Introduction

One of the most common questions I get from readers is, “How long to cook chicken breasts?” It’s a great question, because there are so many different variations of this classic dinner staple. Whether you’re cooking frozen, thawed, or fresh breasts in the oven at 400°F (200°C) and for how long will depend on your recipe. This article will help you figure out what’s best for your chicken dinner!

Frozen Chicken Breasts

Frozen chicken breasts take longer to cook than fresh or thawed. The reason for this is that the water in frozen chicken is trapped inside of it, making it harder for heat to penetrate your meat and make it cook quickly.

Frozen chicken breasts also do not brown as well as fresh or thawed breasts, which means they won’t have those nice golden crispy edges that we love so much! They also don’t taste quite as good because cooking doesn’t allow any time for marinade flavors to soak into your meat before serving (which would add some extra flavor).

Cooked Chicken Breasts

The cooking time for chicken breasts depends on the size of your chicken breast. The larger it is, the longer it will take to cook through. If you’re using frozen breasts and have not defrosted them yet, then they should be cooked at 400 F for 20 minutes before serving.

Thawed Chicken Breasts

If you’re cooking a thawed chicken breast, it will take less time to cook than a frozen one. For example, if you normally cook chicken breasts for 20 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit and they’re frozen when they go into the oven, then you should expect them to be fully cooked in about 25 minutes. If those same breasts are thawed when placed in the oven (and therefore don’t need as much time), then 15 minutes should suffice.

How long to cook chicken breasts in the oven will depend on how they were previously stored.

How long to cook chicken breasts in the oven will depend on how they were previously stored. If you’re cooking frozen chicken breasts, you’ll want to cook them at a lower temperature for a longer time. This gives the meat time to cook through while also helping keep it tender and moist.

If you’re thawing your meat, however, there are two options: You can either bake them at 400 degrees Fahrenheit or 425 degrees Fahrenheit (as opposed to 350). The difference between these two temperatures is not huge–but it does make a difference! The higher heat will cook the exterior faster than if you used low heat; therefore, if using high heat make sure not only that your oven is preheated before placing chicken inside but also check regularly as every oven runs differently depending on its type (convection vs non-convection) as well as where exactly in relation to another element like broiler burner etcetera…

Conclusion

The best way to get the most out of your chicken breasts is to use them in a variety of ways. If you have some time and want something really easy, then cook those frozen ones in an oven at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. If you’re in a hurry, try thawing them first before placing them into your oven at 425 degrees for 10 minutes per pound (20 minutes total). Finally, if all else fails just throw those raw chicken breasts on there too!