Asian Baked Chicken Breasts

Asian Baked Chicken Breasts have that sweet, savory, umami delicious flavor common in Asian cuisine. This caramelized baked sticky chicken recipe makes for a healthy weeknight meal.

Shameless plug, but…

After my Asian Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs broke the internet, it dawned on me we could all use a chicken breast version of that recipe too.

Here’s the thing: some people prefer breasts (or white meat).

Some people prefer thighs (or dark meat).

I’m an oven baked chicken thighs gal myself because I’m a sucker for fat, but I’ll take a juicy breast as long as it’s nice and tender and flavorful.

And that’s exactly what these Asian Baked Chicken Breasts are.

Perfectly tender, juicy, loaded with yummy sweet and sour flavors for a remarkably easy healthy main dish that is also quite fun. 

It’s the sauce that gives the whole experience an unforgettable POP, as it produces a sticky, caramelized effect that gives the chicken mouth-watering appeal.

Just like my Lemon Garlic Baked Chicken Breasts, this is one of those recipes you can easily put on repeat any time the need for lean protein calls! Great for meal prepping for meals throughout the week or tossing together on a busy weeknight.

Let’s discuss the simple ingredients needed to make this tasty chicken breast recipe.

Ingredients for Asian Baked Chicken Breasts:

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: Our lean protein of choice in this simple recipe.

I use chicken filets, chicken tenders, or I slice regular chicken breasts in half down the center to get a thinner cut.

This helps ensure the chicken bakes evenly without them turning out dry, as thicker breasts require a longer period of time to cook and you’re often left with dry chicken. 

In this sense, I recommend either buying whole chicken breasts with the intention of slicing them, or purchase chicken filets, chicken cutlets, or chicken tenders (which are the same as the aforementioned, but the slicing is pre-performed by the butcher).

Avocado Oil & Sesame Oil: Avocado oil and a touch of sesame oil are the fat portion of the chicken marinade. Because sesame oil has a bold, distinct flavor, you don’t need very much of it.

If you love sesame oil, you can increase the amount if you’d like.

I prefer using avocado oil over olive oil when cooking at a high temperature, but you can use olive oil if it’s what you have on hand.

Fish Sauce: While fish sauce may seem intimidating if you’ve never tried it, it adds to the richness, salt content, and umami flavors of the dish. It is customarily used in many Asian dishes, so I recommend picking some up if you enjoy cooking Asian food at home. 

Fresh Garlic: Loads of garlic bring so much flavor to these tasty baked boneless chicken breasts! If you love garlic, feel free to increase the amount, or you can replace it with 1 tablespoon of garlic granules or garlic powder.

Pure Maple Syrup: A small amount of pure maple syrup brings a sweetness and stickiness to the marinade and offsets the savory flavors. You can replace the pure maple syrup with brown sugar if you’d like.

Coconut Aminos (or Liquid Aminos): In case you aren’t familiar with coconut aminos, it is used as a soy-free replacement for soy sauce. If you do cook with soy, feel free to swap the coconut aminos with liquid aminos or soy sauce.

If you make this switch, don’t add salt to the marinade, because both fish sauce and soy sauce have a great deal of sodium.

Sriracha (optional): A little sriracha adds just the slightest kick to round out the flavor palate. The way I have the recipe written, the chicken is not spicy.

Nevertheless, if you prefer very mild food, omit the sriracha. On the contrary, if you love spicy food, increase the amount of sriracha to your personal taste.

Rice Vinegar: Vinegar adds that zingy tang that is so delicious in Asian-style foods. You can also use cider vinegar or lime juice if you prefer. 

Sea Salt: Because fish sauce and coconut aminos (or soy sauce) contain a decent amount of salt, hold off on adding any kosher salt until after the chicken is finished baking and you have a chance to taste it. Also feel free to add black pepper or cayenne pepper to taste.

Optional Additions:

Garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning or your own seasonings or store-bought seasoning blend are always optional additions to customize the flavor to your heart’s delight.

Now that we’ve covered the ingredients for these juicy chicken breasts, let’s make them!

How to Make Asian Baked Chicken Breasts:

Add all of the ingredients for the marinade (everything but the chicken) to a small bowl and whisk until well-combined.

Transfer the boneless chicken breasts to a zip lock bag or a small container along with the marinade. Seal it and move everything around until the chicken is coated in marinade.

Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, ideally several hours (up to 24 hours). In addition to making the chicken breasts flavorful, marinating them will also help tenderize them.

When you’re ready to bake the chicken breasts, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Transfer the chicken, including the marinade to a large casserole dish or large rimmed baking sheet or baking dish. Bake the chicken breasts for 15 minutes. 

Remove the chicken from the oven and baste it thoroughly by spooning the juices over top of the breasts.

Adjust the oven to the High Broil setting and broil the chicken for 5 to 8 minutes, or until it is golden brown and the juices have begun to caramelize. Spoon the juices over the chicken again, and serve. 

To ensure the chicken is fully cooked use a meat thermometer to test the internal temperature of the chicken.

Insert an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the breasts and wait until the numbers stop increasing. Chicken is fully cooked when it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Serve the baked Asian baked chicken breasts with your favorite side dishes, and enjoy! Mashed potatoes, white rice, or roasted broccoli are some simple staples!

Store any leftover chicken breast in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

How Long to Bake Chicken Breast:

The amount of time it takes to bake chicken breasts depends on the temperature of the breasts going into the oven (whether they are room temperature or fresh out of the refrigerator), and the thickness of the breast.

Thicker full chicken breasts take between 20 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas thinner chicken breasts (also known as cutlets, tenders, or filets), take between 12 and 20 in a 350 degree F oven. 

For the best results, use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken. 

Chicken is considered fully cooked when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and wait until the numbers stop moving to get an accurate read.

And that’s it! A high-protein main dish that is loaded with flavor the whole family will love.

If you love easy chicken recipes, also try my Mushroom and Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts, Mediterranean Chicken Breasts, or my Waldorf Chicken Salad. 

Interested in healthy side dishes to serve with your best chicken recipes?

Here are my top recommendations for side dishes to make alongside baked chicken recipes.

What to Serve with Baked Chicken Breasts:

• The Best Potato Salad
• Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Garlic and Lemon
• The Best Broccoli Salad
• Vegetable Fried Rice
• Big Batch Roasted Vegetables
• Easy Asian Cucumber Salad
• Dairy-Free Mary Me Pasta

Enjoy this easy chicken recipe for an easy weeknight dinner.

Asian Baked Chicken Breasts

4.40 from 38 votes

By Julia

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 20 minutes mins

Total: 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4 Servings

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Sweet and sour savory and umami, this Asian Baked Chicken Breasts has all the flavor and is so easy to make!

Equipment

• Large Casserole Dish

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 to 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• ▢ 2 Tbsp avocado oil
• ▢ 2 tsp sesame oil
• ▢ 1 Tbsp fish sauce
• ▢ 5 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
• ▢ ¼ cup coconut aminos*
• ▢ 2 tsp sriracha, optional
• ▢ 3 Tbsp rice vinegar
• ▢ ¼ tsp sea salt, to taste

Instructions 

• Add all of the ingredients for the marinade (everything but the chicken) to a small bowl and whisk until well-combined.
• Transfer the boneless chicken breasts to a zip lock bag or a small container along with the marinade. Seal it and move everything around until the chicken is coated in marinade. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, ideally several hours (up to 24 hours). In addition to making the chicken breasts flavorful, marinating them will also help tenderize them.
• When you’re ready to bake the chicken breasts, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Transfer the chicken, including the marinade to a large casserole dish or large rimmed baking sheet or baking dish. Bake the chicken breasts for 15 minutes. 
• Remove the chicken from the oven and baste it thoroughly by spooning the juices over top of the breasts.
• Adjust the oven to the High Broil setting and broil the chicken for 5 to 8 minutes, or until it is golden brown and the juices have begun to caramelize. Spoon the juices over the chicken again, and serve. 
• To ensure the chicken is fully cooked use a meat thermometer to test the internal temperature of the chicken. Simply insert an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the breasts and wait until the numbers stop increasing. Chicken is fully cooked when it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Serve the baked Asian baked chicken breasts with your favorite side dishes, and enjoy! Mashed potatoes, white rice, or roasted broccoli are some simple staples!

Notes

Store any leftover chicken breast in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Chicken Filet (of 4), Calories: 280kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 40g, Fat: 8g, Sugar: 3g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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