Zesty Honey Soy Baked Chicken (Thinly Sliced!)

This juicy thinly sliced chicken breast recipe is baked to perfection and covered in a zesty honey soy sauce giving you a flavor filled protein that your entire family will love!

Trying to beat the dinner rush can feel impossible sometimes… trust me, I’m there with you! That’s why it’s important to have go to recipes that come together easily, cook quickly, and are nutritious and delicious enough for the whole family to enjoy!

I love to give people hacks to help them save time in the kitchen and one of my biggest recommendations I have is to cook with thinly sliced chicken. Whole chicken breasts can take a while to cook all the way through and they often don’t cook evenly, leaving you with some dry chicken and some hardly cooked at all! Using a recipe that calls for tenderloins or chicken cutlets, both examples of thinly sliced chicken, can help you get an evenly cooked protein on the table in no time. 

Depending on what chicken you use, this baked thinly sliced chicken breast recipe cooks in 25-40 minutes and stays juicy, especially when it’s topped with that zesty honey soy sauce coating! I know you’re going to love it!

What is thinly sliced chicken?

Thinly sliced chicken is simply chicken that has been cut into smaller, more even pieces. The benefits of cooking with thinly sliced chicken breasts include quicker cooking times, faster de-thawing time, even baking times, and can even help stretch your proteins to more meals throughout the week helping you save money!

Two common ways to get thinly sliced chicken include:

1. Buy it from the store: You can buy chicken tenderloins or thin-sliced chicken breasts from the store which are just pre-sliced chicken breast ready for you to use. These are very convenient and perfect freezer stockers to have on hand since they de-thaw quickly.

2. Make your own: You can also buy whole chicken breasts from the store and cut them vertically into chicken tenderloin strips or cut them horizontally (butterfly them) into thinly sliced chicken cutlets.

   *If you want a instructional on how to butterfly your chicken breast, click here!

The process:

The key to this delicious chicken is to thinly slice your chicken breast by slicing them in half horizontally, or butterflying them. Thinly sliced chicken cooks quicker and more evenly, a key component for delicious and juicy baked chicken! In addition to a juicy chicken result, this chicken cooks in a time that allows the sauce to reduce and thicken without burning it!

Here is a step by step process to get this delicious honey soy chicken on your dinner table in no time:

Note: An important note here is that cooking times will vary depending on the thickness of your chicken! If you cook with chicken tenderloins, they should be baked in about 25 to 30 minutes. If you butterfly your chicken breasts and your pieces are a bit thicker, it could take 40 minutes to bake like mine did. Always check your chicken with a food thermometer and let it reach an internal temperature of 165!

Ingredients:

All you’ll need to make this delicious baked chicken recipe is:

For the chicken:

• Chicken breast: I used 3 chicken breasts that were butterflied into 6 thinner pieces.

• Flour: I used all purpose flour but you could use another flour if you like. The key here is to shake off any excess flour, we want to chicken lightly coated but not smothered!

• Butter: this is the binder to stick our flour to our chicken. If you do not want to use butter, you can use milk or an egg.

• Salt & Pepper: simple seasonings because the flavor is in the sauce.

For the sauce:

• Butter: no substitutions here, sorry! Trust me, butter makes it better.

• Soy sauce: I used Low sodium.

• Honey: you could omit the honey if you prefer just a lemon and soy sauce but it will not be as sweet.

• Fresh lemon: Fresh is preferred over the bottled lemon juice.

Recipe FAQ:

1. Can I make this thinly sliced chicken breast recipe with whole chicken breast?

   1. Yes, you can but you are going to need to add time! For this recipe, I bake the chicken breast for 30-45 minutes covered then will add my sauce and bake for another 20 minutes or until it reaches a safe internal temperature.

2. How long can I safely keep baked chicken in the refrigerator?

   1. Baked proteins can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days! Always use your senses like sight, smell, and taste to help you determine if the food is still safe. If something tastes or smells off, toss it.

3. What should I eat with this thinly sliced chicken?

   1. Good question, I’m glad you asked. This chicken would pair well with sides like:

      1. Edamame and bean salad

      2. Spicy cucumbers

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Yield: 6

Author: Lauren Twigge

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Zesty Honey Soy Baked Chicken

This juicy thinly sliced chicken breast recipe is baked to perfection and covered in a zesty honey soy sauce giving you a flavor filled protein that your entire family will love!

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 45 Min

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 2.5 lbs of chicken (3 large breasts)
• 3/4 cup flour
• 5 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

For the zesty soy sauce

• 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 5 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 lemon, juiced

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place your 3 chicken breasts on a cutting board and, using a sharp knife, butterfly them in half horizontally to create 6 chicken cutlets.
3. In one bowl, melt your butter. In a second bowl, mix together your flour, salt and pepper.
4. Dip each chicken cutlet into the butter then toss in the flour until lightly and evenly coated, shaking off any excess. Place each coated chicken cutlet into a 9x13 baking dish, cover, and bake for 20 minutes.
5. While your chicken bakes, we are going to make the sauce. To a small sauce pan add your soy sauce, butter, lemon, and honey. Cook on low/medium heat until the sauce comes to a simmer then remove from the heat.
6. Once your chicken has baked for the initial 20 minutes, evenly pour the sauce over the chicken. Bake uncovered for another 10-20 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked through, spooning the sauce over the chicken occasionally. Enjoy! *use a food thermometer to monitor your chicken as it may bake at different speeds depending on oven and chicken thickness.

Nutrition information has been approximated.

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Hey! I’m Lauren

I’m a Registered Dietitian and busy toddler mom committed to bringing you delicious, nutritious, and easy-to-make recipes!