How to Cook Thin Sliced Chicken Breast
User Reviews
5
10 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
15 mins
-
Cook Time
15 mins
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Servings
4 servings
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Calories
336 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
How to Cook Thin Sliced Chicken Breast
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This guide shows how to prepare thin sliced chicken breast, either unbreaded with a spice mix or breaded with a seasoned coating. Chicken breasts are sliced horizontally and pounded to even thickness for uniform cooking. The unbreaded version is seasoned with a blend including brown sugar, paprika, and oregano, while the breaded variety includes garlic powder, paprika, parmesan, and poultry seasoning for flavor and texture. Cooking methods include pan-frying and air frying with appropriate oil or cooking spray.
Description
The process starts by halving chicken breasts horizontally and evenly pounding them to about half to three-quarters of an inch thick, ensuring even cooking. For unbreaded chicken, olive oil coats the slices, which are then seasoned with salt, pepper, brown sugar, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, and curry powder before cooking. For breaded chicken, the slices are first coated in a seasoned flour and spice mixture, dipped into beaten eggs, and then covered with a breadcrumb and parmesan blend enhanced by poultry seasoning. These breaded pieces are fried in vegetable oil until golden and cooked through.
The recipe provides flexibility in seasoning and cooking techniques, allowing substitutions of oils or spice blends as desired. The seasoning amounts and types offer savory with subtle sweetness and mild heat. The breaded version yields a crispy exterior with added richness from parmesan, while the unbreaded offers a spiced, tender chicken surface. This preparation is suitable for various meals requiring quick-cooking, evenly cooked chicken pieces.
Notes include using chicken cutlets or halving breasts to reach the target weight, substituting oils like canola or sunflower, and adjusting salt based on spice blend content. Breadcrumbs can be regular, Italian, or panko depending on desired texture. Nutritional information is approximate and varies especially with frying oil absorption.
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Ingredients
- 4 chicken breast or 8 thin-sliced chicken breast pieces, 1 ½ lbs/ 700 g, Note 1
Unbreaded chicken:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil + more as needed for each cooking method, Note 2
- ½ teaspoon salt Note 3, fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper ground
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon paprika sweet
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon curry powder
Breaded chicken:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika sweet
- ½ teaspoon salt or Kosher, fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper ground
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 egg
- 1 cup dried breadcrumbs 150 g, Note 4
- ½ cup parmesan pressed a bit, 30 g/ 1 oz
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- cooking spray
Other ingredients:
- ½ cup vegetable oil 125 ml for pan-frying breaded chicken
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil for pan-frying unbreaded chicken or brushing the grill
- cooking spray for the baking sheet and air fryer
Instructions
Slice chicken breasts:
- Place one breast on a cutting board and ensure that the board won’t slip. I usually place the board on a folded kitchen towel.4 chicken breasts
- Remove the tender if it’s still attached.
- Cut: Hold the piece flat with one hand. Using a sharp chef’s knife, slice the breast in two horizontally, cutting as evenly as possible.
- Pound: To make the pieces completely even, pound the with a meat mallet or a heavy object like a pan. Cover the slices with a piece of plastic wrap and pound them to an even thickness, about ½ - ¾ inches/ 1.2-2 cm thick. Do it gently and evenly to avoid tearing the meat.
Unbreaded thin-sliced chicken:
- Season chicken: Place the slices into a large bowl. Pour the oil on top and turn the pieces to coat them all over. Add all the spices and mix well to coat.2 tablespoons olive oil + ½ teaspoon fine sea salt + ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper + 1 tablespoon brown sugar + 1 teaspoon sweet paprika + 1 teaspoon oregano + ¼ teaspoon garlic powder + ¼ teaspoon curry powder
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Bake the seasoned chicken for about 12 minutes. Check the internal temperature; it should be 165°F/74°C. If it’s not there yet, give it another 2 minutes and check again.
- Pan-fry: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil (or butter) in a large cast-iron skillet or frying pan. Cook the slices for about 3-4 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F/74°C.2 tablespoons olive oil
- Air-fry: Preheat the air fryer and spray the basket with cooking spray. Arrange the slices in the air fryer in a single layer. Cook them for about 10-12 minutes, turning halfway through. Check the internal temperature after 10 minutes already.
- Grill: Preheat the grill to high heat and brush the grates with oil. Grill the marinated chicken with the lid on for 2-3 minutes per side or until cooked through.
Breaded thin-sliced chicken:
- Season chicken: Place the chicken slices in a large bowl. Coat with the oil, add the spices and mix well to coat.2 tablespoons olive oil + 1 teaspoon garlic powder + 1 teaspoon sweet paprika + ½ teaspoon fine sea salt + ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Breading station: Place the flour, a pinch of salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Beat the eggs in another bowl. Combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and poultry seasoning on a large plate or bowl.2 tablespoons all-purpose flour + pinch of salt and pepper + 2 eggs + 1 cup dried breadcrumbs / 150 g + ½ cup Parmesan / 30 g + 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- Bread chicken: Lightly coat the slices with flour (shake to remove the excess). Dredge the pieces through the beaten eggs and then through the breadcrumb mixture. Press gently to help the breadcrumbs adhere to the breasts.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 400°F/200 °C. Line a baking sheet and spray it with cooking spray. Bake the slices for 10 minutes. Flip and bake them for another 5 minutes or until cooked through.
- Pan-fry: Heat vegetable oil in a large frying pan or skillet until hot but not smoking. Fry the breaded cutlets in 2-3 batches for about 3-5 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove and place on kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil.½ cup vegetable oil / 125 ml
- Air-fry: Preheat the air fryer to 390°F/200°C and spray the basket with cooking spray. Arrange the chicken in the basket in a single layer. Cook for 7 minutes. Flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes until golden and cooked through.
- Grill: Preheat the grill to medium. Brush the grates with oil. Grill covered for 4-6 minutes per side or until cooked through.
Equipments used:
Notes
- Chicken breasts can be halved horizontally or use pre-sliced cutlets totaling about 1½ lbs (700 g).
- Olive oil can be substituted with canola or sunflower oil as preferred.
- Adjust added salt according to whether your spice blends already contain salt.
- Breadcrumbs may be regular, Italian seasoned, or panko depending on texture preference.
- Calorie counts apply to unbreaded chicken; breaded and fried versions contain more calories due to oil absorption.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
2slices
Calories
336kcal
(17%)
Carbohydrates
4g
(1%)
Protein
48g
(96%)
Fat
13g
(20%)
Saturated Fat
2g
(10%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
2g
(12%)
Monounsaturated Fat
7g
(35%)
Trans Fat
0.03g
(2%)
Cholesterol
145mg
(48%)
Sodium
559mg
(23%)
Potassium
864mg
(18%)
Fiber
0.5g
(2%)
Sugar
3g
(6%)
Vitamin A
328IU
(7%)
Vitamin C
3mg
(3%)
Calcium
25mg
(3%)
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 336 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 2slices | |
| Calories | 336kcal | 17% |
| Carbohydrates | 4g | 1% |
| Protein | 48g | 96% |
| Fat | 13g | 20% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Trans Fat | 0.03g | 2% |
| Cholesterol | 145mg | 48% |
| Sodium | 559mg | 23% |
| Potassium | 864mg | 18% |
| Fiber | 0.5g | 2% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 328IU | 7% |
| Vitamin C | 3mg | 3% |
| Calcium | 25mg | 3% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
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