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    🏠Home » Recipes » Chicken Recipes

    Baked Split Chicken Breasts (Bone-in)

    Jan 10, 2023 · Modified: May 26, 2023 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan · 120 Comments

    Recipe Table of Contents    
    4.07 from 458 votes

    Baked split (bone-in) chicken breasts are healthy and delicious, with a juicy and tender inside with crispy skin. An easy recipe for a quick and economical dinner.

    pile of crispy chicken breast
    Jump To:
    • 😊Why you should make this recipe.
    • 🐓Ingredients
    • 👨‍🍳How to Bake Split Chicken Breasts (Bone-in)
    • ⏰How long to bake split chicken breasts
    • ✔️Pro-Tips
    • 🐓About Split Chicken Breasts (Bone-in)
    • ❓FAQs
    • ❄️Leftovers and serving
    • 🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • Recipe
    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    Everybody can use more chicken recipes that work. This roasted bone-in chicken breast recipe is one to keep.

    😊Why you should make this recipe.

    • Split chicken breasts (bone-in) have superior flavor and are extra moist and juicy.
    • Learn to easily trim whole chicken breasts into a better serving size with more surface area for seasoning and much simpler to cook to a safe temperature.
    • Optionally, use baking powder to make the skin extra crispy.
    • They make a tasty and economical dinner the whole family will love.
    • Let's get it right the first time and every time with easy step-by-step photo instructions. It is much easier than you think.

    Bone-in (Split) chicken breast recipes are economical, easy and packed with flavor. Stuff them like Garlic Butter Stuffed Chicken Breast or make Chicken Cordon Bleu. Or coat them with BBQ sauce and make Grilled BBQ Split Chicken Breasts or Baked BBQ Split Chicken Breasts. Or try a change of pace with Herbs de Provence Chicken Breasts or Mayonnaise Parmesan Split Chicken Breasts.

    🐓Ingredients

    • Split chicken breasts (Bone-in)
    • Garlic powder
    • Onion powder
    • Kosher salt
    • Black pepper
    • Cayenne pepper—optional
    • Baking powder Aluminum-free—Optional
    • Celery salt—optional

    👨‍🍳How to Bake Split Chicken Breasts (Bone-in)

    1. Pat dry chicken breasts, trim the chicken of trimmable fat, remove the rib and cut into 2 to 3 pieces.
    2. Combine spices and baking powder. Then sprinkle and rub on all surfaces. You may not need all the spices, just to your taste.
    3. Place on a baking pan with a rack. Let rest for 30 minutes if you have time, and use the baking powder.
    4. Bake until internal temp of 165°—about 35 minutes, depending on your oven and the thickness of the chicken.

    ⏰How long to bake split chicken breasts

    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. This is much lower than the cooking time for whole bone-in chicken breast, which will be more like 50 minutes at 375°.

    You can lower the oven temperature by 25°, and the cooking time will increase by about 5 minutes.

    The safe endpoint of cooking is a final internal temperature of 165° in the thickest part and not any less. You must use an instant-read thermometer to prevent undercooking (unsafe) or over-cooking (drying).

    Like most meat, never cook by time; always cook to final internal temperature.

    ✔️Pro-Tips

    • The “secret” to the success of this recipe is how to prepare the split chicken breasts before cooking. You get a better serving size, more even cooking, and more surface area for the great spices.
    • You can use pan juices to help make gravy. See How to Make Gravy from Scratch for details.
    • The spicing I have provided is an excellent garlic-based seasoning. Still, like most recipes, you can easily adjust the spicing to your taste using fresh herbs, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and basil may be added.

    🐓About Split Chicken Breasts (Bone-in)

    Split chicken breasts are also known as bone-in chicken breasts. Technically, bone-in should include both sides of the chicken in one piece, but the breast bone is split during processing, creating two pieces. So they are called split or bone-in.

    For years they were called skin-on bone-in chicken breasts, but since they are not generally sold without the skin, the "skin-on" part is frequently dropped. Most cooks feel they have more taste and moisture than the more popular boneless skinless chicken breasts.

    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 home cooks will skip them as an option or settle for poor results. We can fix that.

    ❓FAQs

    Do I need a rack to cook split chicken breasts

    No, but it is better with a rack and less sticking. If you don't have one, use a good coat of oil on the tray to prevent sticking. It is more important when you want crispy skin on all sides, like chicken drumsticks, or there may be lots of drainage that affects the texture, like chicken thighs.

    Why use baking powder?

    The baking powder increases the crispness by pulling moisture out of the skin. This a trick from Cooks Illustrated, although I have modified the technique.

    I find even short times with the baking powder will enhance the skin's crispiness. I suggest a 30-minute rest in this recipe before cooking, but even just applying the rub with baking powder and cooking immediately seems to enhance the crispiness.

    You may skip the baking powder and still have good results—just not as crispy.

    I do suggest using aluminum-free baking powder. I never buy baking powder with aluminum, which many can taste.

    Why do we no longer rinse off chicken?

    We no longer recommend rinsing chicken due to contamination of the surrounding area from splattering.

    Rinsing chicken is no effect on the crispiness versus just patting it dry with paper towels. See Chicken... To Rinse or Not To Rinse? for a detailed discussion.

    What is the safe internal temperature for chicken?

    The safe internal temperature for chicken is 165°, according to the USDA.

    ❄️Leftovers and serving

    Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days, but the skin texture will deteriorate. You can also freeze leftovers for 3 months.

    Use the leftovers by just reheating, preferably in the oven covered. The microwave will affect the meat's texture. Also, leftovers are an excellent cut-up for salads, chicken salad, or Waldorf Chicken Salad.

    Serve with Roasted Baby Potatoes, Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole, and green beans. Add some dinner rolls, and a fresh strawberry pie for a great finishing touch.

    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

    101's Best Recipes, Chicken Recipes, Easy Dinner Recipes
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    🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

    spices for crispy chicken breasts
    1. Preheat oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional oven.
    1. Pat dry the chicken, trim the chicken off any trimmable fat and remove the rib area.
    cutting chicken breasts into chunks
    1. Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil and a baking rack—coat with PAM cooking spray.
    spraying a rack on baking sheet with PAM
    1. Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil and a baking rack—coat with PAM cooking spray.
    mixing seasonng in small bowl
    Optional cayenne pepper, celery salt, and baking powder not pictured.
    1. Combine spices and baking powder (if using) in a small bowl. Sprinkle and rub on all surfaces, but you may not need all of the spice mixture; just season to your taste.
    chicken pieces on rack ready for oven
    1. Place on a rack skin side up with larger pieces in the corners—and thinner edges to the center. If you used baking powder and have time, let it set for 30 minutes to help dry the skin.
    browned pieces of chicken out of the oven
    1. Bake until internal temp of 165°. It takes about 35 minutes, depending on your oven and the thickness of the chicken.
    piece of chicken on white plate
    1. Let the chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
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    Recipe

    Pile of split (bone-in) chicken breasts on white plate

    Baked Split Chicken Breasts (Bone-in)

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    Baked split (bone-in) chicken breasts are healthy and delicious, with a juicy and tender inside with crispy skin. An easy recipe for a quick and economical dinner.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    4.07 from 458 votes
    Print Email CollectionCollected
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Servings #/Adjust if desired 6 servings

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Convert to Metric
    • 3 split chicken breast - scale to what you need, AKA bone-in chicken breast
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper - optional
    • ½ teaspoon celery salt - optional if you have it
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder - optional Aluminum-free
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional oven.
      spices for crispy chicken breasts
    • Pat dry the chicken, trim the chicken off any trimmable fat and remove the rib area.
    • Cut the chicken into pieces—the normal-size ones in half and the huge ones into thirds.
      cutting chicken breasts into chunks
    • Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil and a baking rack—coat with PAM cooking spray.
      spraying a rack on baking sheet with PAM
    • Combine spices and baking powder (if using) in a small bowl. Sprinkle and rub on all surfaces, but you may not need all of the spice mixture; just season to your taste.
      mixing seasonng in small bowl
    • Place on a rack skin side up with larger pieces in the corners—and thinner edges to the center. If you used baking powder and have time, let it set for 30 minutes to help dry the skin.
      chicken pieces on rack ready for oven
    • Bake until internal temp of 165°. It takes about 35 minutes, depending on your oven and the thickness of the chicken.
      browned pieces of chicken out of the oven
    • Let the chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
      piece of chicken on white plate
    See the step-by-step photos in the post. Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print.

    Your Own Private Notes

    Click here to save your own private notes only you will see. These will print and be saved for your next visit.
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    Recipe Notes

    Pro Tips:

    1. Scale to the amount you want. I was cooking for leftovers, and the packages usually have 3 breasts at our store.
    2. Properly cutting up and trimming chicken breasts is 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.
    3. The celery salt adds some taste, but skip it if you don't have it.
    4. The cayenne pepper is also optional/to taste. The ¼ teaspoon is a 2 or 3/10 heat level. Don't use it if feeding kids.
    5. I like cooking chicken on racks, but it is not that important here.
    6. Keep the thicker parts of the chicken towards the outside of the baking tray.
    7. Be sure to check for a final internal temperature of 165°. Do not guess or cook by time alone. Use an instant-read thermometer.
    8. Great leftover in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and can be frozen for 3-4 months.

    To adjust the recipe size:

    You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

    Nutrition Estimate

    Nutrition Facts
    Baked Split Chicken Breasts (Bone-in)
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 159 Calories from Fat 72
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 8g12%
    Saturated Fat 2g10%
    Cholesterol 58mg19%
    Sodium 498mg21%
    Potassium 205mg6%
    Carbohydrates 1g0%
    Fiber 1g4%
    Sugar 1g1%
    Protein 19g38%
    Vitamin A 144IU3%
    Calcium 59mg6%
    Iron 1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
    Course : Main Course
    Cuisine : American

    © 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.

    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.

    Molly looking good

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    1. Kelly

      March 21, 2018 at 7:50 pm

      Evenly cooked. Crunchy. Moist. Nicely spiced.
      All you promised it would be.
      I usually don't like breast meat, but this is a new favorite.

      Reply
      • DrDan

        March 25, 2018 at 9:59 pm

        Hi Kelly,t ma
        This is one that I do repeat. I love cutting down the size of those huge breasts. It makes everything cook evenly and make the portion size I personally like.
        Thanks for the note.
        Dan

    2. Jason Cummins

      March 12, 2018 at 4:22 am

      This was really good! I only used an 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne and I didn't have celery salt, but I added a little Italian seasoning, poultry seasoning, and chives. I was really happy with how it turned out. For now on I plan to make split breasts this way more often.

      Reply
    3. Dawn

      March 10, 2018 at 9:01 pm

      Made this tonight using 10 thighs (bone-in). The only thing I added was to brush the thighs with a bit of EVOO 35 mins in. Total time 45 mins @ 450. Very tasty!

      Reply
    4. Gail

      February 11, 2018 at 7:32 pm

      The recipe was very good, but with a couple of changes it is great.First I seasoned the chicken with the rub and put in fridge for 3 hrs.While oven was heating, some paprika was added to the chicken and let chicken sit while waiting for oven to reach temp.Mine was done in about 32mins.So check internal temp before 35mins so it doesn't get over done.

      Reply
    5. Danna

      February 02, 2018 at 12:52 pm

      Delicious and easy! Loved it, will be a regular for my husband and I - thanks!

      Reply
      • DrDan

        February 03, 2018 at 1:22 pm

        Hi Danna,
        It is one I do frequently. Thanks for the note.
        Dan

    6. Jenn

      January 05, 2018 at 7:57 pm

      Just made this recipe- turned out great, it's delish! Thank you for sharing it!

      Reply
      • DrDan

        January 05, 2018 at 9:59 pm

        Hi Jenn,
        Glad it worked well for you.
        Thanks for the note.
        Dan

    7. Eun

      January 02, 2018 at 6:50 pm

      Thank you so much for the reply, I quickly changed my mind and cut the chicken in half!!!

      Reply
    8. Eun

      January 02, 2018 at 6:07 pm

      It’s my third time making this awesome recipe, except tonight I’m not cutting the chicken into pieces!

      Reply
      • DrDan

        January 02, 2018 at 6:13 pm

        Hi Eun,
        Glad you enjoyed it. Now about the full breasts, be sure to get to 165 internal temperature. The issue with trying to get the internal temperature high enough without burning the skin was what prompted the cutting up of the breasts. So watch that issue.
        Thanks for the note.
        Dan

      • DrDan

        January 02, 2018 at 6:52 pm

        :)

    9. Elizabeth

      November 06, 2017 at 3:33 pm

      Hi Fan
      This recipe is frikken awesome !!
      Thank you so much for sharing
      Oh btw, I wanted to add one of your readers put it
      Too much cutting , going back to B.Contessa no offence Ina we love you
      But lady Jan just cut your chicken when it’s still half frozen much easier to cut
      ..xo thank you again Dan
      Winner winner chicken 🐔 dinner

      Reply
    10. Natalie

      September 04, 2017 at 10:18 pm

      Just found this recipe - it is delish! Didn't change a thing. LOVE it. Thank you.

      Reply
    11. Kota W.

      August 21, 2017 at 12:34 am

      my other half has been cooking for me all month because im unwell on acount of my luekimia but i was out today and happened to pick up some chicken. i used this to make him dinner tonight for a change :D was good thank you!

      Reply
    12. halfadime7

      February 13, 2017 at 9:33 pm

      WOW and WOW!! I don't usually write reviews on recipes, but I had to on this one. Did two breasts, not 3, so I had a bit of the seasoning left which I just pitched. Didn't have celery salt, but I don't think it was missed at all. The skin was so crispy and all the meat was flavorful and so juicy my husband even commented on it. We used a conventional oven at 450 degrees for 35 mins. As you mentioned; these days the breasts we get are HUGE! How big are those chickens anyway, 20lbs? LOL Anyway, next time I'll cook only one because just one was enough, and my husband is a really BIG eater. Thank you, Dan, for this wonderful recipe. The seasoning was just right and the baking powder was magical. A keeper for sure that I'll share with many friends and family. I may try something similar on fish.

      Reply
    13. Robyn

      January 19, 2017 at 3:50 pm

      Can flour or corn starch be used in place of the baking powder?

      Reply
      • DrDan

        January 19, 2017 at 5:41 pm

        Just skip it...
        Dan

    14. Jill

      January 02, 2017 at 2:57 pm

      I found your recipe a few years ago and it is an all time favorite with my husband. I have also shared it with several friends who love it as well. I have used it with both chicken breasts on the bone and thighs and legs and it comes out great each time. I do double sometimes triple the recipe depending on how many pieces of chicken I'm making. Excellent recipe!!!!

      Reply
      • DrDan

        January 02, 2017 at 7:15 pm

        Hi Jill, Thanks for the note. This is one of those everyday recipes I still use.
        Dan

    15. Lynda

      September 14, 2016 at 6:36 pm

      I was hoping to use chicken legs and thighs. How long would i cook it then

      Reply
      • DrDan

        September 14, 2016 at 6:45 pm

        Hi Lynda
        The technique is about the same but end point shifts to 185 range. Here are two links.
        https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/oven-baked-chicken-thighs/
        https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/the-art-of-drummies-oven-baked-chicken/

        DrDan

    16. Erin Kelley

      September 07, 2016 at 8:45 am

      Wow! I just had my socks knocked off by a chicken recipe! This is going straight into my recipe bookmarks and I'm sure it will become a regular in our household. The amount of seasoning is perfect. It's bold, but not overpowering and the baking powder really does quite the awesome job of creating crispiness.
      Don't skip this recipe!!!

      Reply
    17. John

      June 14, 2016 at 3:08 pm

      what would be some good sides to serve with this??? Thanks

      Reply
      • DrDan

        June 14, 2016 at 6:02 pm

        Hi John
        Here are a couple of my favorites.

        First https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/parmesan-garlic-baked-potatoes/ which would cook about the same time as the chicken if both were at 425.

        Second https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/how-to-cook-corn-on-cob-three-easy/ I tend to do the microwave method for an easy side dish.

        Dan

    18. kennelle clark

      June 07, 2016 at 3:46 am

      THIS RECIPE IS GREAT! AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU CAN PUT ANY BLEND OF SPICES YOU WANT...IT'S REALLY THE COOK TEMP THAT IS THE BEAUTY OF THIS RECIPE.

      Reply
      • DrDan

        June 09, 2016 at 8:10 am

        All recipes are just guidelines as you noted.
        Thanks for the comment.
        DrDan

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