Bake times for skinless boneless chicken breasts

[lothlorien]

I'm going to be marinading them in some store bought marinade, and then bake them. I've been seeing bake times as varied as 10 minutes and 1 hour on the internet, and I'm not sure what to believe. I've never baked chicken breasts before (in fact, this is my first time doing anything with chicken that wasn't just frying them) and I have no idea at time at all. Any suggestions ? I was thinking of baking at 375 F. Alternate temperatures would also be welcome.

[escondido123]

How many are you doing? Why baking rather than saute?

[lothlorien]

I'm baking about 4. I'm not sure why I'm baking rather than sauteeing, but if sauteeing is easier, then I'd absolutely do that rather than baking. I haven't sauteed anything other than some tofu. How would I go about sauteeing the chicken?

[todao]

http://www.oprah.com/food/How-to-Saut...

[JeremyEG]

It's not hard and I think you'll have less of a chance of over cooking them because you can watch them more closely. As others have said, they can overcook very quickly in the oven.

For next time, you might want to try them with the skin and on the bone. they are much less likely to dry out and I don't think you need to be as careful.
Enjoy your meal!
JeremyEG
homecooklocavore.com

[Snozzberry]

I'd bake them at 350 F, and I'd start with 20 minutes, and if they're not done ( I've been using a meat thermometer, not sure how to judge doneness without sacrificing the quality of the biggest one) check them every 10 minutes or so until done.

[lothlorien]

Do you bake them covered in foil or uncovered?

[todao]

Covered in foil if I don't want them browned, uncovered if I do.
"reality check" suggests relying exclusively on a digital thermometer. If it's properly use, I couldn't agree more. Just make sure it's at a safe temperature for consumption and take it off the heat. Overcooked chicken breast can develop into shoe leather very quickly.

[reality check]

All ovens are different, so baking times will vary. But a general guideline is 350 for about 45 minutes.

Best bet, buy an instant read, meat thermometer.

When the chicken breast reach 165 degrees take them out of the oven.