Oven Baked Thin Sliced Chicken Breasts

Although I'm a huge fan of air frying chicken, one of my favorite quick ways and frankly one of the best ways to bake thinly sliced chicken breast is in the oven.

This is one of the most versatile recipes here and can be used in so many healthy dinners, salads, soups, or quick meal recipes.

You can use thin sliced chicken breast in the air fryer too! Try this panko chicken cutlet recipe for a change!

We're huge fans of chicken recipes, especially healthy crockpot chicken recipes. If you are too, be sure to try some of our other favorites like air fryer bbq chicken, gluten-free chicken parmesan, greek yogurt air fryer chicken, or breaded air fryer chicken.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Baking thin cut chicken breast is super quick to make in less than 20 minutes!
• Versatile and easy to customize with seasonings or marinades of your choice.
• Perfect and delicious juicy texture.
• Kid-friendly protein that satisfies even picky eaters.
• Simple ingredients.
• Convenient for meal prep.
• A healthy, lean protein recipe that is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, low carb, and keto.

Skinless and boneless thin sliced chicken breast (also known as cutlets) can be purchased in your grocery store's meat department or at the meat counter.

Thin sliced chicken breast is generally more uniform in thickness making it easier to cook evenly and more quickly.

3 Ways to Make Thin Chicken Breast Cutlets

1. Butterly the meat. You can cut thin-cut chicken breast by butterflying the meat (slicing them in half from the thick part to the thin part of the meat).
2. Pound the chicken with a mallet. would be to use a meat mallet to pound the chicken to a uniform size, about ¼ inch in height.
3. Purchase already-sliced chicken. Brands like Perdue or Bell and Evans have already thin cut chicken breasts.

How to Cook Thin Sliced Chicken Breast

This is a step-by-step walkthrough of how to cook this recipe. The recipe card at the bottom shows the exact cooking time and temperatures.

Step 1

Trim the chicken of excess fat and blot dry with a paper towel.

Step 2

If not already pre-sliced, place your palm on the top of the meat to cut it in half in the center from the thickest to the thinnest part of the meat.

Step 3

Season both sides with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder.

Step 4

Place meat on a baking sheet lined with a piece of parchment paper and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 165F using an instant-read thermometer.

Is it Better To Bake Chicken at 350F or 400F?

I've cooked chicken at 350F, 375F, 400F, 425F, and 450F and all have gotten great results due to the use of an instant-read thermometer.

By using an instant-read meat thermometer, you can monitor the temperature of the meat and focus on using temperature, rather than the clock to tell you when the meat is done.

Generally, reserve higher temperatures like 425F or 450F for thicker pieces of meat as thinner cuts of chicken should be cooked at lower temperatures like 350F, 375F, or 400F to ensure juicy, tender, and moist meat.

Expert Tips

Use a paper towel to dry raw meat before seasoning to help seasoning to stick.

Let the thin sliced meat rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing. This will help to ensure juicy and delicious chicken and avoid dry chicken.

Use an instant-read meat thermometer to register the internal temperature of the cooked chicken at 165F. This will help to ensure the meat is not overcooked.

If your oven has the function, try using the convection option for roasted thinly sliced chicken breast at a higher temp like 400F for 10-15 minutes.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

How to Serve Thinly Sliced Chicken Breasts

Wondering what to do with thin sliced chicken breasts? This recipe works in so many meals and you can season it with a variety of chicken seasonings or marinades.

Ways to Serve Thin Sliced Chicken

• As a protein for a healthy salad recipe like spinach and quinoa salad, this Panera warm grain bowl, or a mason jar salad.
• Use as a base in one of our chicken salad recipes such as pesto chicken wraps or Greek yogurt chicken salad.
• Add to chicken taquitos.
• Use in a burrito bowl like our Chipotle copycat burrito bowl or add to a cheese quesadilla or Italian quesadillas for a simple meal.
• Stir into one of our delicious soup recipes like this chicken tortilla soup recipe, bone broth chicken noodle, or any of these healthy chicken soup recipes.
• Serve as a main dish alongside dairy-free mashed potatoes or an oven-baked potato and a vegetable side dish like steamed broccoli for a simple yet satisfying kid-friendly meal.