Boneless frozen chicken breast in oven at 400 degrees so it’s tender and delicious with every single bite. Juicy seasoned as you wish, healthy dinner idea. This is just one of many recipes on how to cook frozen chicken perfectly.
Have you ever wanted to cook a frozen chicken breast in oven because you forgot to defrost it the night before? Be honest, you have. Never thought it would turn out well? I’m here to help with cooking frozen meat to tender tips for that next forgetful moment. You’re welcome. (affiliate links present)
Boneless Chicken Breast in Oven Recipe
This isn’t the first go around with something right out of the freezer. We started with Chicken Breast in Oven 350 but that was bone-in. We are a busy family and things happen. I don’t always think about dinner prep the day before (though I should) so these kitchen hacks come in handy.
I started with how to cook air fryer frozen chicken breast. Because this machine is my newest obsession of course I had to go there at the beginning. If you don’t have one you could instead follow our Crockpot frozen chicken instructions. Great if you want to serve soft tacos for dinner.
Oh yeah, I forgot all about how to cook frozen chicken in the Instant Pot too. Comes out tender and shredded when done that way too. Toss with some sauce and throw it on slider buns for a cheap and quick meal.
Now it was time for the “old fashioned” method, we all have an oven y’all. I’ll admit I don’t use this thang very often anymore. I’ve kinda’ become a fast countertop appliance kinda’ gal the past 5 years or so but I wanted to cover all my basis. Not everyone is like me so I get it and want to help everyone who reads my blog so here we go. 😉
You totally can. Of course thawed and/or fresh is always best to keep it as moist as humanly possible but that isn’t always possible.
You’ll want a baking sheet with a large lip or casserole dish to catch the juices. Foil will help them steam and defrost, then cook to fork tender.
Ingredients
- A few frozen breasts, I always recommend medium sizes so they aren’t super thick
- Brush on some olive oil to keep them moist
- Sprinkle your favorite seasonings on top as you normally would, or you could brush sauce on the top too
- Aluminum oil and non stick spray are needed
Equipment
Let’s talk about all you need to get this done. Take note that you will want some non stick spray so they don’t stick. There will be some juices so you want a baking dish with a lip or a casserole dish that will fit all the pieces in one single layer (not overlapping).
Tips
If they’re stuck together just run them under warm water to separate easily. You could also use contained cast iron Dutch oven style and add 5-10 more minutes to the timing since these are hard.
About 20 minutes which is faster than baking a frozen whole chicken in oven, but you could do that too if you have a crowd to feed. Of course if you had thawed or fresh pieces the timing would be different, bone-in makes a difference too.
How to Cook Frozen Chicken Breasts in the Oven
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray lightly with non stick spray. If stuck together just run the block under warm water to separate.
- Put boneless chicken breasts on baking tray with a large lip (or casserole dish. Brush or drizzle olive oil over all of them.
- Sprinkle seasonings like salt and pepper or those of your choice.
- Cover the top with foil so they can “steam”.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes depending on the size.
- There will be a big difference in thickness so I highly suggest medium sized pieces – I will say that again and again.
- For very thick you may need 30 minutes.
- Check each after 20 minutes cooking time with an instant read thermometer in the middle, at thickest part. Bake until chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
- Remove and allow to rest on sheet for 10 to 15 minutes. Then serve and slice.
I almost always pour some barbecue sauce on the top when done, teriyaki sauce is amazing too. Adds more moisture to the dish. OR dice it up, toss with sauce and serve over white rice for dinner.
Alternatively you can do it a second way. Baking at a lower temperature for longer works too. I have tried 350 degrees F oven temperature for 45 minutes to 50 minutes until it reaches a safe internal temperature. Your choice, steaming with it enclosed in foil seems to work best but not everyone likes to use aluminum. You can just spray the tray directly with non stick.
What to do with leftovers
Don’t throw away what is left though!! We have a ton of leftover chicken breast recipes on our site you can use to make another meal the next day too. Shredded or chopped and thrown into a chili or on top of rice with a bit of sauce gives you a whole new meal that is “free”.
Other frozen chicken recipes you’ll love
See…no need to thaw chicken if you don’t have time y’all. You can even cook a frozen whole chicken in Crockpot or make grilled frozen chicken too now! I wouldn’t suggest this in the oven as it would need to be in there for a really long time and I think a slow cooker is just more energy efficient for that.
I will say it is the very best if your breasts and or frozen chicken thighs aren’t rock hard but things happen. Hope this helps you save the day too, I know it has helped me time and time again. Jump to recipe to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, we will show you how to do it perfectly here. There is no need to wait until it is defrosted, you can bake frozen chicken in oven right out of the freezer and get it tender.
That depends on whether you have bone-in or boneless skinless chicken pieces, and how thick they are. Bake time ranges from 20 – 30 minutes total time but works great!
That depends on your preference, we have shared several cooking methods here. I will say how to cook frozen chicken breast in the oven is the most common and works great to keep them moist, covered with aluminum foil to steam perfectly. Use our step by step directions below to keep them tender, then add sauce to the top at the end if you like.
Frozen Chicken Breast in Oven
Equipment
- 1 baking sheet
Ingredients
- 2-4 medium frozen chicken breasts, frozen, medium, not super thick, separated from one another
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 1-2 tsp Mrs. Dash, or Lawry's seasoned salt
- salt and pepper, to taste when done
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with non stick spray. If stuck together run under water to separate breasts from one another.
- Place frozen breasts on baking tray with a large lip (or casserole dish), separated from one another, and drizzle olive oil over all of them.
- Sprinkle with seasonings of choice. Cover the top with foil so they can "steam". Bake for 20-22 minutes depending on the size. There will be a big difference in thickness, I highly suggest medium sizes I will say that again and again.
- Check after 20 min. with a meat thermometer in middle at thickest portion and bake until it reaches 165 degrees F.
- Remove and allow to rest on sheet for 10 minutes. Then serve and slice.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Mine took 49 minutes for medium, frozen chicken breasts. However, they were tender and juicy when they were done. Now that I know it takes longer, I can put them in earlier. Thank you for the recipe!