Juicy Baked Chicken Breast

Method

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1. Dissolve the 2 tablespoons of salt in the cold water and submerge the breasts. Leave 15 minutes at room temperature — no longer, or the texture turns spongy.

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2. Heat the oven to 220°C / 425°F and line a small roasting tin.

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3. Lift the chicken out, rinse briefly and pat completely dry. Drying it is not optional if you want colour.

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4. Pound the thick end of each breast lightly with a rolling pin until the whole piece is an even 2 cm thick.

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5. Mix the oil with the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, pepper and the quarter teaspoon of salt, and rub it over every surface.

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6. Arrange in the tin without the pieces touching and bake 18 to 22 minutes.

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7. Start checking at 16 minutes: pull them the moment the thickest part reads 63°C on an instant-read thermometer.

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8. Rest, loosely tented, for 8 minutes. The temperature will climb to about 71°C on its own and the juices will settle.

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9. Slice across the grain and spoon any juices from the board back over.

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Chef’s Tips

• Buy a thermometer. Every other technique on this page is a substitute for the one that actually works.
• Pounding to an even thickness matters more than the marinade. A breast that is 4 cm at one end and 1 cm at the other cannot cook evenly.
• If you skip the brine, salt the chicken and leave it uncovered in the fridge for an hour instead.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Fresh herbs work in place of the dried thyme at roughly three times the quantity — a teaspoon of dried is about a tablespoon of fresh, chopped.

Pairing Suggestions

• Roast potatoes and a green vegetable
• A grain bowl
• Sliced cold into a salad the next day

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerated for 4 days; it is better cold in a sandwich than reheated. Freeze cooked and sliced for 2 months.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.