This easy recipe for crispy baked bone-in chicken breasts (split chicken breasts) uses simple seasoning and high oven heat. Proper trimming helps them cook evenly while keeping the meat tender and the skin crispy.
⏱️ How Long to bake bone-in chicken breasts?
Bake until the thickest part reaches 165°F:
- 425°F (400°F convection): 35–40 minutes
- 400°F (375°F convection): 40–45 minutes
- Lower temperatures take longer and produce less crispy skin.
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Featured Comment by JJ:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"So delicious, crispy, fast, easy. This one is immediately in my top 3 chicken recipes…"
🤔 TL;DR — Recipe Summary
What: Crispy baked bone-in chicken breasts with simple seasoning and tender meat.
Why: High oven heat gives you crispy skin while keeping this economical cut tender.
How: Trim for even cooking, season, and bake until the thickest part reaches 165°F.
🐓 Ingredients
- Bone-in chicken breasts: Also called split chicken breasts. Choose skin-on breasts of similar size for more even cooking.
- Seasoning: Use your favorite seasoning blend or keep it simple with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Baking powder: Optional, but helps dry the skin for extra crispiness. Use aluminum-free baking powder to avoid an off taste.
👨🍳 Quick Overview: How to Bake Bone-in Chicken Breasts
1. Trim the chicken: Pat dry, remove excess fat and the rib section, and cut each breast into 2–3 smaller pieces for even cooking.
2. Season well: Mix the seasonings (and optional baking powder) and coat all sides generously.
3. Bake on a baking tray in a 425°F (400°F convection) oven to 165°F—about 35–40 minutes.
📌 For complete step-by-step instructions, scroll down to the printable recipe card or keep reading for tips, cooking times, and serving ideas.
⏰ How Long To Bake Split Chicken Breasts (Bone-In)
Cooking time depends on your oven temperature and the size and thickness of the chicken breast pieces—good trimming helps. Always cook to a final internal temperature of 165°F in the thickest part.
- 425°F (400°F convection): 35–40 minutes
- 400°F (375°F convection): 40–45 minutes
- 375°F conventional: 45–50 minutes
Lower oven temperatures will take longer and usually produce less crispy skin.
Convection tip: Convection ovens cook more evenly and help crisp the skin. Reduce the conventional oven temperature by about 25°F when using convection.
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✔️ Tips for Perfect Results
- Trim for even cooking: Remove excess fat and the rib section, then cut large breasts into 2–3 pieces of similar size and thickness.
- Dry the skin: Pat the chicken dry before seasoning. Optional baking powder helps make the skin extra crispy.
- Use a rack if available: It improves airflow and helps the chicken cook and brown evenly.
- Preheat fully: A fully preheated oven helps the skin crisp and the chicken cook evenly.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve with: Roasted potatoes, rice, or a simple vegetable side all work well. For a comfort-food dinner, add chicken gravy made from the pan drippings (see How to Make Gravy with Flour).
❄️ Storing Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers airtight for 3–4 days.
- Freeze: Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Reheat in the oven or air fryer when possible to help restore the crispy skin. The microwave works but softens the skin.
📖 More Bone-In Chicken Breast Recipes
❓FAQs
Bone-in chicken breasts are also called split chicken breasts. They usually have the skin attached and include part of the breastbone and ribs. Trimming the rib section and cutting large breasts into smaller pieces helps them cook more evenly.
No, but it helps. A rack keeps the bottom from getting soggy and promotes even crisping. If you don’t have one, coat the tray well with cooking spray or oil to help prevent sticking.
It draws moisture from the skin, helping it crisp in the oven. Even a short rest with the rub improves results. Use aluminum-free baking powder to avoid any off flavors. You’ll still get good chicken without it—just not quite as crispy.
Rinsing spreads bacteria and doesn’t help crisp the skin. Just pat the chicken dry with paper towels before seasoning. See Chicken... To Rinse or Not To Rinse? for a detailed discussion.
📖The Recipe Card
Crispy Baked Bone-In Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 3 bone-in chicken breasts (split) - Scale to what you need
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper - optional
- ⅓ teaspoon celery salt - optional
- 1 teaspoon baking powder - optional Aluminum-free
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F convection or 425°F conventional oven.
Preparing the chicken
- Pat the chicken dry, trim off excess fat, and remove the rib area.
- Cut normal-size breasts in half and very large breasts into thirds
- Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil and a baking rack—coat with PAM cooking spray.
Seasoning the chicken
- 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.
Baking the chicken
- 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.
- Bake to an internal temperature of 165°F for about 35 minutes, depending on your oven and the thickness of the chicken. Rest for 5–10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Scale to the amount you need. A serving is about 4–5 oz.
- Proper trimming matters. Smaller, similar-size pieces cook more evenly and are easier to serve.
- Season to taste. Celery salt and cayenne pepper are optional.
- A baking rack is helpful but not required. Keep thicker pieces toward the outside of the baking tray.
- Always cook to 165°F in the thickest part. Use an instant-read thermometer; don't cook by time alone.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Editor's Note: Originally Published May 25, 2011. Updated with expanded information and refreshed photos.
J.J. says
So delicious, crispy, fast, easy. This one is immediately in my top 3 chicken recipes--there used to be only 2! Will work into the regular rotation.
I have used skin on, bone in chicken pieces for a very long time. That's where the flavor and moisture come from.
susan says
I have not made this yet, but wondering what the baking powder does. I've never seen it in this type of recipe before. Thanks.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Susan,
Welcome to the blog.
The baking powder pulls water out the skin so it is crispier when cooked. It is a fairly common trick. You can skip it if you want and the skin will be a bit less crispy.
Dan
SurfNturf says
So good!
I prepared this recipe as outlined and it is a winner.
Nice and crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside and a little heat for the tastebuds.
It's so simple and tasty that is going to be added to the regular rotation!
DrDan says
Hi SurfNturf,
Welcome to the blog.
I do love this recipe, it is just so easy to get good results.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Deb says
Chernobyl chicken breasts on sale cheap - trying tonight 😊
dick says
easy recipe, baked instead of fried, pleasantly surprised as it is delicious, will make this and share with friends
Bonnie DiNardo says
This recipe is both tasty and extremely practical for a two person household. Our supermarket frequently offers a 4-pack of bone-in skin-on split chicken breasts at a sale price. Trimming the ribs off and cutting the breasts in half enables me to bake all of them at the same time. Each piece is a nice portion. We can enjoy the crispy skin the day they are baked, refrigerate 2 pieces, and freeze 4 pieces. The skin and remaining bone partially encase the meat to help protect it from drying out. The pre-cooked chicken meat is like money in the bank. So worth the little bit of effort to cut it up!
DrDan says
Hi Bonnie,
Welcome to the blog.
It is the easy solution to the problem of those huge chicken breasts they sale. You can't reasonable cook them well and one is too much for some of use to eat anyway. So this is my solution.
The first time I cut them up, I was thinking more surface area for seasoning. True but the portion sizes and ease of cooking are the main benefits.
I do like the skin on this recipe also.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Richard says
Great recipe. Thank you very much. Cook for a gang (gaggle?) of people. As a single dad this is a major hit! Only problem, they often invite their friends, without notice...(good problem to have.) Thanks again. You Rock!
DrDan says
Hi Richard,
Welcome to the blog.
This is one of favorite recipes and as you see, it scales great. Glad it works well for you.
Thanks for the note
Dan
Monique says
Making this for the third time this month. This recipe blew me away, soooo easy but oh so tasty :) my whole family loves it.
Thank you and greetings from Sweden :)
Christina says
Hi Dan,
Thanks for the recipe - it turned out great! It was very good - juicy and flavorful:) Earlier tonight my husband said "eh" to chicken, after dinner said "very good, really good, etc."
Used spices as listed, but a few changes since I was using an air fryer - didn't cut in half, sprayed both sides of chicken with canola spray, cooked in air fryer at 390F for 25 minutes. Let rest w/foil tent for 5 mins.
The only thing I'll try different is to put some of the spices (no baking soda) under the skin and let it sit longer to get more flavor in the meat.
Thanks again,
Christina
Cristina says
Delicious and easy to make! Even my one year old loved it and he can be a fickle eater.
DrDan says
Hi Cristina,
Sorry for the delayed response.
Gald it worked well for you.
Dan
LAURIE says
Love the tip about cutting breasts into smaller pieces, BUT -- discard what's cut off? Save any bones and scraps and freeze to make stock later on.
DrDan says
Hi Laurie,
First, sorry to everybody for the lack of replies. I will try to do better.
Yep that works, but I lack freezer space anymore
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Kelly says
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.
DrDan says
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
Jason Cummins says
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.
Dawn says
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!
Gail says
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.
Danna says
Delicious and easy! Loved it, will be a regular for my husband and I - thanks!
DrDan says
Hi Danna,
It is one I do frequently. Thanks for the note.
Dan
Jenn says
Just made this recipe- turned out great, it's delish! Thank you for sharing it!
DrDan says
Hi Jenn,
Glad it worked well for you.
Thanks for the note.
Dan