Foolproof Moist Roast Chicken Breasts

Boneless skinless chicken breasts are a grocery store staple and I think they are a great base for a meal. The only problem? They are too easy to overcook and no one enjoys eating dry, tasteless chicken. Luckily, I have an almost foolproof recipe for roasting boneless skinless chicken breasts that keeps them moist and super flavorful. Great the day they are made, they also make perfect left-overs. I often double this recipe so that I am sure to have left-overs for sandwiches, salads, soups, cobblers….

Anyway, back to this recipe. The secret to keeping the chicken moist and flavorful is to coat it in mayonnaise before baking. Don’t worry, it won’t taste like mayonnaise! The mayonnaise provides the perfect vehicle for the seasonings – salt, pepper, garlic and oregano here. And more importantly, it provides fat which keeps the chicken breast moist, even if you leave it in the oven just a little too long.

To make this recipe, I start by mixing together the mayonnaise, salt, pepper, dried oregano, and garlic. For the garlic, I like to use a microplane grater to mince it, but mincing it with a knife works just as well. I always, pat the chicken breasts dry. If they are wet, the mayonnaise mixture just slides right off. After I slather the entire chicken breast with the mayonnaise mixture, I place it into a roasting pan. When all the chicken breasts are coated and in the pan, I put them in a pre-heated 200 C oven to roast.

After about 35 minutes, I check to see if they are done. Mine weren’t quite there yet, so I put them back in for another 10 minutes. The coating should take on a golden brown color and the meat should be cooked through.

To serve, I slice it into half-centimeter thick slices and drizzle with pan juices.