Baked thin sliced chicken breast is the lean protein you need for ingredient prep. Add to salads, pastas, or wraps to build a balanced, high protein meal.
If you struggle with eating enough protein, my top tip is to have a prepped protein ready to go. Baked thin sliced chicken breasts (also known as baked chicken cutlets) are my staple because they're palatable, easy, and goes with ANYTHING. Salads, pastas, or sandwiches... see my section below on my top pairings!
Since they're so helpful in reaching my protein goals, I wanted to make a beginner-friendly, easy guide for how to cook thinly sliced chicken breast. It doesn't have to be complicated, but there are some small things you can do to ensure it turns out tasty every time!
Why This Recipe Is Dietitian Approved
- Reach your protein goals. Protein is so important for building (or maintaining) muscle, appetite regulation and satiety. If you've ever felt hungry 30 minutes after a full meal, chances are you didn't have a good protein source. Having a staple lean protein like baked chicken cutlets is so helpful to effortlessly reach your daily protein goals.
- Ready in 20 minutes. Quick, easy and only 5 minutes of prep.
- Ingredient prep. I know full meal preps aren't everyone's jam, so give these baked chicken cutlets a try for your ingredient prep. They're an easy way to build balanced meals during the week!
Ingredients
- Chicken breast
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
- Garlic powder
- Paprika
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400F.
Use a sharp knife to gently slice the chicken lengthwise starting from the thickest part to the thinnest (top to bottom).
Add chicken to an oven safe baking dish and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Rub chicken to ensure they are fully coated in the spices.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until they are fully cooked (internal temperature reaches 165F).
Slice into thin strips.
Substitutions and Variations
To make gluten-free: This recipe is naturally gluten-free.
To make dairy-free: This recipe is naturally dairy-free.
To make nut-free: This recipe is naturally nut-free.
Pairing Suggestions
So what do you even pair with this recipe? Since these are thin sliced chicken breasts, they go with pretty much everything and compliment mains nicely. Here's how I use them throughout the week:
- Sandwiches and wraps: add to a kale caesar wrap or even turn into my 5 ingredient chicken salad!
- Salads: adding thinly sliced chicken breast is the fastest way to convert any side salad into a meal. I've added it to my Thai chopped salad, curried couscous salad, and quinoa salad. All delicious.
- Pasta: pair with a yummy sauce and noodles, or even add to pasta salads!
- Carb + veggie: choose your favourite carbs and veggies for a balanced plate. I typically go for smashed broccoli, quinoa or sweet potato fries.
Equipment
Storage
Store sliced chicken in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
Top Tip
If you prefer using a mallet to pound the chicken until your desired thickness is reached, pound chicken until the breasts reach about ¼ inch thick. You may also purchase pre-sliced thin chicken cutlets.
I highly suggest using an instant read thermometer to check that the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165F. This ensures it is fully cooked.
Frequently Asked Questions
They are essentially the same thing! Chicken cutlets are boneless, skinless chicken breasts that have been sliced to create a thinner piece of meat. This is essential what happens when we thinly slice our chicken breast!
400F for 15-20 minutes. This may change based on the thickness of your chicken cutlets.
Around 24g per cutlet.
More Easy Protein Recipes
More easy proteins for your ingredient prep!
PS. I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make these baked thin sliced chicken breast, don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram- @nourishedbynic or leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it!
📖 Recipe
Oven Baked Thin Sliced Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Use a sharp knife to gently slice the chicken lengthwise starting from the thickest part to the thinnest (top to bottom) .
- Add chicken to an oven safe baking dish and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Rub chicken to ensure they are fully coated in the spices. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until they are fully cooked (internal temperature reaches 165f)
- Slice thicken into thin strips.
SR says
Better than I expected