Baked Chicken Breast on the Bone

Make the juiciest chicken breasts baked on the bone using my tips and tricks. Flavoured with a garlic herb butter, this perfectly roasted Chicken will surely impress your family and friends.

Cooking chicken breasts perfectly tender, is one task that is hard to master even for trained chefs. While chicken thighs au contraire mostly end up juicy and tasty, chicken breasts can turn out rubbery and bland.

The recipe we have created is for all those who want to try a new way of cooking perfectly roasted chicken breasts, one that works every time without having to spend the whole day in the kitchen.

Jump to:

• WHY COOK CHICKEN BREASTS ON THE BONE
• THE INGREDIENTS
• PREPARING THE CHICKEN
• OVEN ROASTING THE CHICKEN
• RESTING TIME
• SERVING SUGGESTIONS
• Baked Chicken Breast on the Bone

When it comes to roast chicken meals the question of making a sauce or not is inevitable. This recipe does not need any sauce as the garlic butter we place under the skin does everything from adding taste to keeping the chicken breasts moist. If you do decide to serve a sauce along, and I can't blame you for that, make our easy chicken gravy recipe!

WHY COOK CHICKEN BREASTS ON THE BONE

• Leaving skin and bone on the chicken will provide the breasts with extra flavour and prevent them from drying out.
• Cooking the breasts on the bone will reduce the chances of overcooking the chicken.
• Buying chicken breasts on the crown or a whole chicken is more cost effective. Usually I make 3 meals out of a whole chicken: 1 with the breasts, 1 with the legs and 1 with all the bones.

THE INGREDIENTS

Here are the main ingredients you need:

Chicken breasts on the crown if you are comfortable removing the legs from a whole chicken then always buy a whole (preferably organic).

Fresh herbs we used parsley, thyme and rosemary. These herbs can be substituted with other herbs or even a good quality dry herb mix.

Lemon zest adds the right amount of acidity. You can always squeeze some lemon juice over the chicken when it comes out of the oven.

Butter is added under the skin and slowly melts into the chicken breast making them tasty and juicy.

Garlic is a must in any roasted chicken dish.

As a habit, I always add onions cut in half or other vegetables to the baking tray. They cook with all the juices and make such an easy garnish.

PREPARING THE CHICKEN

A way of roasting chicken that I have adapted from my days working in France, is adding butter under the skin. Additions like truffle butter made a simple chicken worthy of being served in high end restaurants.

Simply combine unsalted butter left at room temperature, with chopped garlic and chopped herbs like parsley, thyme, rosemary. Add lemon zest and mix together into a smooth paste. Season with salt and pepper.

Next, using your finger gently go under the skin forming a little pocket. Stick the butter into these pockets and spread out evenly by stroking the skin on the top. Alternatively the butter could be added into a piping bag and piped under the skin if you don't want to get your hands dirty.

Now rub the outside of the chicken, with a small amount of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Place in a baking tray and add any roasting vegetables you like.

OVEN ROASTING THE CHICKEN

Place the baking tray with the chicken in a pre-heated oven at 180°C (350°F). Depending on size, cook the chicken between 35 to 45 minutes. The chicken in this recipe had the legs removed and weighed 950g (2lb). For this size chicken, 40 minutes roasting time was the right time to cook the chicken through.

While roasting the chicken, use a spoon and pour the cooking liquid from the baking tray over the skin occasionally (also called basting the chicken).

RESTING TIME

More known for cooking red meat, especially steaks but resting a piece of meat after cooking applies for chicken too. Attempting to slice a chicken breast when it just had finished cooking, will result in juices running out and the meat being tasteless and dry.

The right way is to rest the chicken for at least 4-5 minutes at room temperature. This will relax the chicken breast and the juices will be reabsorbed into the meat. However, make sure not to rest the chicken breast in a switched off oven, otherwise it will continue cooking.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

For a restaurant style presentation take off the chicken breasts from the crown and cut into slices with a sharp knife.

How to remove the breast from the bone?

To remove the breast from the bone, make a long horizontal cut along the bone where the two breasts come together (see image below).

Then, holding the chicken near the breastbone, make a cut along one side of the breast. Slowly slide the knife, cutting between the breast and the bone until the breast comes off. Repeat with the second breast half on the other side of the breastbone.

We served the roasted chicken breasts with roasted onions, sautéed kale and a quick chicken reduction.

Other side dishes for you to try with your roasted chicken:

Roasted parsnip with orange gremolata

Cheese cornbread

Roasted potatoes with paprika creme fraiche

Brussels sprout slaw with raisins

Baby carrots with carrot top chimichurri

The creamiest mashed potato

So there you have it… my recipe to make the juiciest, most flavourful chicken breasts every single time! I really hope you give this recipe a go and say goodbye to bland, rubbery and tasteless chicken breasts forever!

I would love to know how your chicken turned out so please leave me a comment and star rating below!

Bon appetit!