Recipe: Easy Baked Chicken

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If I had to give up chicken, I really have no idea what food would replace it. Boneless skinless chicken breasts are a huge part of my diet. Chicken is a great way to get lean protein in your diet, and it’s not difficult to cook. Here’s a simple and healthy chicken recipe that doesn’t take too long:

What you need:

• Chicken breasts
• Salt
• Pepper
• Paprika
• Italian seasoning
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Chicken stock
• Baking dish
• Aluminum foil
• (Other spices or seasonings, depending on your preferences)

How to do it:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line an 8” x 8” baking dish with aluminum foil. (I tend to do this for almost anything I bake—makes clean-up so much easier!)
3. Rinse and pat dry the chicken breasts. Lay them in the baking dish.
4. Sprinkle your seasoning over the chicken. I use salt, pepper, paprika and Italian seasoning. The spices or seasonings you use are completely up to you. There are lots of spices that would work well with a basic baked chicken. No matter what you use, be sure to add salt and pepper as a base.
5. Once you’ve seasoned the chicken, pour a small amount of EVOO over each piece of chicken and gently rub the EVOO and seasoning into the chicken. 
6. Flip the chicken and add your seasoning and EVOO.
7. Pour some chicken stock into the baking dish. You’ll want enough to cover the bottom of the dish so the bottom half of the chicken is covered.
8. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip the chicken and add a little more chicken stock. Bake for an additional 10 minutes. (Time may vary depending on your oven. When you pull the chicken from the oven, cut into it to check it.)

Bake more than one serving and keep it on hand for the next day or two. It’s a really quick and healthy meal and excellent for post-workout protein. You can pair your chicken with so many sides, like a spinach salad, brown rice or some steamed vegetables. Enjoy!