemon pepper chicken.
• For honey mustard-glazed chicken, whisk together Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, and a splash of apple cider vinegar. Brush the mixture over the chicken in the last 15 minutes of baking.

How to store and reheat leftovers

Store the chicken in an airtight container or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or foil. It will stay fresh in the fridge for up to four days.

Reheating in the oven is the best way to keep chicken juicy. Preheat the oven to 350°F and place the chicken on a baking sheet with a wire rack. Cover loosely with foil, and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until heated through.

How long does it take to bake bone-in chicken breasts at 350 degrees F?

Depending on their size, bone-in chicken breasts typically take 45-55 minutes to bake at 350°F. For the juiciest results, use a meat thermometer and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. If you prefer crispy skin, try baking at 400°F for the last 5-10 minutes.

What is batch cooking?

Batch cooking, sometimes called meal prep, involves cooking a lot of food at once so you cook less often. This allows you to have quick and easy meals throughout the week and spend less time in the kitchen.

When they are on sale, I usually buy at least four bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts and roast them. I serve one for dinner, then debone and remove the skin from the others, saving the bones to make homemade chicken stock. Then I shred or chop the meat to make soups, casseroles, and chicken salad.

I package it up in freezer storage bags, then either pop them in the freezer to pull out later or go ahead and prepare two or three of our favorite chicken casseroles to go in the freezer.

Recipe FAQs

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