This is how to cook boneless frozen chicken breast in oven at 400 degrees so it’s tender and juicy. A healthy dinner idea we make at least once a month, just one of many recipes on how to cook frozen chicken perfectly we’ve shared.
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 tips for that next forgetful moment. You’re welcome.
Boneless Chicken Breast in Oven
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. 😉
Ingredient Notes
You are going to want a few frozen chicken breasts, I always recommend medium sizes so they cook evenly all the way thru without drying out. Boneless is better too to keep them moist (and they are easier to eat when done too).
You will want to brush on some olive oil to keep them moist. I have used avocado oil before (when I was out of the other) and really liked the flavor and outcome of that too so either one works well.
Sprinkle your favorite seasonings on top as you normally would, or you could brush sauce on the top too near the end.
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 Long to Cook Frozen Chicken Breasts in the Oven
You always want to start by Preheating your oven so they cook at the same rate the whole 20-22 minutes. To ensure that you have success with this cook time you need to make sure that if they are stuck together you separate them and brush off any ice that is stuck on. You can do this by running the block under cool water and pulling them apart.
When to Add Sauce
I almost always pour some barbecue sauce on the top when done, teriyaki sauce is amazing too. You don’t want to add at the beginning though or it will burn. Instead brush some on during the last 5 minutes or so. OR when done you can dice meat up, toss with sauce and serve over white rice for dinner.
Frozen Chicken Breast in Oven Recipe
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
- 1 pinch salt, to taste when done
- 1 pinch pepper
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
Notes
When to Add Sauce (optional)
If you want to brush on some sauce do so the last 5 minutes of baking. You can use bbq, teriyaki or even buffalo sauce.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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.
Why is this 191 cal for a 2 ounce serving? Chicken breast meat is barely 50 an ounce and the olive oil can’t possibly add that much more.
The recipe card calculates that so I don’t know how accurate it is.
Thank you for sharing – my chicken was juicy and tender. I will do this again. 🌸 I really liked it. 🌸
My chicken didn’t look very appealing when done, but it was definitely extremely moist and tender. Will make again and possibly sprinkle some paprika on for a bit of color!
glad it was a hit
This is a great way to prepare chicken! My family LOVES it!
OH good
I needed this after the many times I have forgotten to pull the chicken out of the freezer! Thanks for this! The chicken came out perfect.
Lots of useful tips that helped on our first go around, will definitely be doing this again.
The recipe turned out tender and juicy. Thanks a lot for sharing.
Thanks for all the helpful tips. I always end up with dry chicken when I cook it from frozen, but your article was extremely helpful!
Oh glad I could help
Enjoyed this for dinner tonight and it was a savory success! Turned out tender, juicy and packed with flavor; easily, a new favorite recipe!
Thank you for this! I’m always worried I’m undercooking cooking chicken, so I cook it too long, and it gets dry. This is perfect, moist, and delicious, and easy to do!