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Chicken Cooking Time Calculator
Cooking time for chicken by cut, weight and oven temperature — breasts, thighs, whole birds. One target temperature settles all of them.
Your results
Cooking time
20 min
Start checking at
15 min
Safe internal temperature
165°F / 74°C
Rest
5 min
Chicken is done at 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part, measured away from bone. That single number replaces every rule of thumb about clear juices, which is not a reliable test — colour depends on the bird's age and how it was chilled, not on whether it is safe.
Thighs are more forgiving than breasts by a wide margin. Dark meat carries more fat and connective tissue and stays pleasant well past 175°F, while a breast that overshoots 170°F is already dry. If you are cooking both on one tray, take the breasts off first.
These times assume the chicken went into the oven cold from the fridge and the oven was fully preheated. A crowded tray adds time, because the pieces shield each other and the moisture they release cools the air around them.
Questions people ask
How long to cook a 200 g chicken breast at 400°F?
About 20 minutes, checking from 15. Pull it the moment the thickest part reads 165°F (74°C) — a breast goes from juicy to dry in roughly two minutes.
How long to cook a 250 g chicken breast at 375°F?
About 26 minutes. The extra 50 g and the lower oven each add time, so start checking at 19 minutes rather than trusting the clock.
What temperature is chicken safe at?
165°F (74°C) throughout, for every cut and every cooking method. Thighs are often better at 175-180°F, but that is for texture, not safety.
Why is my chicken breast always dry?
Almost always overcooking, and usually by only a few degrees. Buy a probe thermometer, pull at 162°F and let carryover finish the job at 165°F.