Baked Chick-Fil-A Chicken {Air Fryer or Oven}
Baked Chick-Fil-A chicken brings the flavor of your favorite fast food chicken right to your dinner table, no frying required! Lean chicken breasts topped with Chick-Fil-A sauce, melty provolone, and a crispy breaded topping, this homemade version is a weeknight winner your whole family will love.
As a family of four, Chick-Fil-A take out is a tempting dinner solution for a busy night but can easily ratchet up to the $40 range.
Instead, I can feed my entire family with one package of chicken breasts and a bag of frozen waffle fries by using simple ingredients I already have in my fridge and pantry.
This homemade Chick-Fil-A chicken has all our favorite flavors in an oven baked, lighter recipe that rivals the original. It was a huge hit for family dinner and there was not one complaint about skipping the take out!
Why This is the Best Recipe
- No Frying, All the Flavor: You get all the signature Chick-Fil-A flavors and even a crispy texture without the oil from the deep fryer.
- Family Budget-Friendly: Take out is expensive for the whole family! Enjoy the same tasted and experience by baking a pan of frozen waffle fries for the side. You'll have more food for less.
- Easy Pantry Staples: Most of the ingredients are probably in your pantry right now. You don't even need to purchase Chick-Fil-A sauce, you can make my homemade version in minutes.
Ingredient Notes
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Chick-Fil-A Sauce: Save the extra take out sauces when you have them or buy a bottle at the grocery store. Otherwise, you can mix up my Copycat Chick-Fil-A sauce in minutes using pantry items you have on hand.
- Provolone Cheese
- Panko Breadcrumbs
- Butter
- Romaine
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Bread and Butter Pickles
- Fried Chicken Seasoning: optional. I used this handy fried chicken seasoning to season the chicken but I have a simple substitution in the recipe card below.
Prep the Chicken
I can stretch a pack of 2 chicken breasts to easily feed our family of four just by dividing them before I bake.
For medium-sized breasts, slice them in half. For extra large sized ones, I sometimes slice them into thirds:
The trick is to make sure that each portion of chicken is an even thickness to the other pieces.
Place them in a large ziptop bag and use a kitchen mallet or rolling pin to pound them until they are the same thickness.
While they're in the bag, add the dry seasoning, seal the bag and shake until evenly coated.
Want to Save This for Later?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Assemble the Chicken
Arrange the chicken in a baking dish. Top each portion with Chick-Fil-A sauce.
Place a slice of provolone cheese over the top of each piece.
Mix together melted butter and the panko breadcrumbs but don't sprinkle it over the chicken just yet.
Baking Instructions (Oven)
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Bake the chicken for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle the prepared bread crumbs over the top and return the chicken to the oven to bake for another 10 - 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
The chicken should be golden brown and bubbling hot.
Baking Instructions (Air Fryer)
Toaster Oven Style:
Cook the chicken at 375°F for 10 minutes. Top with the breadcrumbs and bake for another 5 - 10 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165°F.
Basket Style Air Fryer:
Line your basket with an air fryer safe liner to prevent the sauce and melted cheese from making a mess.
Cook the chicken in a single layer, you may need to cook in batches. 375°F for 10 minutes, add the breadcrumbs, and then another 5 - 10 minutes or until it reaches 165°F.
DIY Meal Kit
You can use this recipe to make an easy DIY meal kit for easy grabbing and baking when you're ready for dinner.
Just prep these elements and keep them ready to go:
- Chicken: Just prepare the chicken breast portions and season them. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Sauce: Premix the homemade Chick-Fil-A sauce and keep it in the fridge next to the chicken.
- Frozen Waffle Fries
Then you just need to assemble and bake!
Variations
- Spicy Chick-Fil-A Chicken: For a spicy version you can add 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the seasoning blend and use pepper jack cheese slices instead of provolone.
Serving Suggestions
When I served this for our dinner, I placed a bed of romaine lettuce on each plate and then added the baked chicken with chopped fresh tomatoes and chopped pickles on top for garnish.
I baked a pan of frozen waffles fries as our side dish to complete the full Chick-Fil-A experience.
If you wanted to serve this as chicken sandwiches, you could skip the bread crumb topping if you wanted and just serve each portion on a hamburger bun of your choice, with or without some peppered bacon.
If you don't enjoy pickles, you could try topping each piece with chow chow relish or quick pickled red onions instead.
More Baked Chicken Recipes
Looking for more easy baked chicken breast recipes? Here are a few of my favorites:
📖 Recipe
Baked Chick-Fil-A Chicken
Ingredients
For the Baked Chicken:
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon fried chicken seasoning see notes for substitute
- 1/4 cup Chick-Fil-A sauce homemade or store bought or 4 leftover condiment cups
- 4 slices provolone cheese
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
For Serving:
- 1 head romaine washed and chopped
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes quartered
- 1/4 cup bread and butter pickles chopped, optional
Instructions Start Cooking
Oven Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray an 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Slice the chicken breasts in half making 4 portions. Place them in a large ziptop bag and pound them with a meat mallet or rolling pin to make each one an even thickness as needed. Open the bag and sprinkle in the seasoning. Seal the bag and toss the chicken to coat evenly. Transfer the chicken to the baking dish.2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1 tablespoon fried chicken seasoning
- Spoon 1 tablespoon or 1 packet of Chick-Fil-A sauce over each piece of chicken. Top each piece with a slice of cheese.1/4 cup Chick-Fil-A sauce, 4 slices provolone cheese
- Bake the chicken for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small microwave-safe bowl. Stir in the breadcrumbs until they are evenly coated in butter. After they've baked for the first 10 minutes, sprinkle the mixture evenly over the tops of the chicken. Bake the chicken for an additional 10 - 15 minutes or until they register 165°F with an instant probe thermometer at the thickest part of the meat.1 tablespoon butter, 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- Place a serving of lettuce on each dinner plate. Add a baked chicken portion and sprinkle the chopped tomatoes and pickles over the top. Serve immediately.1 head romaine, 1 pint cherry tomatoes, 1/4 cup bread and butter pickles
Air Fryer Instructions:
- If you prefer to air fry your chicken in an air fryer, you have two choices: 1. Toaster Oven Style Air Fryer: Place the chicken on the air fryer pan. Cook at 375°F for 10 minutes. Top with breadcrumbs and bake for another 5 minutes or until it registers 165°F at the thickest part of the meat.2. Basket Style Air Fryer: The sauce and cheese will melt while cooking so you will want to use an air fryer-safe parchment paper liner to prevent a big mess and be sure to cook the chicken in a single layer. Cook at 375°F for 10 minutes. Top with breadcrumbs and bake for another 5 minutes or until it registers 165°F at the thickest part of the meat.
Recipe Notes
Fried Chicken Seasoning Substitute:
I love the convenience of having a jar of this amazing fried chicken seasoning in my pantry. It ships free if you order a flatpack. However, if you want to use the spices you already have on hand, you can substitute:- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/4 teaspoon dill
- A light handed dash each: ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and allspice
Save This Recipe to Your Recipe Box
Find this delicious recipe next time you visit by saving it to your very own recipe box on my site. All your favorites stored in one easy place!
Comments
No Comments