Quick, easy and bursting with flavor, this Oregano Chicken is going to become your next favorite family weeknight meal. You'll need just under 30 minutes to put it together from scratch, and just a few pantry staples to get that perfect balance of herby, savory flavors.
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Simple chicken recipes are my absolute go-to on rushed weekdays, and that's exactly why I keep on experimenting with a lot of recipes using chicken breasts.
On my weekly dinner rotation you'll almost always find my baked salsa chicken, oven BBQ chicken and honey butter chicken making an appearance. Of course, this baked oregano chicken recipe has been an incredible recent addition!
Why You'll Love This Oregano Chicken Recipe
- Quick and easy: This garlic oregano chicken barely needs any prep time, and comes together in under 30 minutes.
- Simple yet elegant: The recipe is so simple! There are no complicated steps involved, and you'll still end up with a dish that tastes and looks so elegant and delicious.
- Affordable: Use an affordable cut of chicken and just some pantry staples to make this incredibly flavorful dish.
- Family favorite: With its subtle flavors, oregano on chicken is sure to be a hit with everyone in the family- even kids!
Ingredients
- Chicken: I used bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts for this recipe, because that's what I had at hand. You can use almost any cut of chicken and still end up with a super delicious and flavorful dish. Just remember that the cooking time will be slightly different.
- Oregano and Garlic: Nothing comes close to the flavor and aroma of fresh minced garlic. It's a must have for this recipe. For the oregano, I keep it simple and use dried but you can also use fresh if you prefer. You will need about two tablespoons of chopped fresh oregano.
- Olive oil: To help the seasonings stick to the chicken. You can also use canola oil or vegetable oil if you want to.
- Cooking spray: To prep the baking tray.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Extra crispy: To get the chicken to be extra crispy, you can coat it in seasoned bread crumbs before you bake it. If you don't want to use breadcrumbs, a light coating of all purpose flour can do the trick!
- Lemony flavor: Add some freshly squeezed lemon juice and lots of lemon zest into the seasoning mix to make lemon oregano chicken. It tastes absolutely incredible!
- Herby fun: Jazz up the chicken even further by adding more dried or fresh herbs into the mix. Cilantro, parsley and basil are all excellent choices.
How to Make Oregano Chicken
Start by preheating your oven to 450 degrees, and prepping a baking sheet by lining it with foil and greasing it with some cooking spray.
Step 1: Make the oregano chicken marinade. In a small bowl, combine all the oregano, minced garlic, and olive oil.
Step 2: Slit and rub. Cut a pocket into each chicken breast about 2 inches deep horizontally, and rub some of the marinade inside.
Step 3: Coat chicken. Generously coat the outside of the chicken with the same marinade, and arrange it on the prepared baking sheet.
Step 4: Bake and serve. Bake for 5 minutes, then turn down the temperature to 350 degrees and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the juices run clear.
⭐️ Hint: Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes before you serve it. This helps seal in those juices, and you'll get the most tender, succulent chicken.
If you love easy main dish recipes like this one, you may also enjoy my Butterfly Chicken Drumsticks.
Storage Directions
- Storing: Store your leftover oregano chicken breast in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to three months.
- Reheating: You can reheat the chicken in the microwave, pausing at every 30 second interval until it has warmed through. This is honestly the quickest, easiest way to do it without drying the chicken out.
- Make Ahead: You can also prep the dish ahead of time if you want to. Simply place the uncooked marinated chicken in freezer safe bags or containers and freeze them for up to 3 months. Then, when you want to have them, just allow them to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then cook them as you would.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy this juicy and delicious chicken with oregano and garlic as a main with a simple side of air fryer green beans, broiled asparagus, or these Hasselback potatoes in the air fryer.
I also love serving the chicken with a pasta dish like my favorite summer alfredo pasta recipe or risotto pasta along with a side of frozen garlic bread.
Recipe Tips
- Pat dry: Remember to pat dry the chicken with paper towels to remove any moisture from the surface before you coat it in the marinade. Doing this will help you get that crispy skin on the outside. This is especially important if you're working with frozen, thawed chicken.
- Choose the cut: If you don't like bone-in chicken, you can totally use boneless chicken breasts or even chicken thighs or tenders for this recipe. The cooking time may vary slightly, so just keep an eye out for that.
- Cook check: To check if the chicken is cooked, use a meat thermometer. If the internal temperature reads 165 degrees or more, the chicken is cooked through. You can also cut through the center to check if the chicken is pink and undercooked, or if the juices are clear.
Recipe FAQs
You can! Simply arrange the marinated chicken breasts in a greased Air Fryer basket and cook for about 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked. Remember to flip the chicken midway through the cooking time though.
To add more flavor to the marinade, you can add some red pepper flakes or cayenne (if you want that kick of heat), cumin powder (for that earthy flavor) or grated Parmesan cheese (if you want it to have some cheesiness).
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More Delicious Chicken Recipes
Do you like easy chicken recipes? Here are some other recipes you may also like to try!
Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
Easy Baked Chicken with Oregano
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts bone in, skin on
- 4 tablespoons garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons oregano, dried (ground or leaves) thyme, basil, sage, or Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon black pepper more or less to taste
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with tinfoil coated with cooking spray and rack. Set aside.
- Pat chicken breasts with paper towel so they are dry.
- Combine olive oil, oregano, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and cayenne or black pepper in a small bowl.
- Cut a pocket (about 1 - 2 inches deep) horizontally in the side of each breast and spread olive oil mixture into each pocket.
- Spread some of the mixture under the skin of the chicken and the rest all over the skin. The chicken breasts have to be covered in the olive oil mixture.
- Place the chicken breasts on the prepared sheet skin side up. Bake for 5 minutes.
- Next, reduce temperature to 350 and finish baking, without removing chicken from your oven or opening oven door.
- Cook 25 minutes more or until juices run clear and your chicken breasts are 165 degrees at their thickest point. Enjoy!.
Video
Notes
- Pat dry: Remember to pat dry the chicken with paper towels to remove any moisture from the surface before you coat it in the marinade. Doing this will help you get that crispy skin on the outside. This is especially important if you're working with frozen, thawed chicken.
- Choose the cut: If you don't like bone-in chicken, you can totally use boneless chicken breasts or even chicken thighs or tenders for this recipe. The cooking time may vary slightly, so just keep an eye out for that.
- Cook check: To check if the chicken is cooked, use a meat thermometer. If the internal temperature reads 165 degrees or more, the chicken is cooked through. You can also cut through the center to check if the chicken is pink and undercooked, or if the juices are clear.
Nutrition
This post was originally published October 2016. It has been updated with new content and images.
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