Thin Sliced Chicken Breasts
Published Feb 12, 2024
Updated Feb 21, 2024
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Make flavorful Thin Sliced Chicken Breasts with chicken bouillon and your favorite seasonings. It’s easy to prepare, perfect for meal prep, and provides a great source of flavor and protein to any dish.
Thinly sliced chicken breast is an incredibly lean, protein-packed meat that you can use in all sorts of recipes, ranging from side dishes to lunches to dinners. Moreover, there are numerous ways to cook it.
If you prefer chicken with a super crispy coating, you can cook it in the air fryer or pan-fry it! Want to make an easy sheet pan dinner? You can bake it. On the other hand, grilling it will impart it with a delicious smoky flavor.
I love switching up the seasonings with the chicken based on the cuisine being prepared. And my family loves the outcome – tender, juicy chicken that they can enjoy with sauces, veggies, pasta, or rice.
If you enjoy a good chicken recipe like this one, I suggest you check out my Pan Seared Chicken Tenders or Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs, which are also major crowd-pleasers!
Table of Contents
Why Cook Thin Sliced Chicken Breasts?
Thinly sliced chicken can be advantageous for beginner cooks as it is simple to handle. However, even experienced cooks appreciate it due to its benefits! First, it cooks faster than whole chicken breasts, which saves time. Secondly, it cooks more evenly.
When cooking thicker cuts of meat, it is common for the edges to be cooked while the center remains undercooked, resulting in dryness. In contrast, thin-sliced chicken has a uniform thickness, so the center and edges cook simultaneously, resulting in juicy and tender meat.
This type of chicken is also incredibly versatile since you can serve it in so many different ways. You can plate it with a pasta dish, load it into a sandwich or wrap, or use it as a salad topping. It isn’t too bulky!
How To Cut Chicken Breast into Thin Slices
If you can’t find chicken that’s already thinly sliced at your grocery store, you can cut them yourself with a fillet knife, boning knife, or a large chef’s knife. Just make sure it is plenty sharp! Here is how to successfully do so:
- Hold the knife in one hand and gently press on the meat with your other hand.
- Start at the thicker part of the breast and work your way to the thinner side.
- Working horizontally, slice the chicken breast in half to create two thin pieces.
- Pound them with a meat tenderizer if you want them to be flatter.
How To Cook Thin Sliced Chicken Breasts
The good news is that this chicken can be cooked in any way that suits you and your family. First, before using your preferred cooking method, prepare it with olive oil, herbs, and spices.
- Air Fry It: Place the chicken pieces in the air fryer basket, making sure not to overlap them too much. You need airflow for it to cook evenly, so you might need to work in batches! Air fry the chicken at 400°F (204.4 °C) for about 4 minutes on each side.
- Grill It: Use an indoor or outdoor grill, cooking the thin breasts for roughly 3-5 minutes on each side.
- Bake It: Preheat your oven to 400°F (204.4 °C), line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and roast the chicken for 13-20 minutes, depending on how large your chicken pieces are. Check out this recipe for Baked Thin Chicken Breasts.
- Pan-Fry It: Place chicken pieces in a pan on the stovetop and cook them over medium-high heat. Make sure not to crowd the pan! They only need to cook for a few minutes on each side.
Ingredients Needed
You only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe, and you likely already have them on hand. Here is what you’ll need:
- Thinly Sliced Chicken Breasts: Purchase them pre-cut or cut them yourself to make the thinner breast pieces (make sure to purchase boneless skinless chicken breasts if you do so).
- Chicken Bouillon: This ingredient imparts the chicken with a pleasantly rich flavor. It is a secret ingredient that really sets the chicken apart!
- Thyme: Thyme pairs really well with chicken due to its unique, earthy taste.
- Paprika: Different types of paprika complement chicken in different ways. You can use smoked paprika for a spicier, smoky undertone, while other paprika has a sweet yet umami flavor. Either tastes amazing, just in different ways!
How To Sear Thin Sliced Chicken Breasts
- Bring chicken to room temperature for an hour before cooking.
- Pat dry and season it with bouillon and preferred seasonings.
- Rub the chicken with olive oil.
- Cook it in a hot skillet.
- Cover the chicken with foil until serving.
Bring the chicken to room temperature before cooking is an important step that promotes even cooking and prevents portions of the chicken from being overcooked and drying out.
Expert Tips
- Use a thermometer. Although you can get an idea when the chicken is done because of its color, it is safer to use a cooking thermometer to confirm. Remember that chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74 °C) to be safely served.
- Use a cast iron skillet if possible. Cast iron pans have nonstick properties and also promote even cooking! Using one also ensures the chicken becomes perfectly golden brown on the outside, making for an excellent presentation.
- When searing, don’t add chicken to a cold pan. You want the skillet to already be hot with oil before adding the meat so it gets a nice sear and you can lock the juices in.
Recipe FAQs
If you’re in a rush and you need to get dinner on the table, then sliced chicken breast can definitely be better! It cooks super quick, making it ideal for hectic weeknights. It is also kid-approved and can contribute to a well-balanced diet since it is a lean protein source.
It depends, but generally speaking, one piece of thinly sliced chicken breast typically falls between 110-140 calories, not including any sauces or marinades that it is cooked with.
Sometimes, thin-sliced chicken breast is referred to as a chicken cutlet since it is not the entire breast but usually half of it. Other people might call them chicken breast filets. But technically, filets are a specific cut of chicken that comes from the breast.
Recipes With Thin Sliced Chicken Breasts
You can use thin sliced chicken breast to make the following recipes:
More Chicken Recipes
Love recipes with chicken? Also check out these mouth-watering chicken recipes:
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Thin Sliced Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
For The Chicken
- 1 pound thinly sliced chicken breasts about 2 medium breasts cut horizontally in half
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Bring the chicken to room temperature for about an hour before cooking. This will promote even cooking.
- Pat dry the thinly sliced chicken breasts with paper towels. Season both sides of the chicken with the salt, black pepper, chicken bouillon, garlic powder, thyme and paprika. Drizzle and rub one tablespoon of the olive oil on both sides of each chicken slice.
- Place a large skillet on medium-high heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook for 3 minutes per side, or until it registers an internal temperature of 165℉ on an instant-read meat thermometer.
- Transfer the chicken from the pan to a large plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep it warm.
