Tender Baked Chicken Breast is a great recipe to have on hand for those times when you want a quick and easy meal that doesn’t require much prep. The chicken is baked at a higher temperature for a shorter amount of time, which results in moist and tender chicken. It’s a great alternative to the usual chicken recipes that call for broiling or pan frying the chicken, and it’s healthier than adding extra fat into your diet.

This recipe is a spin off of one that I Tender Baked Chicken Breast on an episode of an cooking show a while ago. In place of brining the chicken, the contestant dripped salad dressing over the chicken before baking. This simple trick made all the difference in how tender and juicy the chicken was when it came out of the oven.

To give this recipe even more flavor, I like to drizzle a good quality balsamic or lemon vinaigrette over the chicken before baking it. A favorite of mine is Ken’s Zesty Italian Salad Dressing, but any brand that you have on hand will work fine too. You could also use a melted butter substitute for the salad dressing if you prefer.

The chicken is ready when the thickest part of the largest breast reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees as read by a digital meat thermometer. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving. You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.