It really helps me out when I have pre-cooked chicken in the fridge because it is a great way to easily assemble sandwiches and wraps, or as an easy protein to add to a bowl of pasta, salad, or a bowl made with leftovers.
While I am often able to make this with rotisserie chickens, they are sometimes just too salty to eat and my husband and I have difficulty finishing a whole chicken between us.
In order to make these incredibly tender and juicy herb roasted chicken breasts, I had to experiment a bit more with the “low and slow” roasting method and tried them on a smaller scale.
And with today’s results and recipe, Apronese brings you really delicious and easy to make.
For Tender Chicken, Roast It Low and Slow
My first attempt at using the low and slow technique was when I cooked some oven roasted chicken legs and was really pleased with the texture of the meat, as well as the delicious juices that remained in the dish after the chicken legs had been cooked.
It was incredibly satisfying to use the butter and herbs together this time around, so I slathered it on two bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts and baked them in it.
I decided to lower the heat a bit and let the breasts roast for even longer before removing the cover so they could brown.
The results were even more spectacular. After cooking the breasts, I pulled out the meat, drizzled the juices over top, and have been snacking on the meat for the past week.
The results were even more unbelievable.
Does an Instant Pot Work for Making Herb Roasted Chicken Breast?
The answer is yes! With a little technique, you will be able to make this dish even faster and easier! Just follow the method I used in my Pressure Cooker Chicken and Rice recipe (pressure cook, then broil to brown the skin).
Are you ready for the most tender and juicy chicken breast you have ever tasted?
Roasted Chicken Breast with Herbs
In this recipe, juicy and tender herb roasted chicken breasts are made in just a few minutes and can be used as a great substitute for the store bought rotisserie chicken.
Prep Time: 15 mins/ Cook Time: 2hrs/ Total Time: 2 hrs 15 mins
Ingredients
- 2 split chicken breasts (about 3 lbs. total) ($6.85)
- 1 tsp dried basil ($0.10)
- 3 Tbsp butter, room temperature ($0.33)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.16)
- 1 tsp dried thyme ($0.10)
- 1 tsp dried rosemary ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- Freshly cracked black pepper (about 10 cranks of a mill) ($0.03)
Instructions
- In order to prepare the butter herb mixture, preheat the oven to 275 degrees F, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and allow it to warm up for 4-5 minutes while you prepare the butter herb mix.
- This recipe is quite easy to make. By mixing butter, minced garlic, basil, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper, and a generous amount of water into a medium bowl, whisk together until well combined. The rosemary pieces can be quite large, so either chop or crumble them with your hands before adding them.
- It is very important to pat the chicken dry on both sides with a clean paper towel. Once the chicken is dry, spread the butter herb mixture over both sides of the chicken. Drying the meat will help the butter herb mixture stick better. It is highly unlikely that the butter mixture will stick to the meat if it is too cold. If the meat is too cold, condensation will form when you rub it over the surface.
- If there is a lid on the dish, then use it. Place the chicken pieces in a shallow baking dish, deep enough to contain the chicken completely. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, or with the lid on the dish if there is one. Place the chicken dish into the oven and bake it for 90 minutes, basting halfway through.
- If you are using a gas oven with a temperature of 425oF, remove the foil after 90 minutes, baste the chicken again, and adjust the temperature of the oven to 425oF. Bake the chicken at 425oF for 20 minutes without the foil, until the skin is deep golden brown and crispy, and then remove it from the oven for a few minutes to let it rest.
- Using your fingers, slice the breasts or take the meat from the bone. Reserve the juices at the bottom of the casserole dish for drizzling over the meat once it has been sliced.
*The recipe below is for chicken breasts that are both bone-in and skin-on. In the event that you are using boneless and/or skinless chicken breasts, you will need to cook them at different temperatures and times, and will obtain different results. In my recipe for garlic herb baked chicken breasts, you can find instructions on how to bake boneless chicken breasts.
Nutritional
Serving: 1 Serving ・ Calories: 290.03 kcal ・ Carbohydrates: 1.1 g ・ Protein: 39.63 g ・ Fat: 13.28 g ・ Sodium: 1053.38 mg ・ Fiber: 0.4 g
The nutritional values shown here are only estimates. Please see our nutrition disclaimer .
Herb Roasted Chicken Breast: How to Make It – Step by Step Photos
Pre-heat the oven to 275°F. Take the chicken out of the refrigerator for a few minutes.
To create this mixture, combine 3 tablespoons of room temperature butter with 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tablespoon of dried basil, 1 tablespoon of dried thyme, 1 tablespoon of dried rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt, and a few freshly cracked peppers (about 10 rotations of a pepper mill).
When I add rosemary pieces, I crush them up in my hands until they form a paste. Stir this mixture together until it forms a paste.
Using a paper towel, pat two split chicken breasts (bone-in, skin-on, about 3 lbs. total) dry on a cutting board. It is important to keep the chicken dry so the butter sticks.
If the chicken is too cold, condensation will form and it becomes wet again, which is why you should warm it up a bit before mixing the butter. Make sure the butter herb mixture coats the chicken thickly on both sides.
In a casserole dish that is deep enough to fully contain the chicken breasts, place the seasoned chicken breasts which have been seasoned with salt and pepper in a position where they can be fully contained.
Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap (this is important to keep the moisture in), or if your casserole dish has a lid, use it.
The breasts should be roasted in the 275oF oven for 90 minutes, basted once half way through (replace the foil as tightly as possible after basting), and then removed and roasted in the 425oF oven for an additional 15 minutes.
In the meantime, return the chicken to the oven and roast it for a further 20 minutes without the foil, or until the skin has developed a deep golden brown color and is crispy.
(I garnished the photos with some parsley to give them some color, but doing so is not necessary.)
You should give the meat a final baste with those delicious juices just for good measure and then let it rest for five to ten minutes before serving.
When the meat is rested for a few minutes, the juices will stay inside and keep the meat moist for as long as possible! Serve the chicken whole or slice it up and enjoy!
In addition, you should not forget about pulling out any pieces of meat that remain on the bones, as you would with a rotisserie chicken.
There is just too much good stuff to let any go to waste.
It was absolutely delicious! And after I had removed all the meat from the bones, I gave it another good dose of those delicious juices.
As a main dish, it would be impressive, but I’ve been adding bits of this to everything I eat this week as a way to brighten up my meal. It will make 4 – 6 servings depending on how you serve it and how big your chicken pieces are.
Be sure to save those juices to pour over the top before keeping it in the fridge for later.
Please enjoy it deliciously and share it with Apronese. Remember to share your own recipe for this dish so everyone can cook and follow.
