This smoked paprika baked chicken is bold, smoky, and on the table fast—just right for effortless weeknight dinners. Serve it with your favorite sides or as part of a dinner salad.
Why this recipe works
- Quick & easy: These paprika baked chicken breasts can be made in under 20 minutes. Prep the chicken, bake it and glaze it! Also try my rosemary & brown sugar chicken breast recipe.
- Juicy & tender: Forget about dry chicken breasts! This recipe produces juicy, tender meat.
- Sweet & savory: From the savory spices to the tangy-sweet glaze, this recipes hits all of the flavor notes.
Ingredients and substitutions
⭐️ See full recipe card below. ⭐️
- Chicken: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Cut in half lengthwise, place between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound with the flat side of a meat mallet until ¾-inch thick.
- Spices: A mixture of smoked paprika, cumin, ground coriander, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Olive oil spray: Light spray both sides of the chicken breasts to help the spices adhere. Avocado oil spray is a good substitute.
- Lime juice: Use fresh lime juice. This is my favorite handheld citrus juicer (I use this several times per week.)
- Honey: Honey or agave nectar.
Tools you’ll need
Make it a meal
Serve these baked chicken breasts with your favorite side dishes. For a well-rounded meal, include a grain or starch, such as toasted brown rice or baked sweet potato fries, and a veggie, such as Mediterranean cucumber salad or steamed asparagus.
Turn them into a salad. Choose your favorite green salad or grain bowl and top it with slice or chopped chicken. It’s great on top of a creamy chickpea romaine salad.
Storage
- In the fridge: Allow leftovers to cool, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 to 4 days.
- In the freezer: Once the chicken is cooled to temperature, tightly wrap each chicken breast in plastic wrap to avoid freezer burn. Transfer to a freezer-safe container or zipolock freezer bags. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator.
Other chicken recipes you’ll love
Printable Recipe
Paprika Baked Chicken
This smoked paprika baked chicken is bold, smoky, and on the table fast—just right for effortless weeknight dinners. Serve it with your favorite sides or as part of a dinner salad.
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 141kcal
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Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
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Cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally. Cover the breasts with plastic wrap and, using the flat side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin, lightly pound any thick sections so that the thickness of the breasts is as even as possible. The breasts should be about ¾-inch thick.
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In a small bowl, stir together the smoked paprika, cumin, ground coriander, salt, garlic powder and pepper.
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Place the breasts on the prepared baking sheet. Spray one side with olive oil spray, then sprinkle with half of the spice mixture. Turn over the breasts, spray with olive oil spray and sprinkle over the remaining spice mixture.
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In a small bowl, stir together the lime juice and honey.
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Bake until the chicken is almost cooked through (about 1 minute until done). Brush the chicken with the lime juice glaze. Cook for 1 more minute, or until the chicken juices run clear. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, but remember that the temperature will increase by about 5 degrees after the chicken is removed from the oven. Since these chicken breasts are thin, the cook time is about 9 to 12 minutes.
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Let rest for a few minutes. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired. Serve.
Notes
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I provide nutritional information for my recipes as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using the built-in recipe card calculator. While I attempt to provide information that is as accurate as possible, you should calculate the nutritional information independently before relying on it.
Nutrition
Serving: 1piece | Calories: 141kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 424mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 2g
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