How to Cut Chicken Breast into Strips

Chicken breast cut into strips is loved by kids of all ages and constitutes a fantastic healthy food option. If you are a chicken strips eater, you may want to learn how to make them for yourself and your family. That is the reason why today we’ll be telling you all about how to cut chicken breast into strips the right way.

When handling chicken breast, there are a few things you need to be aware of as chicken can be slippery to work with, and the way you cut your chicken will affect how it cooks. If you’ve tried to cut chicken breast into strips in the past and didn’t like the result, you know that there is a right and a wrong way to achieve the perfect chicken strips.

Attempting to cut chicken breast into strips may sound like an intimidating task, but in reality, you have nothing to worry about. Once you have the right tools and follow a few simple guidelines, you’ll feel like a pro. Continue reading and take your chicken breast slicing skills to the next level as we share with you different ways how to cut frozen chicken breast into strips.

How to Cut Chicken Breast into Strips FAQs

Why consume chicken breast?

Using chicken breasts is one of the most flexible and easy ways to add nutrition without a lot of fuss, fat, or calories.

What is the difference between a chicken strip and a chicken tender?

Chicken tenders are a specific muscle located next to the ribs in the breast. Chicken strips are strips of breast meat, and most of them are pre-cooked in some way to be used to make quick, easy meals. Chicken fingers are breaded and either fried or baked.

How do you cut chicken breast for fajitas?

You want to cut the chicken breasts into thin strips for quick cooking, so they’ll be less likely to dry out. Slice your chicken breasts horizontally into 1/2-inch thick slabs. You may want to freeze the chicken for about 30 minutes beforehand, making it firmer and easier to slice.

Which way do you cut chicken strips?

The best way to slice chicken is to cut against the grain, which gives you shorter muscle fibers, making the meat more tender. Find the grain by locating the tiny white muscle fibers that run in 1 direction. Use your knife to cut across them in 1 clean slice, so the meat doesn’t shred.

How to dice chicken breasts?

To dice, start by slicing the breast into wide strips. Slice each strip, one at a time, lengthwise into thinner strips and then cut crosswise into dice-shaped pieces. Aim to get each piece the same size for consistent cooking.

What tools can you use to cut chicken breast into strips?

  • Knife: Choose a sharp chef’s knife that’s 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 cm) long. The sharper the knife, the less chance you’ll have of injuring yourself because the knife won’t slide around as much. A longer knife will help you make smooth, clean cuts instead of having to make repeated cuts as a shorter knife would. A chef’s knife is also sturdy enough to cut through meat with just a little bit of pressure.
  • Kitchen Shears: Choose a pair of detachable kitchen shears. Kitchen scissors are sharper and sturdier so they can cut through everything from meat to bone. With this type of scissor, you’re able to take the two halves apart to clean between the blades.

DALSTRONG Chef Knife – 10″ – Gladiator Series

Incredibly razor-sharp, full-tang, imported high-carbon German steel with a hand-polished edge at 16-18 degrees per side. Precisely tempered and stain-resistant.

Award-winning design with satisfying heft, premium materials, and quality feel. The Premium G10 Garolite handle is triple-riveted with a grip that ensures comfort and maneuverability.

It is laminated and polished for a sanitary build, perfect for busy kitchens. It is carefully tapered for improved hardness, flexibility, and minimal slicing resistance.

how to cut chicken breast into strips: DALSTRONG Chef Knife - 10" - Gladiator Series

Features:

  • Incredibly razor-sharp
  • 10″
  • High-carbon German steel

iBayam Kitchen Scissors Heavy Duty

Heavy-duty 8.5″ super sharp kitchen shears. Great All-purpose scissors for kitchen, household, home, car, general outdoor use.

High-quality hardened stainless steel blades easily cut through cardboard, twine, food, meat, vegetables, chicken, poultry, fish, herbs, seafood, BBQ, food packing bags, and more.

The ergonomically designed handle is shaped for comfort and features a soft grip coating for stability. Cushioning pads on grip absorb pressure while cutting.

how to cut chicken breast into strips: iBayam Kitchen Scissors Heavy Duty

Features:

  • Stainless Steel Blades
  • Comfort Grip Handle
  • Dishwasher Safe

How to Cut Chicken Breast into Strips

Method 1: Cutting raw chicken breasts into strips

  1. To cut strips, hold the chicken breast in your non-dominant hand and curl your fingertips under your knuckles.
  2. Debone the breast first before cutting it into strips. Make minor cuts around the ribs and breastbone while using your fingers to pull the meat away from the bone. Then cut off the white tendon.
  3. Use long, even strokes to slice the chicken breast diagonally into 1cm strips with a sharp knife.
  4. Halve each strip lengthwise into longer, thinner strips.
  5. Cutting the meat diagonally across the fibers helps keep it tender.

Method 2: Cutting cooked chicken breast into strips

  1. Place rested, cooked chicken breast on a clean cutting board.
  2. Use a sharp chef knife with a length of eight to 10 inches and cut the chicken piece against the grain.
  3. Use cooked, sliced chicken breast to top salads in chicken salad recipes, or add quick protein to grain bowls. It can be made ahead for a week’s worth of dinners.

How to Cut Chicken Breast into Strips Additional Tips

  • Always follow general guidelines for handling raw chicken, including using a separate cutting board for chicken and avoiding cross-contamination with other foods.
  • Avoid accidentally slicing your fingers by popping your chicken into the freezer for about 15 minutes; this will firm the meat up, making it easier and safer to cut.
  • Use boneless chicken breasts if you’re cutting them into strips. This avoids having to debone or butcher the pieces.
  • To avoid spreading the salmonella bacteria, thoroughly wash your hands with warm water and soap before and after handling raw chicken.

Cutting chicken breasts into strips is perfect for doing fajitas, with potatoes, peppers, onions, and potatoes, Yummy! Do you know how to dice a tomato? What about how to dice potatoes?

Author

Photo of author
I love food and cooking in general, but what really lights me up is learning to make new dishes. I like cooking for my friends because it’s always fun when they’re around, and we can share our stories of how things went with each other while cooking together.
Photo of author
I love food and cooking in general, but what really lights me up is learning to make new dishes. I like cooking for my friends because it’s always fun when they’re around, and we can share our stories of how things went with each other while cooking together.