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spice blend, including salt

Simple Roasted Chicken Breasts

By Jen

Crispy, flavorful skin + juicy, tender inside = roasted chicken perfection

Basic, easy, yet simply amazing

Sometimes going the basic route can yield the most stunning results. Like the classic “little black dress”. Or like this simply seasoned roasted chicken.

This straighforward, easy-peasy recipe will help you churn out reliably tender, juicy, delicious chicken breasts every time.

  • This roasted chicken is the perfect anchor for a classic “Sunday dinner” kind of meal, with the usual pairings of roasted potatoes and savory vegetables.
  • It’s also a perfect way to batch prep a big pile of chicken to set yourself up for some easy meals during the week. Shred it, chop it, leave it whole – whatever way works for you.
  • Grab your spice blend.
  • Rub it on, and under
    the skin.
  • Roast at 375 degrees.

What you’ll need

  • Chicken. (Obvs, I know.) For this recipe, select bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. Yes, even if you have no intention of eating the crispy, delicious skin (you probably won’t be able to resist that part, just saying). Bone-in, skin on chicken breasts deliver far superior results – tender, juicy, flavorful. So, please just put down those boneless, skinless chicken breasts, okay? You can just remove the skin very easily after cooking if you want to avoid it. This type of chicken is typically labeled “split chicken breasts”.
  • Roast Rub/Spices Okay, you can do your thang here, and choose whatever spices and herbs you like to use on chicken. Feel free to try out my classic, roasted chicken spice blend recipe if you’re looking for a blend to try. Or keep it super basic with simply salt and pepper. Whatever blend you decide to use, please make sure it includes salt. Salt not only significantly enhances the flavor of your chicken, it also helps tenderize it, yielding juicy, succulent chicken. If you are able to salt (and/or add your spice blend) your chicken ahead of time, go for it. The longer you allow the salt to work its magic, the better the results.
  • A roasting pan or sheet pan I usually use a large, heavy gauge rimmed baking sheet for this. I typically include intentional extra on the pan, to ensure I have plenty extra to stash away as “batch prep gold” to use for several days. Whatever amount of chicken you decide to roast, make sure you do not crowd the pan. Give the breasts a lil’ bit of breathing room. This will insure that lovely, crispy roasted texture you’re going for (instead of soft, squishy steamed chicken which is the result of cramming too much chicken in the pan).
  • A meat thermometer, preferrably instant read Okay, I’ll be honest. This is OPTIONAL. And you may be fine without it if you have Julia-Childs-level kitchen skills and can tell the exact moment when your chicken has been cooked to perfection. I know my own current culinary limits and I’m not at that level just yet. That’s why I love using a meat thermometer to take the guess work out of it. I’ve had a good experience so far with this meat thermometer, the Javelin from Lavatools.

But wait, there’s more

Don’t throw away those chicken bones. Once you are done picking the cooked chicken off the bones, store those bones in the fridge or freezer. They are the perfect starter for homemade chicken broth! If that sounds like a colossal task, I am happy to tell that making broth is quite the opposite. It’s actually pretty straightforward and easy. If you have an Instant Pot, try out my super easy Instant Pot Chicken Broth recipe.

I’d love to know if you give this a try, and how you incorporated it into your meals throughout the week!

Print Recipe
Simple Roasted Chicken Breasts
Course Main Dishes
Servings
Ingredients
  • "split" chicken breasts (bone-in, skin on) Use whatever amount you like. I find that a 3lb or so package fits nicely on my 12"x18" baking sheet.
  • spice blend, including salt
  • oil (olive oil, avocado oil, etc.) optional, for drizzling
Course Main Dishes
Servings
Ingredients
  • "split" chicken breasts (bone-in, skin on) Use whatever amount you like. I find that a 3lb or so package fits nicely on my 12"x18" baking sheet.
  • spice blend, including salt
  • oil (olive oil, avocado oil, etc.) optional, for drizzling
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Arrange the breasts on the baking sheet evenly. Do not overcrowd.
  3. Sprinkle and rub with whatever seasoning you are using. Try to rub some of the spices and salt under the skin, and also rub it on the outside, all over. Optional: drizzle with oil.
  4. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or so, until it internal temperature hits 165F in the thickest part of the breast (approximately when the juices run clear).
  5. Remove from oven, and let chicken "rest" for 15-20 minutes before slicing. This will help the chicken retain its juices (instead of running out into the pan).

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: batch cooking, chicken, meal prep

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About Me:

Hi, I’m Jen, and welcome to Nourished Not Famished. Here you’ll find recipes, meal ideas, and wellness tips to thrive without deprivation, restriction, or calorie counting. Nourish yourself and your loved ones with the pleasures of eating real, whole foods, using familiar, easy-to-find ingredients and without spending endless hours in the kitchen. Β Find out about more about me here.

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πŸ˜† Truth, right? Let's be real, grocery shopping πŸ˜† Truth, right? Let's be real, grocery shopping isn't all that fun, but if you already have a clear plan in place *before* you shop, it feels a lot less overwhelming. And by "have a plan", I mean:
πŸ‘‰ Figure out *what* you (and your household?) are going to eat for meals in the coming days. Nope, it doesn't need to be perfect. 
(πŸŽ‰I've broken that down for you into 6 bite-sized steps to help you get it done.πŸ™‚ Hit link in bio @nourished.not.famished to see it now on my blog!)
πŸ‘‰Then, make your shopping list based on your plan. 

I promise you . . . if you start with a plan before shopping, you will probably end up spending less, eating better, and reducing #foodwaste .
#winning πŸ™ŒπŸ™Œ

❓So, what kind of grocery shopper are you? A planner? Just-wing-it? A little bit of both??

❓What's on your meal plan this week? 
❓How are you showing your Future Self (who *really* wants to make good choices) some love & support by planning ahead?

πŸ“· photo by Suzanna Kreiter of The Boston Globe

#mealplan #mealprep #groceries #groceryshopping #adulting #simplenutrition #feedingmyfamily #ditchthediet #healthyhabits #healthymom #healthymoms 
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😍 Feelin' the #leftoverslove today! By Friday, 😍 Feelin' the #leftoverslove today! By Friday, who wants to think about actually cooking something, amirite?? 😩 
Making intentional leftovers whenever possible and/or batch cooking a few things is one of the BEST gifts you can give *your future self*. 

You know, that Future Self who had all sorts of intentions this week to eat delicious, nourishing, balanced meals that leave you feeling satisfied and energized? Yeah, that self. πŸ˜€ 

I get it. You're probably a lot like I used to be.
πŸ‘‰ You have a good-enough sense of what you want to do/need to do.
πŸ‘‰ You often start out with a bang, but you quickly fizzle out. Life gets in the way. The changes you're making don't fit your life and your needs.
πŸ‘‰ You wonder if your problem is lack of willpower, that maybe you're just sucky at this "being healthy" stuff.

Yeah, I used to be that person who thought:
✴️ "I really should be eating more vegetables regularly, I mean I actually even like vegetables πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ."
✴️ "I know that I'm not regularly eating the amount of protein my body needs to thrive. I should do something about that."
✴️ "Ugh, why didn't I have any plan in place, anything at all! Now it's 6pm and WTF are we going to eat for dinner. I hate this feeling!"

I'm not that person anymore.
But that change didn't happen overnight, it didn't happen in a few weeks, it didn't happen in just a few short months.

And, no, everything's not perfect now. I don't always know what we're eating for dinner. I don't always have the most wonderful, prepped foods ready & waiting in the fridge. 

But I am prepared more often than not. And that's enough to make it work for me and my household. #youdoyou 

Instead of wishing for change then failing, I started taking tiny actions that, when done consistently, resulted in better choices most of the time. I worked on skillpower, not willpower.
Like:

πŸ‘‰ writing down a simple plan for at least some*of the meals for the week. 
πŸ‘‰ making intentional extras here and there
πŸ‘‰ batch cooking one or two items weekly, things we almost always eat (steel-cut oats, chicken, veggies- raw, roasted, quick-pickled, or in a soup)

❓How do you support your Future Self?
❓What's one thing you could try
West African inspired comfort food for dinner toni West African inspired comfort food for dinner tonight! 😍 This peanut-y, veggie-packed sweet potato stew was super quick to make, and totally satisfied. And the whole fam agreed that we should add it to the dinner recipe "bank". πŸŽ‰ It was fun to try something that was new-to-us, yet easy to make!

You can grab the recipe for this stew (known as "Mafe") over at @oldways_pt , along with plenty of other inspiring recipes & meal ideas centered on delicious, healthy, nourishing "old ways" of eating found in heritage-based diets and shared cultural food traditions from around the world. 

I added some spiced lamb meatballs to the stew, too. They're a good batch-cooking item, because we can use the extras in bowl meals or a soup or stew this weekend! 

✳️Here's my recipe for Spiced Lamb Meatballs✳️
I cooked in #instantpot but oven would work well too (at 375F or so)

Combine in a bowl:
πŸ‘‰ ground lamb
πŸ‘‰ diced onion (I used red, use what you've got.)
πŸ‘‰ minced garlic
πŸ‘‰ ground cumin
πŸ‘‰ ground coriander
πŸ‘‰ fresh parsley, chopped

Roll into small meatball size (I used a small 1.5 tbsp or so cookie/muffin scoop to portion out, and then rolled by hand).

Place trivet in Instant Pot. Pour in 1/2 cup water.

Place meatballs on trivet. Gently stack if necessary.

Close with lid, set to sealing, and cook at high pressure for 7 minutes. Wait for 2 minutes and then release remaining pressure using Quick Release method.

Would love to know if you try it, or if perhaps you're already a fan of this stew.πŸ™‚

#ilovefood #honoryourhunger #africanheritagerecipe #inspired #eeeats #whatsfordinner #feedingmyfamily #nutritiousisdelicious #simplenutrition #nourished #nourishednotfamished #omnivore #plantforward #veggies #slowcarbs
My "If-Then" plan saves dinner . . . again! πŸ˜€ W My "If-Then" plan saves dinner . . . again! πŸ˜€ What do you keep on hand in your fridge, freezer, and pantry that you know you can almost always throw together to get dinner on the table in a pinch? What's your back-pocket dinner that gets you through when you are one step from throwing the towel in and ordering takeout?

Tonight's back-pocket-dinner here is turkey meatballs, lentil pasta, marinara, and arugula salad. I also had some kale on hand that I washed and stored earlier in the week, so I shredded that and added it into the sauce. #moreveggies πŸ˜€

Your If-Then plans are your ready-to-go steps to take "if" life throws you a curveball (hello, like happens all the time, right?πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ). 

✴️*If* a challenge gets in your way of following through on your healthy intentions, like:
-your meeting runs late
-your kids' practice wrapped up a half hour later than planned
-you don't have the foods on hand to make the dinner you planned on
-or maybe you're just plain ol' out of gas.

✳️*Then*, what is your backup plan that still helps you stay relatively on-target with your goals? 

I just about always have the pictured foods on hand, so I know I can easily throw together a tasty, nourishing meal without overthinking it and without a lot of fuss. 
πŸ‘‰frozen turkey meatballs
πŸ‘‰ marinara
πŸ‘‰ lentil pasta
πŸ‘‰ tub of greens
πŸ‘‰ frozen veggies (easy to add into the sauce!)
πŸ‘‰ olive oil and vinegar (or lemon) for a quick dressing

What's your If-Then back-pocket plan that works for you?

#simplenutrition #whatsfordinner #nutritiousisdelicious #healthymadeeasier #healthyhabits #shapethepath #tinyhabits #behaviorchange #nourished #nourishednotfamished #balancedplate #plantforward #omnivore #slowcarbs #ifthen
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