31 Healthy Baked Chicken Recipes

Chicken is a versatile and quick-cooking protein source and an ideal base for simple, healthy and fast weeknight meals. One of the easiest ways to get it on the table? Baking – a convenient, hands-off, cooking method fit for the job. (And with a meat thermometer, ensuring that your chicken’s cooked through to the right temperature becomes foolproof!) Plus, many baked chicken recipes are easy to make ahead for any meal prepping needs.

Lean chicken breast is a baked chicken staple, but all cuts of the poultry work well for baking. Dark meat like chicken thighs and drumsticks contain plenty of protein, iron and heart-healthy, polyunsaturated fats. From chicken and rice to cheese-topped chicken Parmesan, you’ll have plenty to choose from for an easy, healthy meal you’ll want to add to your regular rotation.

Start with Food Network Kitchen’s Cuban Baked Chicken with Sweet Peppers and Yellow Rice. Tender cuts of chicken are browned and cooked with aromatics, bell peppers, spices, rice and peas in this mouthwatering one-pot feast referred to as arroz con pollo in Cuba and other parts of Latin America. We use turmeric and cumin for a bright pop of color instead of the typical sazón seasoning or homemade spice mix.

Packed tightly in a standard loaf pan, marinated boneless chicken thighs become a juicy, slice‑able slab that’s perfect for piling into wraps, grain bowls or slicing for meal prep.

A savory and satisfying make-ahead meal, perfect for a crowd. Toss and mix Tex-Mex faves like corn, beans, rotisserie chicken, diced tomatoes with green chiles and pieces of corn tortillas. Make an extra batch and store in the freezer.

This healthy chicken dish takes all the flavors and great veggies of a pot pie but skips the pie dough. Instead we used a few easy techniques to give you amazingly crispy skin on chicken thighs — they’re so crunchy and flavorful you’ll never miss the crust. Our tricks for great skin? Pat the chicken absolutely dry, then start it in a cold pan and cook it skin-side down over lower heat. The thighs finish in the oven while you prepare a colorful mix of classic pot pie veggies: carrots, celery, mushrooms, potatoes and pearl onions. It’s pure comfort, no pie tin required! And with 24 grams of protein it's a high-protein treat you can feel extra good about.

Marinate a whole, cut up chicken with Mediterranean flavors including garlic, balsamic vinegar and lemon. Serve this craveable chicken with couscous and a green salad for an elegant, yet effortless meal.

Ina’s quick-fix baked chicken takes just 15 minutes to prep and will become an instant family favorite, thanks to crispy golden-brown skin and a white wine-lemon sauce.

Store-bought chicken fingers are often loaded with all kinds of unpronounceable ingredients. Stock your freezer with these homemade chicken fingers instead — your kids will love them, but don’t be surprised if they’re a favorite with the grownups, too.

The goodness of pizza with none of the kneading – naan is the perfect base for spicy chicken and tons of fresh vegetables. To save even more time, use rotisserie chicken or leftover grilled chicken breast.

A fun baked spin on a classic chicken recipe, Ree’s bites of buffalo goodness can be served with a salad or over rice for a quick meal.

Traditional tandoori chicken is made in a tandoor, a cylindrical clay oven that can reach temperatures of 700 degrees F or higher. Before being added to the oven, the chicken is marinated in a spiced yogurt mixture with a bright red hue, often from the use of special chile powder or even red food coloring. The combination of the marinated chicken and the hot tandoor results in deliciously juicy, charred chicken with a deep flavor from the mix of spices, ginger and garlic. Since most home kitchens don’t come equipped with a tandoor, we use the broiler to provide the high heat needed to produce the same level of char. Serve with a homemade raita for a well-rounded, healthy meal.

Cooking in parchment, or en papillote, is typically associated with French cuisine — al cartocchio is the Italian take — but here the technique is used to steam chicken, vegetables and rice in a sauce that draws heavily from the Asian pantry. The results are light yet flavorful and come together in just 35 minutes.

Orzo makes for an extra quick cooking starch in this one-pan baked chicken dish. Fresh herbs, garlic and lots of lemon packs in the flavor in Jeff’s high-protein meal.

Satisfy your chicken Parm cravings with Ellie’s take on the Italian comfort food. Baking, instead of frying, keeps this dish on the healthier side. Serve with whole-grain pasta to round out the meal.

Lemony chicken, creamy chickpeas and spices come together in this simple sheet pan dinner. Make sure to spoon up the juices on the bottom of the pan for the perfect sauce to complete this meal.

Corn-cereal crumbs and crushed crackers create a delicious coating in Ellie’s recipe. The yogurt tenderizes the chicken, and a light spray of olive oil before baking guarantees lightly crispy results.

Versatile and affordable drumsticks take a dip in a tangy marinade, then get baked in a hot oven for an addictively delish baked chicken.

This one-dish dinner is made with minimal ingredients but packs in huge flavor. Chicken thighs bake without drying out and are a great way to get more iron and heart-healthy polyunsaturated fats into your diet.

Ellie proves that white meat isn’t the only good-for-you part of the chicken. She uses bone-in chicken thighs with the skin removed and brushes the meat with a tangy low-fat glaze before baking.

Alton bakes chicken with 40 — yes 40 — cloves of garlic and fresh thyme. The sharp flavor of the garlic mellows as it cooks and the resulting meat is exceptionally flavorful.

This high-protein, whole-grain dish is easy to put together. Try using chicken thighs — they're budget-friendly and stay moist while baking with the rice.

Food Network Kitchen’s recipe calls for just a quick transfer from stovetop to oven. Roasted chicken drumsticks coated in a creamy, leek pan sauce make for an irresistible dinner. A tiny amount of bacon adds flavor but keep the calories sensible.

You only need a handful of ingredients (like sweet-tart grapefruit and fragrant fennel) to make this quick, simple and oh-so-satisfying chicken dish.

Ted Allen’s kid-friendly dinner features lean chicken breasts coated in a Parmesan-breadcrumb crust.

Min Kwon, M.S., R.D. says, “There are some days when I like to make a comforting chicken dish that doesn't require too much cooking time. Chicken Parmesan certainly fits that criteria. I typically bake my chicken, and in this version, in honor of the United Nations' International Year of Pulses, I used red lentils as part of the breading mixture. While you can use regular all-purpose or whole-wheat flour, I chose almond flour to introduce a slight element of nuttiness to the flavor profile.”

Trisha’s easy weeknight baked chicken recipe is equal parts juicy, crisp and spicy. Dip assorted chicken pieces into a low-fat mixture of buttermilk and hot sauce, then roll the chicken in crushed cornflakes before baking until golden brown.

Complete with juicy chicken, vegetables and coconut-infused rice, Katie’s curry casserole is anything but a boring chicken bake. This is perfect for meal prep.