Learn the secret to tasty, moist, and crispy baked split chicken breasts. A great bone-in chicken recipe for an easy and economical family dinner the whole family will love.
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Introduction and My Rating
Many believe that bone-in and skin-on chicken has superior flavor and is extra moist and juicy. Who am I to disagree?
The trouble that most people have with bone-in chicken breasts is their huge size. They are hard to cook to a safe temperature, and the serving size is just too big. We can easily fix both those issues by just learning to prep them right with a few minutes of trimming.
Let's get it right the first time and every time with these easy step by step photo instructions. It is much easier than you think.
My Rating
This is so good that it has become our everyday roasted chicken recipe. It can't get much better than that.
🐓Split Chicken Breasts
Split chicken breasts are also known as skin-on bone-in chicken breasts. Most feel they have more taste and moisture than the more popular skinless version.
They are called split chicken breasts because, during processing, the entire breast is removed with some ribs. It is then "split" down the middle of the breast bone to produce two pieces.
But they have become progressively bigger over the last few decades. They are now too big for a reasonable serving size for most people.
They are also hard for most home cooks to get to a safe internal temperature without overcooking the outside. So most will skip them as an option or settle for poor results. We can fix that.
👨🍳The Secret
The “secret” to the success of this recipe is how to prepare a split chicken breast before cooking. You get a better serving size, more even cooking, and more surface area for the great spices.
Step one is cutting off the attached rib section. There is no meat, it takes seasoning, and tends to overcook.
Step two is to cut the breasts into two or three pieces. Trying to cook the whole thing at once will almost always burn it on the outside before reaching a safe 165° internal temperature.
⏰🌡️Time and Temperature
The best oven temperature is 400° convection or 425° for about 35 minutes. The time will vary by the size and thickness of the chicken pieces.
The reason for a bit higher temperature is two. First, we are aiming for crispy skin. And second, we cut those large breasts into pieces so the center will cook faster.
You can lower the recommendations by 25°, and the cooking time will increase by about 5 minutes.
The specific safe endpoint of cooking is a final internal temperature of 165° and not any less. Like most meat, never cook by time, always cook by temperature.
✔️Tips
Spicing
Like all recipes, season to your taste. Feel free to change it up.
I added some cayenne for the touch of spiciness. The recommended 1/2 teaspoon is about a 5/10 spice level for me. Cut it down or just skip it if you want.
The garlic is a little heavy for some. But like all spicing, adjust to your taste.
Do I need a rack?
No, but it is better with a rack. If you don't have one, use a good coat of oil on the tray to prevent sticking.
What's with the baking powder?
I used some baking powder to increase the crispness. A trick from Cooks Illustrated, although I have modified the technique.
The baking powder will pull water out of things like chicken skin. I find it works fairly quickly.
Some recipes will call for hours or overnight with the baking powder on the chicken, but looking at the science, I don't feel that is needed. Works for me.
I do suggest using aluminum-free baking powder. I just never buy baking powder with aluminum, which many can taste.
Or skip the whole baking powder thing. You will still have good results. Not quite as crispy.
Food safety
We no longer recommend rinsing chicken due to contamination of the surrounding area. Just a good pat dry with a paper towel is good. See Chicken... To Rinse or Not To Rinse? for details.
Also, the final internal temperature of the chicken in the thickest part needs to reach 165°.
📖Crispy Chicken Recipes
Oven Baked Chicken Legs – The Art of Drummies
Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Wings
Crispy Garlic Grilled Split Chicken Breast
🔪Instructions
Preheat oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional oven.
Pat dry chicken, then trim the chicken of any trim-able fat and remove the rib area and discard.
Cut the chicken into chunks—the normal size ones in half and the super humungous ones into thirds.
Prepare a baking pan with aluminum foil, a baking rack, and spray with PAM. Combine spices and then sprinkle and rub on all surfaces. Place on a rack with larger pieces in the corners. And thinner edges to the center.
Bake until internal temp of 165°. About 35 minutes depending on your oven and thickness of the chicken.
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📖 Recipe
Crispy Baked Split Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 3 split chicken breast - scale to what you need, AKA bone-in skin-on chicken breast
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon celery salt - optional if you have it
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper - optional
- 1 teaspoon Dual-action baking powder - Alunimum-free
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional oven.
- Pat dry chicken breasts. Trim the chicken of any trim-able fat and remove the rib area and discard.
- Cut the chicken into chunks. The normal size ones in half and the huge ones into thirds.
- Prepare a baking pan with aluminum foil, a baking rack and spray with PAM.
- Combine spices and then sprinkle and rub on all surfaces. You may not need all the spices, just to your taste.
- Place on rack (if you have one) with larger pieces in the corners. And thinner edges to center of the tray.
- Bake until internal temp of 165°. About 35 minutes depending on your oven and thickness of the chicken.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Scale to the amount you want. I was cooking for leftovers and the packages usually have 3 breasts at our store.
- Properly cutting up and trimmed chicken breasts are important for this recipe to work. Better serving sizes, more even cooking, easier to get properly cooked and more surface area for seasoning. Good in every way.
- The celery salt adds some taste but skip if you don't have it.
- The cayenne pepper is also optional/to taste. The 1/2 teaspoon is a 5/10 heat level — more than some want. Don't use if feeding kids.
- I like cooking chicken on racks, but it is not that important here.
- Keep the thicker parts of the chicken towards the outside of the baking tray.
- Be sure to check for a final internal temperature of 165°. Do not guess or cook by time alone.
- Great leftover in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and can be frozen for 3-4 months.
Nutrition
Editor's Note: Originally Published May 25, 2011. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos and a table of contents to help navigation. Please enjoy one of our easiest, most flavorful chicken recipes.
C
What is dual action baking powder?
DrDan
There are two types of baking powder... single and dual action. Single will produce carbon dioxide bubbles as soon as contact with liquid. The dual action produces some immediately and then more later when heated. Both produce the the same amount but different timing. I always use dual action.
DrDan
Yvonne
This is a great recipe. The chicken was so crispy and tasty. Thank you!
DrDan
Your welcomed. Thanks for the note.
DrDan
Stephanie S
This was great, very flavorful and crispy skin. Will definitely make again!
Dana
I cut the cayenne pepper in half. It was perfect. This is Definately a keeper!
Thank you!!
Dave
Fantastic!! My family of five ate every piece. I cut the cayenne in half, and did everything else exactly to the recipe. I will use this recipe from now on. Thank you for posting it. Dave H.
DrDan
Your welcome... thanks for the note.
DrDan
Lisa
How long would I cook whole split breasts? (With bone and skin)
DrDan
Highly variable due to size and oven variations. That is why I cut into manageable piece. They cook more evenly. If you must cook them whole please remember you are cooking to a final temp of 165 not by time. I would guess a medium size would take about 45 minutes give or take some.
DrDan
Jessica
I'm planning to make this tonight. I noticed that I had a mix of drumsticks and thighs. Can I use this exact recipie for it? Might be a silly question but I didn't know if anything needed to be altered.
DrDan
Cook about the same. It seems like the thighs cook a little faster for me. Go to about 185 on both and start checking at 30 minutes.
DrDan
Seth
This is easily the best baked chicken recipe I've ever come across. It rivals my all-time favorite (grilled outside w/bbq sauce) for both ready-to-eat succulence and outstanding flavor. 5/5 A+
eva
Does the t stand for teaspoon or tablespoon?
DrDan
Little t is teaspoon and big T is Tablespoon. It is in FAQ's. These have been used for many years but still seem to cause confusion. For the last year or so I have started to spell them out.
DrDan
Jerry
Thanks for the spice mixture. I made it in a conventional oven took about 45 minutes at 450 degrees baking because I turned the meat over when I saw the top had browned and browned the bottom side as well. Used leftover meat next day to make a chicken salad, couldv'e shredded some and made chicken tacos or enchiladas it was delicious.
amy
This was really good and easy. I thought it was a little bit too spicy for me even after cutting down on the cayenne. Still would make it again for sure. My hubby gave it a 4.5 out of 5. Thanks for a great recipe!
Tammy Hazen
I am always looking for good chicken recipes. So thrilled to have found this one. My husband, who is always complimentary blew me away with his "I've never had better tasting chicken in my life" comment. This is already in recipe book and will be on the menu repeatedly. THANKS!
Barbara Weiss
What if the chicken is not completely defrosted? Will this still work? Would you just adjust the cooking time? Thanks in advance! This sounds great & I'd love to try it tonight if I get an answer quickly enough....
DrDan
The more frozen it is, the harder to get the meat to 165 without burning the skin. If you must then cut in smaller pieces so the centers can cook faster.
DrDan
Ben
You have another similar recipe that calls for baking powder but after you season the chicken, you refrigerate it for a time. Would that be prudent here to dry out the skin more?
DrDan
Hi Ben,
You are right. I took the idea from Cooks Illustrated (or Test Kitchen) and was copying their technique. I repeated it a number of times and came to the conclusion that it works also as good ( I can't tell the difference) without the 1 hour uncovered. So I now skip that. I think the baking soda pulls out the moisture out fairly quickly and then the heat of cooking evaporates it.
DrDan
AlisaLange
I have never been moved to post a comment on a recipe but this one really is a winner! For once in my life I didn't tinker at all as I was pressed for time...had a bunch of chicken breasts and unexpected company coming. I searched and found this one. It was perfection....just the right amount of spice, the baking powder creates a nice crispy skin (I learned this trick for fried chicken but never thought to use for baked!), and the instructions were easy to follow. Will definitely check other recipes on this site. Thanks....everyone commented on the juicy inside and super spice rub.
Alisa
DrDan
Thanks for the note. This is one of my favorites.
Welcome to the site.
DrDan
Candace Ziegler
This chicken is amazing! So glad I stumbled upon it today. Thanks so much.
Castilleja
Forgive my ignorance.. maybe I'm way more clueless than I thought. Or maybe more tired..
Could you please explain to me what you mean by "remove the rib area?" For some reason, I'm not wrapping my head around that :-/
DrDan
There is a thin area to the side of the meaty part that is bones (some ribs really) with minimal meat covered by skin. There is no reason to cook it since you probably will not eat it and it will over cook. Just cut it off. I tried to show it in the picture but maybe could have gotten a better shot. Or you can leave it on if you want.
Hope that helps
DrDan
Jill
I have been looking for a new chicken recipe especially for on the bone! I was a little hesitant of this one because of the cayenne pepper (don't like too spicy),BUT this was absolutely delicious and I have to say the cayenne was the hero! My husband is the real food critic and I wasn't sure what he would think BUT he loved it as well! It was my first meal in our new oven which has convection and boy did that make a difference - It cooked quicker and more even - crispy skin - juicy meat on the inside and full of flavor! Definitely a WINNER!!!!!!!!! Thanks so much - I wouldn't change a thing!
Shirley Rodnitzky
Looks good, will make today but I think you mean a baking rack not a rake unless rake is another name for that item which I am not familiar with.
DrDan
Ohhhhh shucks. 4 spots fixed. I have got to stop depending on spell check and proof better.
Thanks for the note.
DrDan
Anna
Really excellent. I made full breasts with this rub and they had lovely brown skin with just a hint of kick from the cayenne. Still juicy as well. I cut out the celery salt and lessened the kosher for a great, healthy, simple chicken recipe.
DrDan
Thanks for the note. The celery salt is not really that necessary but I do like the pinch of cayenne.
DrDan
kelsey
what's the baking powder for?
DrDan
It pulls some moisture out of the skin to allow it to crisp more...
DrDan
Amy
Loved it except a bit salty" so be aware!! Thanks!
DrDan
Thanks for the note.
DrDan
Helen Blank
I made this last evening and it was amazingly delicious! I love the spice combination. The leftover white meat made really good sandwiches today.
DrDan
This is one of my favorite "older" recipes. I do it without even thinking that it is on the web site...
Thanks for the comment
DrDan
jolee
your reply was not only very helpful but very quick! thank you so much
jolee
My husband came home from his deployment yesterday! When he left my chef skills ended with a grilled cheese. With practice and this recipe I want to impress him (and our daughter) tonight .However, I do not have a convection oven :( can I make this in my conventional oven? if so, what cooking time&temp would you suggest?
thank you!
Jolee
DrDan
Either a little longer (like 5+ minutes longer) or 450 regular oven. Be sure to check internal temp for the end point.
Good luck
Dan
jim
i don't have a convection oven. what temp and time changes need to be done?
DrDan
Either a little longer (like 5+ minutes longer) or 450 regular oven. Be sure to check internal temp for the end point.
DrDan
Jan
Too much cutting! I will go back to Barefoot Contessa's oven roasted chicken.
Christina
Made this recipe tonight but I brined it first thinking I would have more tender flavorful meat but then it ended up being too salty so don’t brine it and FYI the cayenne was a little much and I’m pretty good with the heat but I do love this recipe and will try again without the brine that probably messed it up. But just want to let others know.