Do you ever see a pack of thin-sliced chicken breasts on sale at the store and not know what to make with them? Or do you want to stretch your meat budget by slicing your chicken breasts in half to make more portions? Here are 30 recipes specifically for thin-sliced chicken breasts (aka chicken cutlets) that are perfect for dinner!
What are thin-sliced chicken breasts?
Thin-sliced chicken breasts are chicken breasts that have been sliced in half (or thinner) by laying them down on a cutting board and slicing horizontally to make a thinner cut of chicken. You can either do this yourself (CAREFULLY!) or you can find thin-sliced chicken breasts packaged at the grocery store. Asking your butcher to slice chicken breasts thinly is also an option, but really, who goes to a butcher nowadays?
Another way to make thin-sliced chicken breasts is to pound a whole chicken breast with a meat mallet until it is thin. This tenderizes the chicken and makes it cook nice and even.
Another word for thin-sliced chicken breasts is "chicken cutlets," so if you come across that in some recipes, you'll know exactly what the recipe means.
Why cook with thin sliced chicken breast
- It cooks faster because it's thinner.
- It cooks evenly—it doesn't dry out because it cooks all the way through before the outsides have a chance to dry out and get tough.
- Most recipes for thin-sliced chicken are easy one-pot recipes with just a few, fresh, flavorful ingredients added.
- It's a great budget-friendly option. You can take 2 chicken breasts, slice them in half, and make 4 portions! Most people eat just 1 piece of chicken, whether it's thick or thin, so you get double the portions from the same amount of chicken. And if you get lucky and find thin-sliced chicken breasts on sale, then they're ready to cook with right from the package!
Thin-sliced chicken 101
Below you'll find dozens of delicious chicken dinner ideas, but before you look at them I wanted to teach you the basics for how to cook with thin-sliced chicken. Every recipe is a little different, but for the most part, you'll follow these basic steps:
- Season your chicken (and/or coat it in breadcrumbs). Salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika (or smoked paprika), onion powder, dried herbs are all great seasonings to try.
- Pan-fry your chicken (3-4 minutes per side). Or air fry it (8-10 minutes at ~385F). Or bake it (15-25 minutes at 350F).
- Add your toppings (such as cheese, chimichurri sauce, guacamole, fresh tomatoes and herbs), or make and add your sauce (such as with thin-sliced mushrooms, cream & parmesan, marinara).
Of course, some recipes below are a little different, like the ones where the chicken is baked or rolled up. But you can make dozens of different recipes just following the 3 simple steps above.
Make sure to PIN this post on Pinterest so you can come back to this list whenever you need a quick chicken dinner idea.
Thin Sliced Chicken Breast Recipes for Dinner
In this classic Italian dish, thin-sliced chicken breast is lightly breaded in flour, fried until crisp, and then cooked with a lemony butter caper sauce. The tangy flavor is the best!
Chicken Marsala is a classic Italian chicken dish where thin-sliced chicken breast is lightly breaded and cooked with mushrooms and marsala wine to make the most delicious sauce. Serve with green beans and mashed potatoes
Assemble the salad while the chicken cooks in the air fryer, and a nutritious lunch is ready in less than 15 minutes! Warm freshly cooked salad is the best on a salad. This version of Caesar salad uses baby spinach for lots of flavor and nutrition.
Breaded chicken cutlets are one of the most versatile things to make with chicken. These cutlets are crispy and delicious, and cooking them in the air fryer seals in the juices for the chicken. Serve them with your favorite side dishes, slice them up and put them on a salad, or make chicken cutlet sandwiches!
The creamy sauce for this thin-sliced chicken is soo delish, thanks to lots of fragrant herbs and tasty Parmesan. Spoon the sauce over pasta or rice, or serve with some focaccia on the side.
Here' a fun way to use thin-sliced chicken breast: skewer it on a stick to make a delicous appetizer or a fun main course! Thin-sliced chicken is perefct for this because it cooked faster.
How good does this sandwich from The Dizzy Cook looks?? That perfectly cooked chicken breast with the honey chipotle marinade is everything.
If you've seen my creamy mushroom and spinach pork chops, you'll know that I love creamy mushroom everything, and this chicken is no exception!
Chicken Parm is one of the BEST ways to use thin sliced chicken breast. This crispy, cheesy, saucy chicken is a favorite, whether served over pasta or in hoagie rolls as a sandwich.
For this chicken sandwich, thin-sliced chicken is brined in pickle juice, then breaded and air fried for a crispy, delicious, juicy chicken.
This cheesy baked pesto chicken requires just 5 minutes of prep time, and then it's off to the oven! Make your side dish while the chicken is baking. Dinner couldn't get easier!
Stuffed chicken always looks so fancy, you can serve it for a dinner party! In this recipe, you wrap thin-sliced chicken breast around asparagus and provolone. Once it's cooked, the cheese gets all melty and delicious.
This is a one-pan dinner with loads of flavor. It's healthy, too! This recipe starts with a regular chicken breast that is pounded until its thin, or you can use pre-cut thin-sliced chicken breasts.
This recipe has just a few simple ingredients but it tastes so fresh and vibrant! And it's ready in just 20 minutes.
This guacamole chicken is low-carb and super delicious!! Guacamole and cheese are some of my favorite foods and they're perfect on top of this skillet chicken.
And if you love the idea of chicken with guacamole, try my guacamole chicken burgers!
The great part about making blackened chicken with thin-sliced chicken breasts instead of full size chicken breasts is that you get a higher seasoning-to-chicken ratio, which means more flavor!
This one is great for the pizza lovers and for picky kids. Because everything is better with a little cheese and pepperoni!
The flavor of this lemon pepper chicken is enhanced with fresh lemon juice. This chicken is great over pasta, over rice, and sliced up for salads.
If you love flavorful chimichurri sauce, then this chicken recipe is for you! I love these bold flavors.
Psst! Also check out my chimichurri shrimp skewers!
This is called "Marry Me Chicken" because it is so good that if you make this for your boyfriend or girlfriend, they will propose! I believe that, because it has a similar sauce to my creamy sun-dried tomato chicken thighs recipe.
Spinach and artichoke are a classic combo, and this creamy one-pot chicken recipe is a great way to get some extra veggies in.
This Tex-Mex twist on chicken parm is just mmm-mmm good, with flavorful poblano peppers and Rotel tomatoes.
This creamy chicken has bold flavors thanks to blue cheese, Parmesan cheese, and cheddar melted together with dry white wine and a few seasonings. A must-try if you're a wine and cheese lover!
Have you ever had chicken katsu? It's crispy, delicious breaded chicken. Using thin-sliced chicken breasts for this recipe means you get more crisp and crunch in every bite!
This recipe takes all the delicious, savory flavor of French onion soup and turns them into a flavorful baked chicken dish. I would serve this with cheese toast for dipping, or with some garlic confit spread on a baguette.
Chicken Cordon Bleu is typically breaded and fried, but this recipe is a little leaner using un-breaded chicken cutlets. Don't worry, it still has all the flavors, thanks to delicious slices of ham, melty Swiss cheese, and a bit of Dijon mustard added to it.
Chicken Kiev is a classic dish that uses thin-sliced chicken cutlets stuffed with a buttery herby filling, wrapped up, breaded, and cooked until perfectly crispy.
Here's another fantastic recipe with European flavors: shallots, herbs de Provence, prosciutto, olive oil.... yum!
This chicken has a combination of sweet and spicy, making it finger-licking-good! If you love honey and sriracha together, you should also try my honey sriracha pork chops!
If you're a fan of rosemary, this is a great skillet chicken recipe to try!
Pin this list of chicken recipes:
DJ
Saturday 9th of March 2024
Love the Marry Me Chicken! Thanks.
Erica S
Monday 10th of July 2023
Great collection! Thanks so much for including my Mex Parm!
Kate
Monday 10th of July 2023
Thanks, Erica!