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Platter of baked bone in chicken on a serving platter on the dinner table.
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5 from 6 votes

Oven and Air Fryer Chicken Breast on Bone Recipe

Cook up plump, juicy bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts in the oven or air fryer perfectly every time. This simple and easy meal is perfect for easy weeknight dinners but also great for holidays such as Easter or Christmas and other special occasions.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 538kcal
Author: Karin and Ken

Ingredients

Oven Baked Bone In Chicken Breasts

  • 4 split chicken breasts with bone in, skin on
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 tablespoons garlic minced
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil or another vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon tarragon, ground or sage, ground (optional)
  • toothpicks

Alternate Oven Method (Low Temperature)

  • 4 8-12 oz chicken breasts, bone in skin on
  • 2 teaspoons rock or kosher salt
  • ¼ cup vegetable or another oil

Air Fryer Chicken Breasts Bone-In

Instructions

Original Oven Method

  • Gather up your ingredients.
    Overhead photo of all the ingredients needed to make bone in baked chicken breasts.
  • Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and a rack lightly coated with cooking spray. Set aside.  
  • In a small bowl, combine the butter and ½ teaspoon salt. Add garlic and tarragon. If desired, add other herbs or other flavorings to the butter and mix it up.
    Butter, salt, garlic and tarragon mixed in a small glass bowl.
  • Using your finger, carefully loosen the skin from the breast meat to create a sort of pocket.
    Fingers lifting the skin away from the chicken meat.
  • Slide the butter underneath the skin, into it. Using your finger or the back of a spoon, carefully spread the butter evenly under the skin of each breast.  
    Adding the butter herb mixture under the skin of the bone in chicken breasts.
  • Using your toothpicks secure the skin, where it is not attached, to the breast.  This prevents the skin from shrinking on top of each piece.  Securing the skin also helps to create a crispy sheet of skin all over the top of each one and the meat underneath will be totally moist.  
  • Brush the top of each piece with olive oil and season both sides with salt and pepper.
    Seasoned chicken with salt and pepper. A brush is used to apply olive oil to the chicken.
  • Place the breasts in the oven and bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes. Then reduce the temperature, while chicken is in the oven, to 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and the meat is cooked through. Use your meat thermometer to make sure it's is cooked to 165 degrees.
  • Remove from oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving. 

Alternate Oven Method (Low Temperature)

  • Adjust your oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
  • Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with tinfoil and a rack lightly coated in cooking spray.
  • Holding onto one piece at a time use your finger to gently separate the skin from the breast meat, leaving the edges of the skin attached to the chicken breast. Lift the skin like it's an open door.
    Pulling back the skin from the chicken meat to add salt.
  • Using your salt shaker or a pinch of salt that is about ½ teaspoon in size, sprinkle salt, as evenly as possible, all over the surface of the breast, not the skin. Once salted, place your skin back on top of the breast.
  • Using the tip of a sharp knife or something sharp, poke at least 6 small holes through the skin. Depending on the size of your chicken breasts, up to 10 holes.
    A knife making holes or slits in the top of each bone in chicken breast.
  • Place all of the breasts on your prepared baking sheet.
  • Bake until the meat has an internal temperature that registers 165 degrees, between 35 and 45 minutes.
  • Grab your largest skillet. Turn your oven on low and heat your skillet for five minutes on medium heat.
  • Add oil and make sure there is oil everywhere in your skillet. Add breasts, skin side down.
    Chicken cooking skin side down in a skillet.
  • Increase your heat to medium high.
  • Do not move the pieces for the first three minutes. Keep watching for the skin to darken and crisp. No more than 5 minutes.
  • Lean each chicken breast to the side of the skillet so the fattest side of the breast is facing downwards on your skillet.
  • Cook until skin looks brown and crispy, another couple minutes, maximum.
  • Allow to rest on a plate or cutting board for 5 minutes before serving.

Air Fryer Bone in Chicken Breasts

  • Gather up your ingredients.
    Ingredients for air fryer bone in chicken breasts.
  • Hold your basket over your kitchen sink and prepare it with cooking spray.
    Spraying air fryer basket with oil.
  • Rinse and pat chicken dry with paper towels.
    Patting dry the chicken breasts with a paper towel.
  • Rub with oil, and season with salt and pepper.
    Seasoned bone in chicken breasts ready for the air fryer.
  • Distribute the pieces as evenly as possible, alternating ends, inside your basket, SKIN SIDE DOWN.
    Bone in chicken breasts in air fryer basket skin side down.
  • Place basket in air fryer and set temperature to 350 degrees.
  • Cook until the meat registers 160 degrees, 20 to 25 minutes, flipping and rotating breasts halfway through cooking.
  • Transfer it to serving platter, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. 
    Chicken on a serving platter.
  • Serve and enjoy every bite.
    Bite of bone in baked chicken on a fork.

Notes

Note 1: Displayed nutrition is based on the Oven Method with Butter.
Note 2: Recipes have been adapted by CooksIllustrated.com.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 538kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 146mg | Sodium: 116mg | Potassium: 409mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 500IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg