Easy Baked Chicken with Sherry Vinaigrette

Remember my rant about chicken breasts from last week?

I may have to retract some of it. After accidentally buying chicken breasts when I thought I was buying thighs, I was forced to give my least favorite cut of chicken another chance. Spoiler alert: it came out really well!

This baked chicken is really easy to make and stays moist thanks to a quick vinaigrette and a piece of parchment paper tucked around it when it cooks. It's great for adding to salads, tossing with some zoodles, or just eating plain with a side of veggies. I tossed a couple of handfuls of greens with some extra sherry vinaigrette, sliced up half an avocado, and enjoyed my chicken in this simple salad.

Today I also wanted to let you all know about an awesome program called Paleo Rehab. Laura Schoenfeld of ancestralizeme.com and Kelsey Marksteiner of healthyguthealthylife.com, both registered dieticians, developed this comprehensive program to help people suffering from adrenal fatigue. (If you're not familiar with adrenal fatigue, some of the symptoms are brain fog and persistent lack of energy. Check out the paleo rehab site to learn more!)

The program is on sale with a special bonus until May 4th--in addition to the videos, meal plans, and worksheets included in Paleo Rehab, you'll get exclusive access to office hours with Laura and Kelsey twice a week. If you're eating a paleo diet, getting enough sleep, and still feeling exhausted, this program could be perfect for you. (I'm a paleo rehab affiliate and also contributed one of my recipes to the program.)

One more thing: how you guys feel about gifs? I made a gif of the step-by-step photos for this chicken (pictured without movement in the above collage), but decided it was just too annoying. Seeing it in the draft of this post made me feel a bit dizzy. Maybe I just had it set to flash between pictures too quickly? I'd love to hear your thoughts on whether gifs would add any value to my posts. Feel free to weigh in below in the comments section!

Easy Baked Chicken with Sherry Vinaigrette
Yield: 2-3 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30-40 minutes

Ingredients (adapted from The Kitchn):

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1/2 pound each)
3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan*
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar*
1 teaspoon honey*
Generous pinch of bittersweet smoked paprika
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

*If you're making a salad, double the vinaigrette (2 tablespoons EVOO, 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar, 2 teaspoons honey, and a little extra paprika, salt, and pepper). Pour half the vinaigrette over the chicken and save the rest for dressing the salad.

Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Grease the bottom of a glass or ceramic baking dish (large enough to fit the breasts in a single layer) with olive oil. Prepare a piece of parchment paper cut slightly larger than the bottom of the pan, and grease one side of it with olive oil.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, sherry vinegar, paprika, and a dash of salt and pepper (I like to season the chicken directly, so I don't add much salt and pepper to the vinaigrette).

Pat the chicken breasts dry and season them with salt and pepper on both sides. Put them in the prepared baking dish and pour the vinaigrette on top.

Place the parchment on top of the chicken, greased side down, and tuck it in around the edges so the chicken is nestled inside. Bake for 28-35 minutes, or until the chicken is just cooked through (it should measure 165°F on a meat thermometer). Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and rest, loosely covered with the parchment, for five minutes. Slice into strips if desired and serve hot, or store in the refrigerator for use later in the week.

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