This baked thin sliced chicken breast is an easy oven recipe for a quick weeknight dinner or to add to a salad or sandwich for lunch! We season the thin chicken with delicious herbs and spice, and cook it up in less than 20 minutes.
I think we all need some simple dinner ideas where the oven does the work for us on a busy day, don't you agree? This oven baked thin chicken recipe checks so many boxes! Easy to make? Check. A good protein source? Check. Full of flavor? Check.
Similarly to my air fryer thin chicken breast recipe, which uses a different cooking method, you can purchase already-prepped thinly sliced chicken breast to save time, and grab herbs and spices from the pantry. So let me show you how to cook up some juicy tender baked chicken in just a few steps!
Have a peek at my sheet pan chicken and sweet potatoes for another easy oven baked chicken dish with minimal prep time!
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⭐ Why This Recipe is So Good
Packed with flavor. We use a fun combination of herbs and spice, and the larger surface area of thin chicken means more delicious flavor!
Juicy, tender and a little crispy. Baking the chicken means it has slightly crispy edges, with moist juicy centers.
Easy high protein recipe. So quick and easy, this thin chicken breast recipe takes so little time and is equally perfect for lunch or dinner.
🐓 Ingredients
All the ingredients and their quantities are set out in the recipe card below.
Some notes on a few of them:
- Thin sliced chicken breast - you can either purchase already sliced thin chicken breast, which I tend to do as it's so easy, or cut chicken breast yourself horizontally into two equal pieces (this tutorial on slicing chicken is helpful). Already prepped chicken may also be called chicken cutlets or chicken escalopes, depending on where you live.
- Paprika - I use sweet paprika for this recipe, as it scores 0 on the SIGHI list for histamine. You can also use smoked paprika, but I suggest to reduce to about ½ teaspoon as it is more pungent.
- Thyme - for a delicious herby fragrant flavor.
📖 Swaps and Variations
Enjoy different herbs! Some swaps include oregano, Italian seasoning or dried parsley.
Add onion powder. This may not work for all low histamine readers, but you can add a ¼ teaspoon of dried onion powder to the thin chicken slices.
🔪 How to Bake Thin Chicken Breast
Cooking thin chicken breasts in the oven is super simple, uses pantry staples for seasoning and there's no fancy kitchen equipment required.
All the instructions are set out in the recipe card below, but these step by step photos should help guide you.
Step 1: Prep the chicken
If you are slicing the chicken yourself, place the chicken breast on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to slice horizontally so you have two equal size pieces. Store-bought thin chicken or chicken cutlets can also be used (image 1).
Step 2: Season the chicken
Place the chicken in a large bowl. Pour over the olive oil, and add the paprika, dried thyme, garlic powder, salt and black pepper (image 2).
Step 3: Coat the chicken
Coat the chicken with the oil and spices, using your hands or tongs. You can also 'rub' it into the chicken cutlets if you like (image 3).
Step 4: Bake the thin chicken
Add the chicken breasts to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with a little room between them (image 4). Bake in a preheated oven, flipping about halfway through the cook time.
💭 Helpful Recipe Tips and Notes
- Coat the chicken pieces evenly. Make sure to coat the thin chicken breasts with the seasoning all over, so every bite is delicious!
- Adjust the cook time. The cook time for baking the chicken will vary slightly depending on the size and thickness of the chicken pieces.
- Check the temperature. Your chicken should be lightly golden on the outside and white meat in the center. Check you have a reading of 165F / 74C using a meat thermometer at the deepest point for safe cooking.
- Rest the chicken. Have the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes so the juices redistribute after cooking so it remains juicy and moist.
📋 Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe doesn't require you to sear the chicken. We let the oven do all the work and simply bake the thin chicken.
You can easily freeze the baked chicken. Let it cool completely, then transfer to freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. My low histamine readers will find the SIGHI advice on freezing food helpful to read.
Thin sliced chicken makes for an easy high protein main to serve with some veggies, and a starch such as potatoes or rice. You can also use it to make a chicken salad, add to sandwiches or a pasta salad.
🍽 More Baked Chicken Recipes
Choose from so many easy oven baked chicken recipes here, including my cottage cheese stuffed chicken and ricotta stuffed chicken, and these delicious ideas:
I'm always in the kitchen, so come join me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to be the first to hear of new recipes! And I love to hear from you, so please do leave a star rating ⭐⭐⭐ and comment if you've tried the recipe!
📖 Recipe
Baked Thin Sliced Chicken Breast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts or 4 thin sliced chicken breasts
- 1.5 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika or ½ teaspoon smoked paprika*
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 390F / 200C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- If you are slicing chicken breast yourself, use a sharp knife to slice the chicken breast horizontally into two pieces. It is typically best to slice from the thicker end to the thinner end. Alternatively, use pre-prepared thin sliced chicken.
- Use paper towels to pat the chicken dry. Place the chicken breasts into a large bowl. Drizzle on the olive oil, and sprinkle over sweet paprika, dried thyme, garlic powder, salt and black pepper (if using). Use your hands, or tongs, to coat the chicken in the herbs and spice so they are evenly coated.
- Use tongs to place the thin chicken breasts on the baking sheet, with a little room between them.
- Bake the chicken for 9-12 minutes, flipping after 5 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 165F / 74C at the deepest point using a meat thermometer. The cook time will vary depending on how thin the chicken breast is, so keep an eye on them after 8 minutes. Rest the chicken for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Place the thin chicken breasts on the baking sheet with a little space between them.
- The cook time will vary slightly depending upon the size and thickness of the chicken.
- Nutritional information is auto-generated and should be understood to be a estimate.
- garlic, which scores 1.
- black pepper, which scores 2.
Lindsey Rossiter says
I’ve made this lots of times, it’s so easy and delicious, if I’ve made extra I then freeze it as soon as it’s cool and defrost and eat cold another day. It’s also enjoyed by family who aren’t on a low histamine diet.
Claire says
So lovely to hear the chicken dish works for all the family Lindsey! And love a bit of batch cooking and freezing too!