Depending on the chicken breast size and oven temperature, it can take from 12-30 minutes to thoroughly cook chicken breast. Chicken breast is white meat, and it does get dry when overcooked. Unlike dark chicken meat from the thigh and other chicken parts, the breast doesn’t have a large bone and is lean. Lean meat dries out quite quickly if overcooked. At the same time, fatty chicken parts are juicy and flavorful. Chicken breast lacks fat; however, you can still enjoy a moist and tender chicken breast when you cook it at the right temperature for the right amount of time.
I’ll show you how long it takes to bake chicken breasts using different oven temperature settings (350-450 degrees Fahrenheit). Baked Chicken breasts are dry and chewy when overcooked. Because of that, I’ve included a section on how to tenderize it and what internal temperature it should reach so that it’s moist and juicy on the inside.
How long to bake chicken breast: temperature ranges from 350-450 degrees Fahrenheit
Below you’ll find different cooking times for each temperature. However, remember that chicken breast comes in various sizes, usually 5-7 ounces. For the cooking times below, I’m using a 7oz skinless chicken breast which is more common in supermarkets and farmer’s markets. Add a few more minutes for every additional ounce, and use a meat thermometer to track the chicken breast’s internal temperature. Even though the times below are accurate, each oven is slightly different, meaning chicken breast can cook at slightly different rates depending on your oven. I’m talking minutes here – 1 or 2 minutes at most.
How long does it take to bake chicken breast at 350° Fahrenheit?
- Baking chicken breast in the oven uncovered takes 20-30 minutes, depending on the size.
- Baking chicken breast in the oven covered in foil takes 17-27 minutes, depending on the size.
- Cooking chicken breast in an air fryer takes 23-27 minutes, depending on the size.
- Baking bone-in chicken breast takes 22-32 minutes, depending on the size.
- Baking frozen chicken breast takes around an hour and fifteen minutes, depending on the size.
How long it takes to bake chicken breast at 350° Fahrenheit may differ depending on whether you let the chicken breast warm up before cooking and the breast size. It’ll take longer to cook if you bake chicken breast straight from the fridge, and the outside will brown much faster while the inside will cook much slower. I suggest you read this article to learn how long and how to cook chicken breast at 350° Fahrenheit.
How long does it take to bake chicken breast at 375° Fahrenheit?
- Baking chicken breast in the oven uncovered takes 18-28 minutes, depending on the size.
- Baking chicken breast in the oven covered in foil takes 15-25 minutes, depending on the size.
- Cooking chicken breast in an air fryer takes 17-25 minutes, depending on the size.
- Baking bone-in chicken breast takes 20-30 minutes, depending on the size.
- Baking frozen chicken breast takes around an hour, depending on the size.
How long to bake chicken breast at 375° Fahrenheit may differ depending on whether the chicken breast is brought to room temperature and size. The colder the breast is, the longer it takes to cook. Read this article about chicken breast baking times at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
How long does it take to bake chicken breast at 400° Fahrenheit?
- Baking chicken breast in the oven uncovered takes 16-26 minutes, depending on the size.
- Baking chicken breast in the oven covered in foil takes 13-23 minutes, depending on the size.
- Cooking chicken breast in an air fryer takes 15-23 minutes, depending on the size.
- Baking bone-in chicken breast takes 18-28 minutes, depending on the size.
- Baking frozen chicken breast takes around an hour, depending on the size.
How long it takes to bake chicken breast at 400° Fahrenheit depends on whether the chicken breast is brought to room temperature or not. Size contributes to cooking time since the bigger the chicken breast, the more time it takes to cook.
How long does it take to bake chicken breast at 425° Fahrenheit?
- Baking chicken breast in the oven uncovered takes 14-24 minutes, depending on the size.
- Baking chicken breast in the oven covered in foil takes 13-21 minutes, depending on the size.
- Cooking chicken breast in an air fryer takes 13-21 minutes, depending on the size.
- Baking bone-in chicken breast takes 16-26 minutes, depending on the size.
- Baking frozen chicken breast takes around 55 minutes to an hour, depending on the size.
Depending on the chicken breast size, the cooking time can differ slightly. To not overcook the meat, it’s best to use a meat thermometer. Again, remember that chicken breast brought to room temperature cooks faster than cold chicken breast. If you want to learn chicken breast baking times at 425 degrees Fahrenheit and some tips to make it more tender, read this article.
How long does it take to bake chicken breast at 450° Fahrenheit?
- Baking chicken breast in the oven uncovered takes 12-22 minutes, depending on the size.
- Baking chicken breast in the oven covered in foil takes 12-19 minutes, depending on the size.
- Cooking chicken breast in an air fryer takes 12-19 minutes, depending on the size.
- Baking bone-in chicken breast takes 14-24 minutes, depending on the size.
- Baking frozen chicken breast takes around 50 minutes to an hour, depending on the size.
Large chicken breasts take longer to cook, while small breasts cook faster. At the same time, baking cold chicken breast will increase cooking time. It’s best to bring it to room temperature before cooking. Read the full article where I explain how long to bake chicken breast at 450°F and how to not overcook it.
How to cook a moist chicken breast in the oven
The ingredient list for the baked chicken recipe:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Olive oil
- Garlic powder
- Lemon juice
- Smoked paprika
Equipment list:
- Baking sheet or baking dish. Alternatively, wire rack is excellent because air can circulate chicken breast, cooking it evenly throughout
- Tongs
Here is a quick baked chicken breast recipe:
- Tenderize the chicken breasts. Dry brine chicken breasts using kosher salt. Rub it generously with kosher salt and leave it in a fridge overnight. Salt will draw moisture out of the chicken breast, forming a brine that will soak back in, tenderizing the chicken breast.
- Bring chicken breasts to room temperature. Before cooking chicken breasts, take them out of the fridge and bring them to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before cooking. While chicken breasts are coming to room temperature, rub chicken breasts with garlic powder, lemon juice, olive oil, and smoked paprika.
- Preheat the oven. Cooking chicken breast slowly will make it more tender and juicy, while cooking it fast, on high heat, will make it slightly dry. The best temperature range for cooking is between 350-450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Pat chicken breast dry. Remove moisture from the chicken breast’s exterior. It’ll brown much better, unlike moist breasts, because it takes a while for the water to evaporate.
- Cook chicken breasts. Place boneless chicken breasts on a baking sheet or wire rack, slide them into the oven on a middle shelf and cook until done. Use a meat thermometer to track the internal temperature.
- Rest and serve. Take the juicy chicken breast out of the oven and leave them to rest for at least 5 minutes. Resting will allow chicken juice to redistribute throughout the meat’s interior, making it juicy and tender.
How to keep chicken breast moist
The best way to keep chicken breast moist is to use brine. Brine is a salt solution that can be applied to chicken to make it tender. There’s dry brine and wet brine. Dry brine is a process in which chicken breast is rubbed with salt. It draws out moisture from the chicken and forms brine. Brine soaks back into the chicken breast, causing muscle fibers to unravel and swell. While wet brine is a process where salt dissolves in warm water, the chicken is submerged underwater. Salty water tenderizes the white meat making it tender and juicy throughout. It’s best to keep chicken in brine for 4 to 24 hours. Keeping chicken in a brine for an extended amount of time may cause the chicken to become too salty. There are other alternatives to tenderizing chicken breast and making it moist, read this article to learn more.
Chicken breast internal temperature
Cooked chicken breast should reach an internal temperature of 165° Fahrenheit. According to the USDA, all poultry products, including turkey, ground chicken, and sausage, should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Read this comprehensive article about chicken temperature and how to take it.
Conclusion
Depending on the temperature, baking times can differ quite a bit. Overcooking the chicken breast can turn meat into a chewy and tasteless piece of meat. In contrast, chicken thighs bake much longer and turn soft and tender. That is not the case with white meat. While roasting a whole chicken is even more time-consuming. It can take anywhere from a couple of hours to 50 minutes. There’s a link explaining everything in detail above.
