Roasted Chicken Breasts

Last night I had a complete recipe fail on a recipe that looked and sounded absolutely fabulous! I had such high hopes for it and honestly couldn't wait to post it because the pictures looked sooooo beautiful and delicious. I'm glad I can always rely on this recipe to turn out good :)
I have really been enjoying going back to basics with my cooking. When I first started this blog I posted a lot of the recipes I used to have when I was younger that had a lot of "pantry" items in them and really didn't have anything fresh. I used to think that you couldn't eat a chicken breast unless it was coated and deep fried, or covered in soupy goodness, or don't forget the trusty marinade. Now don't get me wrong, I love recipes that use all of those different ways of cooking, in fact I have many recipes on this very blog that use those same techniques, but I will tell you what. When I take a piece of chicken, and leave it alone with the bare minimum of seasonings, it always turns out to be the best chicken ever. Its all in how you cook it. This recipe is more of a method of cooking because I have started using this method on pretty much everything; fish, vegetables, etc.

Give it a try. It won't let you down. You will be amazed at how incredibly juicy and flavorful it is just by keeping it simple! 

chicken breasts

salt

pepper
garlic powder
onion powder

olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cut off all the fat from the chicken breasts and rub down lightly with olive oil.

3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, generously. Not a light dusting...I'm sayin' I want to see that stuff.

4. Put chicken on cookie sheet and roast for a minimum of 30 minutes. Internal temperature should reach 165, but I usually pull it around 160 and allow it to finish cooking outside of the oven. 

*The roasting times are going to vary depending on the thickness of your chicken. The ones I buy are usually around and inch to and inch and a half at its biggest. 

~I have been known to cook my chicken just barely to the point of being done. That's why it ends up being so incredibly juicy and tender. Most people have a fear of it being not done, I have a fear of it being overdone. So I would recommend checking it at 30 minutes by cutting a little slice in the thickest part. If the juices run clear, pull those suckers out! It will continue to cook just a little bit after you pull it out and let it rest. I'm not saying pull it out if its still pink...but just on the edge of not being done is perfect in my opinion, because like I said, it will continue to cook just a little afterwards. 

**Randi's Side Notes**

~ I personally only use sea salt when I cook now and freshly ground pepper does make a big difference in the flavor. But feel free to use whatever you have on hand. 

~ We usually eat this just plain how it is because its so delish alone, but you could serve this over a salad, you could use this to make some burritos or tacos, or even you could make soup out of it. WHATEVER!