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    TaraTeaspoon » Recipes » Chicken and Poultry

    Baked Chicken In Paper: Chicken en Papillote Recipe

    Published: Sep 9, 2014 · Updated: Jul 9, 2022 by Tara Teaspoon · This page contains affiliate and sponsored links. See my full disclosure

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    Baked chicken in paper with raisins pin

    Baked Chicken in Paper with golden raisins, herbs and pine nuts cooks in 15 minutes! It is total simplicity and flavor in one recipe—easy to make and sure to wow everyone at the table.

    Learn about the true French name: en papillote, and why this cooking method is easy and makes chicken juicy and delicious.

    baked chicken in paper with raisins and pine nuts on blue tile
    Jump to:
    • 🍴 What is en papillote?
    • How long to cook chicken en papillote
    • 🍴 How to make chicken en papillote
    • 🍴 What to cook with chicken in paper
    • 🍴 Can I make chicken in paper with foil?
    • More poultry recipes:
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Baked chicken in paper is the French technique of cooking en papillote.

    Perfectly cooked chicken and little-to-no clean up are just two of the benefits of using the French baked chicken technique "en papillote.”

    It doesn’t matter if you can’t pronounce the name (exactly why I call it Baked Chicken In Paper), or if you’ve never ventured away from your same-old chicken recipe, this dinner is so simple that you’ll find yourself coming back to it often.

    🍴 What is en papillote?

    En Papillote means to cook something in paper, and traditionally this means parchment paper.

    By making a pocket out of parchment, you are creating a little steam room for your chicken, and it cooks perfectly without drying out.

    The sealed packet of paper infuses the chicken with the flavors you include and gently cooks the protein.

    How long to cook chicken en papillote

    • Boneless chicken in a parchment paper packet cooks for 15 minutes at 400ºF.

    The chicken cooks in 15 minutes at 400 degrees—a short time to bake chicken. 

    If you have a really thick piece of chicken, an inch or more at it's thickest point, you'll want to cook it just a bit longer.

    I pound my chicken so it is an even ½ inch thick. You can do this too. Flatten your chicken into a thinner piece with the rolling pin or meat mallet.

    • Place chicken breast between two pieces of plastic wrap
    • Use a rolling pin or meat mallet to gently pound the chicken to ½-inch thick
    pounding chicken with a rolling pin on a cutting board

    🍴 How to make chicken en papillote

    Chicken en papillote is at it's base, steamed chicken. I like to add lots of delicious flavor like lemon, herbs and veggies.

    Making chicken in paper is easy. You just pile chicken and seasonings plus any other ingredients, on one side of a piece of parchment paper. Fold the paper over the ingredients, seal the edges, and bake.

    For me, dinner isn’t only about how the food tastes, but also how it looks.

    Baked chicken in paper creates a nice presentation and is so fun for kids. Each person gets their own packet to unwrap and eat!

    Make cute parchment packets

    • Fold 20-by-30-inch pieces of parchment paper in half and cut into half-heart shapes.

    • Open the heart shape like a book.

    • Add chicken, seasonings and vegetables on one side.

    • Fold the other side of the heart over the top and crimp the edges in 1-inch increments, pleated over each other.

    • Bake for 15 minutes at 400ºF.

    • Upon taking the chicken out of the oven, you simply unfold the parchment and voila, you have a beautiful dish.

    baked chicken in paper en papillote

    You can also fold the chicken and herbs in a parchment rectangle and twist the ends–anything to seal in the steam!

    This is how it looks when you just use a rectangle of paper.

    A different way to fold chicken en papillote

    🍴 What to cook with chicken in paper

    In this baked chicken in paper recipe I used sweet golden raisins, crunchy pine nuts, parsley, garlic and lemon to season the chicken.

    I added red pepper flakes for a little heat, but you can leave that out if you'd like.

    Kids will love to help assemble these packets and add their own seasonings.

    Here are a few other ingredients you can cook with the chicken in parchment packets:

    • Shredded or thin-sliced carrots
    • Sliced zucchini or yellow squash
    • Small pieces of butternut squash
    • Spinach or other greens
    • Cherry tomatoes
    • Green beans or haricots verts
    • Artichoke hearts

    🍴 Can I make chicken in paper with foil?

    You can make chicken in paper in foil packets, sure, but it wouldn't be chicken en papillote, but it would cook in a similar method: steaming.

    Parchment paper is so inexpensive, and easy to use, plus it makes a fun presentation. These flavors and this recipe can certainly be cooked in foil packets if you'd like, just cook according to the recipe below.

    I love making these packets with my individual parchment sheets.

    More poultry recipes:

    • square feature image of turkey pot pie with biscuits on top in a cast iron skillet.
      Turkey Pot Pie with Biscuits
    • Polenta zucchini salad in a serving bowl.
      Chicken and Zucchini Salad with Polenta Croutons
    • Roast turkey carved and arranged on a platter for Thanksgiving.
      Roast Turkey In Parts
    • Platter of slow cooker turkey breast for Thanksgiving.
      Slow Cooker Turkey Breast Recipe

    Rate this recipe! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    Scroll to the bottom of the page to rate and comment on this recipe. Leaving comments, questions, and ratings helps other too!

    📖 Recipe

    Chicken baked in parchment paper

    Baked Chicken In Paper - Chicken en Papillote

    Tara Teaspoon
    Baked Chicken in Paper with golden raisins, herbs and pine nuts cooks in 15 minutes! It is total simplicity and flavor in one recipe—easy to make and sure to wow everyone at the table.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Work Time 25 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 40 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Servings 4 Servings

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 chicken breasts (boneless skinless )
    • ⅓ cup flat-leaf parsley (finely chopped)
    • 1 clove garlic (minced)
    • Zest of 1 lemon
    • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
    • ⅓ cup golden raisins
    • 3 tablespoon pine nuts (toasted)

    Instructions
     

    • Heat oven to 400ºF. Place each chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to an even ½-thickness. Prepare four 20-by-30-inch pieces of parchment: fold in half and cut into a half-heart shape. Unfold and place chicken on one side of each paper.
    • In a bowl combine parsley, garlic, zest, salt and red-pepper flakes. Divide mixture among chicken breasts, covering the surface of each piece. Sprinkle with raisins and nuts.
    • Fold parchment over chicken breasts and pleat in 1-inch increments, folding edges over tightly to seal packet. Fold the last pleat underneath the packet. Place packets on a baking sheet; bake until packets are puffed and chicken is cooked through, 15 min.
    • Carefully transfer packets to plates, cut the paper across the top and tear to open.

    Notes

    Be careful as you open packet.  The steam is very hot.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 347kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 49gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 144mgSodium: 704mgPotassium: 998mgSugar: 7gVitamin A: 525IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 1.8mg
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    Tara Teaspoon

    I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!

    More about Tara

    Recipe by Tara Teaspoon, LHJ, Sept/10. Photo credit Hallie Burton. Food Stylist Anne Disrude. Prop Stylist Randi Brookman Harris

    Comments

      5 from 2 votes

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    1. Mary says

      July 19, 2018 at 6:30 pm

      This is fabulous! Can put many combinations of foods in these little packets! i love the way it cooks so quickly.

      Reply
    2. marie says

      April 24, 2020 at 11:27 pm

      This chicken turns out so moist and tasty every time! The pine nuts and raisins are the perfect combination of sweet and savory. I love this dish, so easy and delicious!

      Reply

    Hi, I'm Tara Teaspoon!

    I’ve been sharing my original ideas for years. What began as a passion, turned into a publishing career as Food Editor at Martha Stewart Living and Ladies’ Home Journal magazines.

    Now I write cookbooks, and share delicious recipes and expert cooking tips with you here! Thanks for stopping by Tara Teaspoon!

    More about me →

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