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.

Cooked chicken breasts on a baking sheet, one of them cut in half.

Pin this recipe for later!

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. Try it in Paprika Chicken & Corn Salad.
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.

A raw chicken breasts in plastic wrap, with a mallet resting beside it.

Spice rubbed chicken breasts on parchment paper.

Brushing a glazed on spiced cooked chicken breasts.

Tools you'll need

Baking sheet: Use a large baking sheet.
Parchment paper: Pre-cut parchment paper is so handy and saves you from measuring and cutting from a roll.
Brush: Use a pastry brush or silicone basting brush for the glaze.

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. I use it in my paprika chicken and corn salad. It's also 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

Want to save this recipe?

Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you'll get great new recipes from us every week!

Cooked, cut chicken breast and lime wedges on parchment paper.

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.

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Entrees

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Baked Chicken Breast, Chicken Breast Recipes

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 20

Servings: Servings

Calories: 141kcal

Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

Ingredients

2 (8 ounces each) boneless, skinless chicken breasts See Note below
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
Olive oil spray
1 ½ teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 ¼ teaspoons liquid honey
Parsley for garnich optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
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.
In a small bowl, stir together the smoked paprika, cumin, ground coriander, salt, garlic powder and pepper.
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.
In a small bowl, stir together the lime juice and honey.
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.
Let rest for a few minutes. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired. Serve.

Notes

* If using smaller chicken breasts (5 ounces), use four of them. Whether you're using large breasts that are cut in half or small breasts, you'll need to even out the thickness so that they cook evenly by pounding them slightly, as outlined in Step 2.

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

Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.