You’re only 35 minutes from a totally DEVOUR-able dinner!
Of all the birds in the world, why did we ever start eating chicken? There are larger birds in various regions of the world, yet chicken seems to be utilized in culinary dishes globally, despite their average size. Maybe I’m the only one who lies awake at night wondering about the origins of certain livestock, restless until I grab my phone and fall into a rabbit hole of anthropology, but I had to figure it was for a couple of reasons even before my manic Wikipedia dive!
Much like I’d presumed before waking up my spouse with the icy glow of my phone in the middle of the night, humans cultivated chickens for ease of capture and their ability to produce eggs. By being mostly land-dwelling and capable of reproducing rapidly, chickens ended up being perfect to cage up and harvest for their nutritious eggs and meat. However, in my research, I found that there are other animals that make for better agriculture than chickens. Ducks, for instance, lay delicious eggs more frequently than chickens and can grow to provide meat that is just as tasty. Ostriches and turkeys both produce far more meat than chickens do, and both are relatively grounded birds, so why did we settle for chicken all those millennia ago?
But something Wikipedia wasn’t brave enough to say is that chicken just tastes different! I can’t get turkey or duck to taste quite like a chicken does when it’s magnificently marinated and beautifully baked—like in today’s recipe for baked chicken breast! Scrumptious white meat slathered in a totally customizable oil dressing comes out of the oven in juicy and tender perfection that’ll have you wondering how we could ever have gone with any other bird!
Is Baked Chicken Breast Healthy?
White meat chicken is better for you than the dark meat on the bird, as well as red-meat options when it comes to low-fat, lean protein! There’s a reason countless fitness experts often dine on varieties of white meat chicken for building their muscles! With fewer calories and more protein per bite, you can’t go wrong with a skinless chicken breast! And did I mention that it’s keto-friendly?
What’s Brining And Why Should I Do It?
The very first step in our perfectly baked chicken breast is to brine your meat, but that’s a term you might have heard referring to pickles. That’s because brining is the process of soaking something for an extended time in a mixture of water and salt (the brine), a technique used when pickling vegetables. So what is it doing in our chicken recipe? Delicious chicken often requires a thorough brining to ensure that it remains juicy, flavorful, and tantalizingly tender!
Because adding salt to anything will extract the moisture within it, you’ve got to make sure you add that moisture back somehow! This is a lot more difficult than it sounds. That’s where brines and marinades really shine, as they allow you to salt and flavor your food without drying it out through a process called ‘osmosis.’
Brining proteins like white meat chicken allows liquid to stay trapped within the meat’s cells, keeping it juicy and tender throughout cooking. Additionally, because you can add almost anything to your brine/marinade, you can get that delicious flavor into your meat on a molecular level. That’s some scrumptious science you can do right in your kitchen!
How To Make Ahead And Store
Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 2 months. To reheat, wrap the chicken breasts in foil and heat in the oven at 350°F for approximately 10 minutes. Just ensure that your chicken is hot all the way through before serving, 165°F to be exact.
Serving Suggestions
Boneless, skinless white chicken breast beautifully brined and baked in your oven pairs deliciously with dishes from FoodFaithFitness’s dinner catalog! Just try it with classic Steamed Broccoli or, if you want to class it up, serve some Grilled Brussels Sprouts! Any and all keto options make baked chicken breast feel right at home at your dinner table, including Quinoa With Roast Vegetables and a slathering of Keto BBQ Sauce!
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts pounded to even thickness
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- If your chicken breasts are not pre-brined, prepare a brine by dissolving 1/4 cup kosher salt in 1 quart of warm water. Submerge the chicken breasts for 15 minutes, then rinse and pat dry.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and season with a mixture of kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. For a crispier top, broil for the final 3-5 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the oven, transfer to a plate, tent with foil, and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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