This crispy baked Parmesan crusted chicken is juicy on the inside with a crunchy coating of butter, panko breadcrumbs, parmesan and parsley. Serve it with some veggies, with a salad, or over a bed of pasta.
Today we’re making some baked Parmesan crusted chicken. We’ll be dipping the chicken breasts in some melted butter, coating them with a seasoned panko-Parmesan breadcrumb mix then baking until they come out golden and crunchy. It’s a healthier way to enjoy the crunch factor that comes with fried chicken without the guilt and heaviness of fried food.
I went with an easy breading method by using melted butter instead of a flour-dusting and egg wash. The butter gradually gets absorbed into the breadcrumbs, which adds more flavor to the crust – and you can smell the delicious buttery scent while it’s baking. You can still use the traditional method of breading but give this method a try.
This is a delicious 30-minute recipe for a quick weeknight dinner using pantry staples. It’s a great, kid-friendly alternative to chicken nuggets. Serve it as is with a side of veggies, over a salad, or with some pasta. For more baked chicken ideas, try easy oven-baked chicken, garlic butter baked chicken breasts, baked honey balsamic chicken, or some buttermilk chicken strips. Let’s start baking.
BAKED PARMESAN CRUSTED CHICKEN RECIPE TIPS
Chicken breasts – Be sure to pound them to an even thickness so they cook evenly in the oven. A mounded center usually means the ends will be drier by the time the thicker part finishes cooking. You can use a meat mallet or a rolling pin and place the chicken breasts between some plastic wrap, parchment paper, or in a Ziploc bag. Some brands of frozen individually wrapped chicken breasts like Purdue also come pre-pounded if you don’t mind frozen chicken and want to skip this step.
Breading – I used a combination of melted butter and olive oil as the glue for the breading. The butter gradually mixes in with the breadcrumbs to give them more flavor. If you’re used to or prefer the traditional method, you can dust the chicken with flour, dip it in an egg wash and finish with the breadcrumbs. I like using shallow mixing bowls for my breading and spoon the breadcrumb mix onto the chicken then pat it in with the back of the spoon to adhere to the chicken. The chicken will look sparsely breaded and a little underwhelming immediately after breading but we will fix that later. Finish breading all 4 chicken breasts, transfer them to a baking sheet, spoon the leftover breadcrumbs on top of each chicken breast and then pat it in with your fingers.
Butter – I like using Land O Lakes half sticks for the butter. The half sticks are exactly 4 tablespoons or 1/4 cup.
Paprika – I mixed paprika in with the butter and olive oil to flavor the chicken that way. You could add the paprika to the panko mixture instead.
Panko breadcrumbs – Panko breadcrumbs are light and airy with a crunchy texture compared to regular breadcrumbs that are more grainy and sandy. You can also substitute with crushed cornflakes for something with a similar texture.
Italian seasoning – You can substitute this with other herbs like dried or fresh thyme, basil, oregano and rosemary.
Parmesan cheese – We’re using grated Parmesan cheese instead of shredded because grated Parmesan cheese distributes evenly in the breading.
Parsley – I used freshly chopped parsley but you can also use parsley flakes.
Salt – I like to use coarse sea salt because it’s more forgiving than your average table salt and you can be generous with the seasoning.
Baking – Bake with either a baking sheet lined in parchment paper or foil, or in a 9×13 casserole dish.
Stovetop method – Pan-fry it in some oil over medium heat until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and the chicken’s internal temperature is 165 ºF. This should take about 4-5 minutes per side.
What to Serve with Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Serve it with sides like garlic butter mushrooms, garlic Parmesan roasted broccoli, green beans, or lemon pepper asparagus and pair it with a second side like mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, potato salad, or creamy mushroom risotto. This also goes great over a bed of pasta or salad.
Customize It!
- Seasoning – Add more seasoning to the panko mix like smoked paprika or red pepper flakes.
- Breading – You can bread in the more traditional way with flour and an egg wash, or by substituting the melted butter with mayo or mustard. These should still work as the ‘glue’ for your panko crust.
- Lemon juice – A splash of lemon juice before serving will really brighten up the flavor.
And that’s about it. It’s a great way to enjoy crispy chicken without the calories of frying. Let me know how you liked it, what substitutions you made and what you paired it with in the comments below. Enjoy!
MORE BAKED CHICKEN RECIPES TO TRY
- Oven-Baked Chicken
- Garlic Butter Baked Chicken Breast
- Baked Honey Balsamic Chicken
- Oven-Baked Buttermilk Chicken Strips
- Baked Honey Lemon Chicken
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Baked Parmesan Crusted Chicken
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
This crispy baked Parmesan crusted chicken is juicy on the inside with a crunchy coating of butter, panko breadcrumbs, parmesan and parsley.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (5–8 oz. each)
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped / parsley flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Pound the chicken to 1/2″ thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin.
- Combine melted butter, olive oil and paprika in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, combine panko breadcrumbs, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, Parmesan cheese and parsley. Do a taste test and adjust breadcrumb seasoning to taste.
- Dip the chicken in the butter, then dredge through the seasoned breadcrumbs. Pat in any excess breadcrumbs for maximum coverage.
- Transfer chicken to a baking tray lined with foil or parchment paper and spray the top of the chicken with cooking spray.
- Bake at 425°F for 18-20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and internal temperature reads 165°F.
- Remove and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts on the smaller side (about 5-8 oz. each). If you have large chicken breasts, you can cut 2 breasts into half lengthwise to get 4 chicken cutlets.
- Seasonings – Add more seasonings to the panko mix like smoked paprika or red pepper flakes.
- Breading – You can bread in the more traditional way with flour and an egg wash, or by substituting the melted butter with mayo or mustard. These should still work as the ‘glue’ for your panko crust.
- Lemon juice – A splash of lemon juice before serving will really brighten up the flavor.
- Scroll up to RECIPE TIPS for more useful tips, suggestions and ingredient substitutions.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
Comments & Reviews
Partner and I are super picky eaters (like, almost kid-level picky) and we loved this so much that we’ve literally made it for 3 days in a row now, haha. The only thing we did differently was skip on the parsley (didn’t have any) and use large, thick cuts of chicken breast (purchased by mistake — still new to cooking and didn’t realize how big they were) but they still came out absolutely perfect… only downside was I only had made enough breading and whatnot for 3 flattened-out breasts due to how big they were, but that’s on me lol. Might try a little extra garlic next since we’re garlic fiends. Thank you!!
★★★★★
That’s great to hear you liked it so much, you made it THREE times in a row! Sounds like a new staple to me 😉 Some chicken breasts come out huge from the grocery store but you can always cut them in half lengthwise to flatten them or pound them down. I love garlic too, so more garlic powder or try substituting the salt with garlic salt!