What temperature should chicken be baked at in the oven

We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Here’s our process.

Overview

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), a 4-ounce chicken breast should be roasted at 350°F (177˚C) for 25 to 30 minutes.

Cooking can be dangerous (especially if you’re a fan of flambé!). While the risks are relatively low when you’re creating a meal in your kitchen, baking chicken or cooking any poultry always comes with the potential for foodborne illness.

Fortunately, knowing how to properly prepare chicken can keep you safe and well-fed.

Salmonella is a foodborne bacteria that’s responsible for 1.2 million cases of illness and 450 deaths each year.

Salmonella is largely found in raw poultry. When poultry is cooked properly it’s safe, but if it’s undercooked or handled improperly while raw, it can lead to trouble.

All poultry in the United States is inspected for signs of disease, but this doesn’t mean it’s free of bacteria. As a matter of fact, it’s not unusual at all for raw poultry to contain many different types of bacteria.

The USDA has provided this guide for how to roast, simmer, and grill chicken:

This guide can help you estimate how long to cook your chicken, but because ovens have slight heat differences and chicken breasts may be larger or smaller than the average, it’s important that you double-check the internal temperature of the meat.

In order to destroy any possible contagions in your poultry, you must bring the internal temperature of the meat to 165°F (74˚C).

You can check whether you’ve achieved 165°F (74˚C) by inserting a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast. In this case, close is not good enough, so make sure you put it back in the oven if it hasn’t reached this threshold.

Don’t rely on how your chicken breast looks to determine if it’s ready. Pink meat doesn’t necessarily mean it’s undercooked. Similarly, white meat doesn’t necessarily mean all bacteria has been killed.

Be cautious about cross-contamination if you’re cutting into your chicken to check its appearance. When raw poultry comes in contact with work surfaces, knives, and even your hands, it can leave behind bacteria.

These bacteria can be transferred from surface to surface and end up in your salad, on your fork, and ultimately in your mouth.

Wash and thoroughly disinfect surfaces that come into contact with raw poultry. Use paper towels so they can be thrown away after picking up possible contaminants.

Preparation and storage are also important. The USDA suggests you always thaw frozen chicken in the refrigerator, microwave, or a sealed bag submerged in cold water.

Chicken should always be cooked immediately after thawing. Bacteria is more likely to grow on raw meat that’s between 40˚F (4˚C) and 140˚F (60˚ C).

Cooked chicken breasts should be refrigerated within two hours of cooking. Your leftovers should remain safe for two to three days.

So, now that you know how to safely handle chicken breasts, what should you do with them?

Chicken breasts are extremely versatile, and your options for how to prepare them are nearly endless. For starters, you can chop them into salads, use them in sandwiches, or cook them on the grill.

For a healthy take on a classic, try this oven-fried chicken breast recipe or these flavorful herb-roasted chicken breasts.

Don’t be intimidated by cooking chicken. When you know the best handling practices, chicken breast is a lean protein that’s both tasty and safe.

Baked chicken breasts are wonderful because they are naturally lean and packed with protein. All you have to do is coat them with some oil and herbs, and bake them. If you want really juicy chicken breasts, you should cook them at a high temperature such as 400 F to seal in the juices but be careful not to overcook them. This post will show you how long to bake chicken breast at 400 F in the oven, in an air fryer, from frozen, and more.

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. As a result, the time will change based on the thickness of the breasts, your oven's performance, and whether or not the breasts were covered with foil or not during baking.

How Long to Bake Chicken Breast at 400 F in Foil

Cover the chicken breasts with aluminum foil and bake them at 400 F for 30 minutes. Season the breasts with salt, pepper, and some herbs, and wrap them with foil. During cooking, they will absorb the flavors of the spices and herbs, and the foil will help them stay moist and juicy.

How Long to Bake Chicken Breast at 400 F Uncovered

Usually, baking chicken breast uncovered in a 400 F oven will take about 25 minutes. In my opinion, baking chicken breast uncovered is a sensitive operation because, if done incorrectly, the chicken breasts will dry out and be unappealing.

• The first step is to rub the chicken breast with olive oil or melted butter, or prepare a marinade and let the breasts soak in it for 2 to 3 hours so they can absorb the flavor and moisture.
• After that, pour about 1 cup of liquid into the baking pan, such as melted butter, lemon juice, vinegar, or any mix you desire. Then, place the chicken in the oven to cook through.
• Check the internal temperature of the chicken breast 5 minutes before the recommended baking time has elapsed. For example, start checking the temperature after 20 minutes of baking and keep doing that every 2 minutes or so until it is cooked through. The temperature should reach between 160 F and 170 F when done.

Cooking chicken breasts covered at 400F will give them a brown and golden color that you won't get with a lower temperature.

How Long to Bake Chicken Breast at 400 F in an Air Fryer

Cooking chicken breasts covered with foil in an air fryer at 400 F takes about 20 minutes, and uncovered, it takes 16 to 20 minutes, flipping once. In order to bake your chicken breasts in an air fryer, you should follow the same rules as cooking them in a conventional oven. The air fryer should be preheated to 400 F for no more than 3 minutes. If you intend to bake the breasts uncovered, soak them in a marinade before cooking.

Lastly, spray the basket and breasts of the air fryer to prevent sticking. Do not overload the air fryer to ensure the chicken breasts cook evenly. If you have many chicken breasts to cook, I recommend that you cook them in batches.

How Long to Bake Chicken Breast at 400 F From Frozen

Chicken breasts baked from frozen at 400 F in the oven will take about 40-50 minutes and about 15-25 minutes in the air fryer at the same temperature. In case you have frozen chicken breasts that are not seasoned, it is a good idea to thaw them first. To do this, simply place the frozen breasts in the fridge and they will be defrosted in about 12 hours. Alternatively, you could thaw the chicken in warm water, which should take less than 3 hours.

Baked Chicken Breast Ingredients

• 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp paprika
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• Melted butter or vegetable oil, for greasing

How to Bake Chicken Breast at 400 F

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. Rub chicken breasts with olive oil, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, paprika, and ground black pepper.
3. Make sure the chicken breasts are well coated.
4. Grease a baking pan with melted butter or vegetable oil.
5. Bake the chicken breasts for 25 to 30 minutes or until their internal temperature reaches 165 F.
6. Let the baked chicken breast rest for 5 minutes.
7. Serve the chicken breasts with your favorite sides.

Is it Better to Bake Chicken at 350 F or 400 F?

The reason why baking chicken breast at 400 F is better than 350 F is that cooking them at a high temperature will require fewer minutes and will garner more color. However, this does not mean that you should bake chicken breasts at higher temperatures than 400 F because that will increase the risk of the chicken drying out. Try to avoid baking at temperatures higher than 400 F.

How to Know Chicken Breast is Cooked 

In order to know whether your chicken breast is completely cooked, simply insert your food thermometer into the thickest part of it and check the internal temperature. When the thermometer reads 160 F to 170 F, your chicken breast will be perfectly cooked.

How to Know Chicken Breast is Cooked Without a Thermometer

If you want to check if the chicken breasts are cooked properly, simply cut into it to determine the color. The chicken breast should be white throughout rather than pink.

Baked Chicken Breast Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 bonless skinless chicken breast (172g)

• Calories from Fat 56
• Calories 284
• Total Fat 6.2g
• Saturated Fat 1.7g 
• Polyunsaturated Fat 1.3g
• Monounsaturated Fat 2.2g
• Cholesterol 146mg
• Sodium 128mg
• Potassium 440mg
• Total Carbohydrates 0g
• Dietary Fiber 0g 
• Sugars 0g 
• Protein 54g

How Long to Bake Chicken Breast at 400 F

Cooking Method:Baking Courses:Dinner

Description

Baked chicken breasts are wonderful because they are naturally lean and packed with protein. All you have to do is coat them with some oil and herbs, and bake them. If you want really juicy chicken breasts, you should cook them at a high temperature such as 400 F to seal in the juices but be careful not to overcook them. This post will show you how long to bake chicken breast at 400 F in the oven, in an air fryer, from frozen, and more.

Ingredients

• 6 bonless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp paprika
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• Melted butter or vegetable oil, for greasing

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. Rub chicken breasts with olive oil, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, paprika, and ground black pepper.
3. Make sure the chicken breasts are well coated.
4. Grease a baking pan with melted butter or vegetable oil.
5. Bake the chicken breasts for 25 to 30 minutes or until their internal temperature reaches 165 F.
6. Let the baked chicken breast rest for 5 minutes.
7. Serve the chicken breasts with your favorite sides.

Keywords:How Long To Bake Chicken Breast At 400

Serving Size 1 breast boneless skinless (172g)

Servings 1

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.