How long to cook thin chicken breast in oven at 400

When you bake chicken breast in the oven at 400 degrees it allows you to enjoy a nice, juicy, and delicious chicken breast. The amount of time it takes for the chicken breast to bake in the oven may vary depending on your oven, the size of your chicken, and if it is frozen or thawed. Below we will jump into the details of each one of these to help you estimate how long to bake chicken breast at 400 degrees. 

How long to cook thin chicken breast in oven at 400

How Long to Bake Chicken at 400

Knowing how long a chicken breast takes to bake at 400 degrees will help you to plan ahead for your meal preparation. However, it’s important to note that the times may vary slightly depending upon the specific size of your chicken breast, how thick they are, and your specific oven may also have an impact on the time it takes for the chicken breast to cook at 400 degrees.  

How Long to Cook Chicken Breast at 400

Now, let’s turn our attention to the specifics of how long you can bake a chicken breast at 400 degrees. There are several different methods you can use to bake chicken breast at 400 degrees.

Below we will look at each one of these cooking methods, as well as the estimated time it will take to bake thawed boneless skinless chicken breast that weighs approximately 1 pound each.

Please note that the baking times may vary slightly if your chicken breast is thick, thin, or weighs more or less than approximately 1 pound each. 

Chicken Breast at 400

Oven Baked

To bake a boneless skinless chicken breast in the oven at 400°F, it will take approximately 20 to 30 minutes for a chicken breast that is approximately 1 inch thick to fully cook. You want to look for the internal temperature to reach 165°F at a minimum, and for the chicken to still be nice and tender. 

When you bake chicken breast in the oven, it turns out nice and juicy because the juices are sealed inside the chicken breast at 400 degrees. 

To bake chicken breast at 400°F in the oven, you will want to first place your chicken breast in an oven-safe baking dish, add a bit of water, typically between ¼ and ½ cup to the bottom of your pan, and lightly cover your chicken breast with a drizzle of olive oil. 

Sprinkle the chicken breast with your desired seasoning, we like to use garlic salt and a sprinkle of parsley. Then cover your baking dish, and bake for approximately 20 minutes. 

Check on your chicken breast when the timer is up to see what the internal temperature is. If your chicken is not yet done, cover the chicken once more and continue baking until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. 

When your chicken breast is fully baked remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for a few minutes before serving. Serve and enjoy. 

How long to cook thin chicken breast in oven at 400

Oven Baked Uncovered

You can also bake a boneless skinless chicken breast in the oven when it is uncovered. Please note that this may result in slightly drier chicken, however, it will still taste delicious. In order to avoid it drying out, you can always add a bit of water, and be sure to cover your chicken breast in olive oil before baking. 

Chicken breasts that are baked uncovered in the oven at 400°F will typically take between 18 and 28 minutes for a 1-inch thick breast to fully bake.

To bake a chicken breast in the oven uncovered, the process is going to be very similar to that stated above. 

Brush the outside of your chicken breast in olive oil, and sprinkle with your desired seasonings. Place into a baking dish and add approximately ¼ to ½ cup of water. 

Bake in the oven uncovered at 400°F until the internal temperature of your chicken reaches 165°F. the internal temperature is reached, you can remove the chicken breast from the oven and allow it to rest for a few minutes before serving. 

Oven Baked in Foil

Oven baked chicken breast can also be covered in foil to help keep the moisture in if desired. To do this prepare your chicken breasts in the baking dish, brush with oil, and add your desired seasonings. Add a little bit of water to help keep your chicken juicy, then cover with aluminum foil. 

Place your foil covered dish of chicken breast into the oven at 400°F and bake for approximately 30 to 40 minutes.

Please note that covering your chicken in foil will slightly increase the amount of time it takes for the chicken to bake. But as always, the exact amount of time it takes for the chicken to fully cook will depend upon your specific oven and the size of the chicken. 

Baked from Frozen

You can also bake chicken breasts at 400°F that are frozen. No matter if you are baking your chicken breast in a baking dish that’s covered, uncovered, or covered in aluminum foil, you can depend on increasing the bake time by 50% on average. 

This means if you are baking frozen chicken in your oven at 400°, in a baking dish that is uncovered, rather than it taking between 20 and 30 minutes it is likely to take between 30 and 45 minutes. See the chart below for our estimated cooking time for frozen chicken breast. 

Frozen Chicken Breast Cook Time at 400

How long to cook thin chicken breast in oven at 400

How Long Does it Take to Preheat an Oven to 400

The amount of time it takes for a traditional oven to preheat may vary depending upon your specific oven.

If you have a double oven, the smaller oven is likely to heat up rather quickly, usually taking between 10 and 15 minutes. However, if you are using a larger oven or basic oven, it may take slightly longer. 

On the other hand, if you are using gas ovens, it will likely preheat much faster, taking only 7 to 10 minutes to preheat to 400°.  

On average, you can guess that it will take your oven anywhere between 7 to 15 minutes, or up to 20 minutes for your oven to preheat. Please keep in mind at the time it takes to preheat will depend upon your specific oven. 

The Average Size of a Chicken Breast

We have based our estimated cooking time for chicken breast on the assumption that an average boneless skinless chicken breast will weigh approximately 1 pound, it is approximately 1 inch thick. Although you may find chicken breasts that vary in size, this is what our estimated times are based on. 

1 lb Chicken Breast Nutrition

We have estimated the following nutritional facts for a 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast. 

33.6 g total fat 

404 mg cholesterol 

390 mg sodium 

0 g total carbohydrates 

131.2 g protein 

0 mcg vitamin D

68 mg calcium 

5 mg iron 

1102 mg potassium 

Calories in 1 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

A 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast is estimated to contain approximately 862 calories.

Is It Better to Bake Chicken at 350 or 400

Determining if it is better to bake chicken breast at 350 or 400° can boil down to being a matter of preference. We prefer to bake chicken at 400°F for a few different reasons. 

We think that if a chicken breast is baked at 400°F it tends to turn out juicier inside and is baked much faster than trying to bake chicken at 350°F. 

How long to bake stuffed chicken breast at 400

You can also stuff your chicken breast, and bake it at 400F. To do this you will want to bake your stuffed chicken breast for approximately 25 to 35 minutes or until the internal temperature of your chicken breast reaches 165°F. 

How long to bake chicken tenderloins at 400

Tenders baked at 400°F typically take between 15 and 20 minutes to fully cook. You will also want to check the internal temperature to be sure they have reached an internal temperature of 165°F before you remove them from the oven. 

How long to bake bone-in chicken breast at 400

When you are baking bone in chicken breasts at 400°F you want to increase the baking time from your boneless skinless chicken breasts. Although the times may vary depending upon the size of your chicken breast and your oven, a good rule of thumb is that your bone in chicken breast will take approximately 30 to 45 minutes to fully bake at 400°F. You will also want to check the internal temperature to be sure 165°F is reached. 

How long to cook thin chicken breast in oven at 400

How long to bake bone-in chicken thighs at 400

Chicken thighs with bone and skin will take approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour to bake at 400°F. You will want to be sure to allow plenty of time for the chicken to fully cook, as you do not want to risk eating raw chicken.

To tell when your chicken thighs are done baking, the internal temperature should reach 165°F, the meat should easily be removed from the bones, and your juices should run clear. 

How long to roast a chicken at 400

Roasting a whole chicken at 400°F will typically take between one hour and 1½ hours. Be sure to allow plenty of time for your chicken to fully cook, and for the internal temperature of your chicken to reach 165°F.

How long to bake a whole chicken at 400

Baking a whole chicken in your oven at 400°F that is thawed will take approximately 1 to 1½ hours. It’s always a good idea to allow extra time when baking a whole chicken in your oven, because it may take slightly longer depending upon your oven. 

We recommend allowing around two hours for a whole chicken to bake at 400°F because it may take longer than anticipated. 

Tips For The Best Baked Chicken Breast

Add a Little Water. We recommend that you add a little bit of water to your baking dish for chicken breast in order for it to stay nice and juicy. Although this tip is not required by any means, we do strongly recommend it. 

Bake Covered. We have found the best results for nice, juicy, chicken breast is found when it is baked in the oven in a baking dish that is covered with a lid. This helps to keep the moisture inside of your dish and allows your chicken to cook throughout the entire piece. 

Remove Lid At End. Although we recommend baking your chicken breast in a dish with a lid, we also encourage you to remove the lid for the last 10 minutes of baking time. This lets your chicken breast turn a light golden color while still remaining juicy. 

Internal Temp. Even though the recommended internal temperature is 165°F, we have found that when you bake your chicken breast to an internal temperature of 170 to 175°F, you will enjoy the most tender, and juicy results. 

Juicy Chicken 101

Now, let’s look at our recipe for how you can easily make baked chicken breast at 400°F that turned out nice and juicy!

Easy Baked Chicken Breast

Begin by preparing your chicken breast. Brush the outside of your chicken breasts lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle garlic salt around the entire outside of your chicken breast. 

Place your prepared chicken breast into a baking dish and add approximately ¼ cup of water to the dish. Cover the dish with the lid, and add to your oven. 

Because most baking dishes are glass or ceramic, you won’t want to preheat your oven after your chicken has been added. Preheat your oven to 400°F.

Bake covered for approximately 15 to 20 minutes and then remove the lid, and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes approximately or until the internal temperature of your chicken reaches 165°F at a minimum. 

When your chicken is fully baked, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Then serve and enjoy! 

How long to cook thin chicken breast in oven at 400

How to Know Chicken Breast is Cooked 

Internal Temperature of 165. The most common way to know when your chicken breast is fully cooked is to check the internal temperature of your chicken using an instant-read thermometer.  Most likely if the internal temperature of your chicken at the thickest point is 165°F then your chicken is fully baked. 

The Juices Run Clear. Another way to tell if your chicken is fully cooked is to check the color of the juices. If it is still pink, then it’s not done. However, typically once your juices run clear out of your chicken, it is fully cooked. 

Color. When cut into the chicken should be fully white and no longer the light pink color of raw chicken. If your chicken color is white and stringing all the way through, these are another sign that your chicken is done. 

The Texture of the Chicken. Another sign that your chicken is fully baked is that the texture should also change. This means that rather than your chicken being slimy like it is when it’s raw, it should become somewhat stringy, and have a grain to it. 

How to Store Baked Chicken Breasts

Room Temperature. Chicken and broth chicken should be kept at room temperature for no more than two hours before it goes bad. 

Refrigerator. Raw chicken breast should be stored in your refrigerator at 40°F or below for no more than two days. Cooked chicken breast on the other hand can be kept in your fridge at 40°F or below for up to 3 to 4 days. 

Freezer. Raw chicken breast can be stored in the freezer at 0°F or below for up to nine months. Cooked chicken breast on the other hand can be frozen at 0°F for up to 2 to 3 months if stored in the freezer properly. 

What to Serve With Baked Chicken Breasts

FAQs

Can I eat chicken breast raw?

Absolutely not! You never want to risk eating raw chicken breast because raw chicken contains harmful bacteria that can make you very, very sick. 

What can I do with leftover chicken breast?

There are so many different things you can do with leftover chicken breast. One of our favorite things is to make it into chicken salad. You could also add it to a stir fry, or simply add it to a sandwich. There are so many different things you can do with leftover chicken! 

Can I Freeze Baked Chicken Breast?

Yes, baked chicken breast can be frozen once it is cooked, and has cooled. To freeze, transfer it to an airtight container, or seal it in a plastic freezer bag. Then freeze for 2 to 3 months. 

Can you cook chicken in a toaster oven?

Yes, a toaster oven can be used to cook chicken in if desired. 

How Long to Cook Chicken at 400

The amount of time it takes to cook chicken breast at 400°F may vary depending upon your oven, and the size of the chicken. On average, we estimate that it will take between 20 and 30 minutes to bake chicken in the oven. Now, it’s time to get baking that delicious chicken! 

How long to cook thin cut chicken breast in the oven?

Thin sliced chicken breasts take 15-20 minutes to bake or until the internal temperature is 165°F. We highly recommend using a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. Once 165°F is reached, remove from the oven immediately to prevent dry chicken. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Is it better to bake chicken at 350 or 400?

You can roast or bake anywhere between 325 and 450 degrees F. When roasting a whole chicken, a nice rule of them is to start at 400 to 425 degrees F and then turn the oven down to 350 after 15 minutes and cook until the internal temp of the chicken is 165 – 175 degrees F on an instant read thermometer.

How long does it take raw chicken to cook in oven at 400?

You should bake chicken breasts in a 400 F oven for 20 to 30 minutes. This baking time is for boneless and skinless chicken breasts of approximately one-inch thickness.

How long to cook thin cut chicken breast at 375?

How to Bake Thin Chicken Breast.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit..
Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil..
Season chicken breasts as desired. ... .
Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until chicken breasts are cooked through. ... .
Enjoy your baked chicken!.