How Long to Bake Thin Chicken Breast at 425
Learn how long to bake thin chicken breast at 425 in this easy-to-follow guide. Tender, juicy boneless chicken breasts every time! It’s the best way to meal prep, too!
Need to know how long to bake thin skinless chicken breasts?
With a few seasonings and some quick time in the oven at a high temperature, this easy chicken recipe is perfect for meal prepping protein for the week.
If you’re in the grocery store, you’ve seen the packaged thin-cut chicken breasts, that are boneless and skinless. I love getting these! The thicker breasts are so uneven. You have to cook it longer to get everything to the correct internal temperature, but that means you’ve overcooked the thinner portion leaving you with dry chicken!
Yuck!
Let’s take some time to learn how to bake thin boneless skinless chicken breast.
First, let’s chat about seasoning your chicken.
When you bring it home from the grocery store go ahead and put it in a marinade or dry rub of salt, pepper, and a few other seasonings. Store in either an airtight container or in a plastic bag.
This way, you’re immediately building flavor!
Here are a few of my favorite bottled marinades (that are actually salad dressings!)
- Garlic Expressions
- Zesty Italian
- Greek Dressing
Here are a few of my favorite seasonings or dry rubs!
- Smokehouse Maple Seasoning
- Italian Blend
- Montreal Chicken
And, of course, you can’t go wrong with using Ranch Seasoning!
Since we are using thinner chicken, don’t let these stay too long. I would either get them into the freezer, or use later that day.
If the marinade is really acidic (like one with balsamic vinegar or lemon juice) you’ll want to just use salt and pepper, and save an acidic marinade for half an hour before cooking.
Pro Tip: You see people using pickle juice in a marinade. While this is super yummy and packs a ton of flavor, it can make the chicken mealy. So, use it in a “quick” marinade where it’s only sitting for less than 20 minutes. No overnight marinading with pickle juice!
Okay! Let’s get the chicken ready!
I like to dust my chicken with house seasoning which is garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and black pepper. I sprinkle this on the chicken and then shake several good shakes of Worcestershire sauce into the baggie. Zhuzh it around, and then let it sit for half an hour.
Other seasonings you could use:
- Chili powder – this would be great if you’re wanting to make chicken tacos! Yum!
- Italian Seasoning – perfect for a low-carb version of chicken parm prep!
- Cajun Seasoning – such a yummy way to get some spice and flavor on the thinner breasts!
Meal Prep Chicken in the Oven uses four marinades you can try! Montreal steak is the easiest of the four, but the others just use a couple of ingredients and make all the difference when trying to get the perfect chicken breast.
When you don’t have a grill, and couldn’t find the thin cutlets, this is a great way to get juicy chicken breasts!
Simple Steps to a Tender Piece of Meat
While your chicken gets all happy with the flavor, let’s preheat the oven.
Preheat your oven to 425˚ — it’s a high heat to bake chicken breast. But it helps seal in all the juices from the beginning!
This higher temperature gives a ‘fast and hard’ approach to cooking thin chicken, as opposed to a lower temperature that’s better suited for cooking thicker breast.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil so clean it is a breeze!
You can also use this NonStick Reynolds Liner, and it’s amazing! No extra spray is necessary.
To your foil lined pan spray with non stick cooking spray, and place chicken on the baking dish.
Drizzle the chicken tops with some olive oil to ensure it doesn’t dry out.
Once your oven has reached 425 degrees Fahrenheit, bake the chicken for 12 minutes. Cooking time varies for the size of the chicken breast.
Depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts, you might need some extra time. Using a meat thermometer is super helpful here! You can ensure that your chicken has cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees f. Just insert the instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, for an accurate read!
Once your chicken is cooked through, remove from the oven and all it to rest. This give the chicken adequate time to relax and absorb some of the juices it lost during cooking.
This great recipe can be used for chicken thighs, too!
If you can’t find thin chicken, just use a meat mallet on “normal” chicken. You can slice each tender chicken breast in half, creating chicken cutlets.
Pound each one to an even thickness so everything cooks to the best temperature on the sheet pan. You can use a meat mallet or a rolling pin to reduce the thickness of your breasts. I find using plastic wrap or a ziptop bag helps to keep all the chicken bits from flying around, and you get the best results.
You need to let the chicken rest when it comes out of the oven. This helps the thickest part of the chicken absorb the juices back into itself, giving as much flavor as possible! I just leave mine on the baking sheet, and let them hang out while I make a side salad or side dish.
Using your Baked Chicken Breast
I love topping salads during the week with this chicken breast recipe. Give these salad recipes a try!
Side Dishes that pair well:
- Cream Roasted Cauliflower – this can bake right alongside your chicken!
- Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
- Sweet & Spicy Green Beans
You can use this for low-carb chicken parmesan, too! Just add some marinara sauce to your chicken, and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, and you won’t even miss the bread crumbs!
