How to Cook Thin Sliced Chicken Breast

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: December 19, 2020

Thin-sliced chicken breast is great for getting dinner on the table quickly. Toss the chicken in a lightly floured seasoning and pan fry it. Cook up a quick lemon shallot sauce to pour over the chicken piccata. For another fancy meal, lay ham and cheese on the thin-sliced chicken and roll them up. Coat the roll-ups in breadcrumbs before you bake them so they become crunchy. Or fry up strips of the chicken in a soy sauce marinade with your favorite vegetables. Serve the stir-fry with rice and enjoy!

Ingredients

Quick Chicken Piccata^{[1]
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Research source}

1 pound (450 g) of thin-sliced chicken breast
1 tablespoon (8 g) flour
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) salt
1/4 teaspoon (0.5 g) hot paprika
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
1 large lemon
2 tablespoons (28 g) butter, divided
1 shallot, chopped
¹⁄₃ cup (79 ml) white wine or dry vermouth
¹⁄₃ cup (79 ml) chicken broth

Makes 3 to 4 servings

Chicken Cordon Bleu Roll-Ups

6 pieces (about 1 pound (450 g)) of thin-sliced chicken breast
Salt, pepper, and garlic powder for seasoning
6 thin slices of deli ham
6 thin slices of deli cheese (such as provolone or swiss)
1 egg
1/2 cup (64 g) flour
1 cup (50 g) fresh bread crumbs
Handful of panko bread crumbs, optional

Makes 6 servings

Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry^{[2]
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Research source}

1 pound (450 g) thin-sliced chicken breast
2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce
1 tablespoon (9 g) cornstarch
2 teaspoons (9.9 ml) rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon (0.5 g) red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon (2 g) freshly grated ginger
1 large carrot, cut into coins
1 bell pepper, cut into strips
1 zucchini, cut into sticks
4 scallions, sliced
1 can (15-oz or 425 g) of baby corn
1 can (8-oz or 225 g) of water chestnuts
1/2 cup (65 g) peanuts
Drizzle of sesame oil, for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste

Makes 4 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making Quick Chicken Piccata

1
Cut the thin-sliced chicken breast into 2 to 3 pieces, if necessary. If the thin-sliced chicken breasts you bought are in large pieces, cut each into 2 to 3 pieces. Each piece should be about 2 inches (5.1 cm) wide. You don't need to cut the chicken if they were already cut into thin rounds or strips.
2
Put the chicken on a tray and whisk the flour, salt, and paprika in a bowl. Lay the thin-sliced chicken in a single layer on a baking sheet or tray. Get out a small bowl and put 1 tablespoon (8 g) of flour, 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon (0.5 g) of hot paprika into it. Stir to combine the dry mixture.

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3
Sprinkle the dry mixture over both sides of the chicken. Scoop up about half of the dry mixture and sprinkle it evenly over the chicken on the sheet. Flip each piece of chicken over and sprinkle the rest of the dry mixture over the other side.
4
Slice half of a lemon and sauté it for 2 minutes. Pour 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of olive oil into a large skillet and turn the burner to high. Cut half of the lemon into ¹⁄₄ inch (0.64 cm) thick slices and add them to the skillet. Cook the slices for 1 minute and then flip them. Cook them for 1 more minute and transfer them to a plate.
5
Sauté the chicken for 2 minutes. Lower the seasoned chicken breast into the hot skillet so the pieces are in a single layer. Cook the chicken without turning it. The bottom should become golden brown.
- If you can't fit all of the chicken in a single layer, you may need to sauté them in batches.
6
Flip and sauté the chicken for another 2 minutes. Use tongs to turn each piece of chicken over and cook them on the other side for 2 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter while you make the sauce.
- The chicken should be completely cooked and reach 160 °F (71 °C) with an instant-read meat thermometer.
7
Sauté the shallot over medium heat for 2 minutes. Turn the burner down to medium and add 1 tablespoon (14 g) of the butter. Stir in 1 chopped shallot and cook it until it becomes clear.
8
Add the wine and broth and boil the sauce for 1 minute. Pour ¹⁄₃ cup (79 ml) of white wine or dry vermouth into the skillet along with ¹⁄₃ cup (79 ml) of chicken broth. Turn the burner to high and stir as the sauce comes to a boil. Keep boiling it until half of the liquid has evaporated.
9
Stir the lemon juice and butter into the sauce. Squeeze the juice out of half of a lemon and stir it into the skillet. Add the last 1 tablespoon (14 g) of butter and stir it as it melts.
10
Serve the chicken piccata with strained sauce. Place a fine mesh strainer over the platter of chicken and carefully pour the lemon butter sauce through it. The strainer will catch any seeds from the lemon juice and the shallot solids. Serve the hot chicken piccata with a side salad or cooked pasta.
- Refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Cooking Chicken Cordon Bleu Roll-Ups

1
Preheat the oven to 400 °F (204 °C) and grease 1 baking sheet. Rub a little vegetable oil or shortening over the bottom of the baking sheet and set it aside.
2
Put the chicken on waxed paper and season it with salt, pepper, and garlic. Tear a large sheet of waxed paper and place it on your work surface. Lay 6 thin-sliced pieces of chicken breast in a single layer on the paper. Each piece should be at least 3 inches (7.6 cm) wide. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic powder according to your taste over both sides of each chicken piece.
3
Fold slices of deli ham and lay them on the chicken. Take out 6 pieces of thinly-sliced deli ham. Fold each piece in half or thirds and set 1 piece of ham on each piece of chicken.
- The ham shouldn't go over the sides of the chicken piece or it will need to be folded more.
4
Fold slices of cheese and lay them on the ham. Get out 6 thinly-sliced pieces of deli cheese and fold them in half. Set 1 folded piece of cheese on top of the folded ham slice. Do this for each piece of chicken.
5
Roll up each piece of chicken with the cheese and ham. Use your fingertips to fold the edge of chicken that's closest to you up and over the ham and cheese. Keep rolling the chicken away from you until it makes a tight cylinder. Set the piece back down on the waxed paper and roll up the remaining pieces of chicken. Ensure that it's seam-side down so the roll-up stays secure.
6
Create a dredging station of egg, flour, and breadcrumbs. Set 3 shallow baking pans or dishes on your work surface. Measure 1/2 cup (64 g) of flour into the first pan. Crack 1 egg into the middle pan and whisk it until it's blended. Pour 1 cup (50 g) of fresh bread crumbs into the last pan.
- If you'd like the roll-ups to have a little crunch, include a handful of panko breadcrumbs with the fresh breadcrumbs.
7
Coat each roll-up in the flour, egg, and breadcrumbs. Cover 1 chicken roll-up with the flour in the first baking dish. Then, lower it into the beaten egg so it's coated. Lift the roll-up out of the egg and into the dish with breadcrumbs. Cover the roll-up completely with the breadcrumbs. Repeat this for each roll-up.
8
Secure each roll-up with a toothpick and arrange them on the sheet. Stick 1 toothpick into each end of the roll-up to seal the ends shut. This will stop the cheese from oozing out as it cooks. Place each roll-up on the greased baking sheet so the seam is facing down.
- Leave at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of space between each roll-up.
9
Bake the chicken roll-ups for 25 minutes. Put the baking sheet in the preheated oven and cook the chicken roll-ups until the outside is golden brown and chicken is completely cooked.
- You can check the internal temperature of the chicken. The chicken should reach 160 °F (71 °C) with an instant-read thermometer.
10
Serve the chicken cordon bleu roll-ups. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the hot roll-ups to serving plates. Serve them with a green salad, roasted vegetables, or a creamy sauce.
- While you can store leftover roll-ups in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days, they'll lose their crunch as they're stored.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry

1
Cut the thin-sliced chicken breasts into strips, if necessary. If you bought chicken that's still in large circular pieces, cut them into strips that are about ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) wide.
2
Mix the chicken with soy sauce, cornstarch, and rice vinegar. Stir 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of soy sauce in a large bowl with 1 tablespoon (9 g) of cornstarch and 2 teaspoons (9.9 ml) and rice wine vinegar. Stir in the sliced chicken breast and let it marinate while you prep the vegetables.
3
Heat the oil in a skillet and add the garlic, chili flakes, and grated ginger. Pour 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of vegetable oil into a large skillet and turn the burner to medium-high. When the oil shimmers, stir in 3 cloves of minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 g) of red pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon (2 g) of freshly grated ginger.
4
Stir in the chicken with the marinade and cook it for 2 minutes. Avoid stirring the mixture for the full minute. This will help the chicken brown. Then, stir the chicken with the seasonings and then leave it to fry before you add the vegetables.
5
Add all of the prepared vegetables and the peanuts to the skillet. Open the cans of baby corn and water chestnuts and drain the water from them. Add the corn and chestnuts to the skillet along with 1/2 cup (65 g) of peanuts. You'll also need to stir in:
- 1 large carrot, cut into coins
- 1 bell pepper, cut into strips
- 1 zucchini, cut into sticks
- 4 sliced scallions
6
Season and stir-fry the mixture for 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the vegetables and stir the mixture as it cooks. Fry the chicken and vegetables until the chicken finishes cooking and the vegetables soften.
7
Drizzle the stir-fry with sesame oil and serve it. Turn off the burner and drizzle just a little sesame oil over the stir-fry. If the vegetables or chicken look too dry, stir in 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of chicken stock to loosen it. Serve the stir-fry with steamed rice.
- Store the leftover stir-fry in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.