This crispy baked Parmesan crusted chicken is juicy on the inside with a crunchy coating of butter, panko breadcrumbs, parmesan and parsley. Serve them with some veggies, 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.
How To Make Baked Parmesan Crusted Chicken (1 Min Video)
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.
- 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 to make it easier. My method of breading is to spoon the breadcrumb mix onto the chicken then pat it in with the back of the spoon to make them adhere.
Recipe Notes:
The chicken will look sparsely breaded and a little underwhelming immediately after breading. Once you’ve finished breading all the chicken breasts and transferred them to a baking sheet, spoon the leftover breadcrumbs on top of each chicken breast and pat them in with your fingers to fix this.
- 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 but 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, which are more grainy and sandy. You can also substitute panko 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 more 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. Kosher salt will work just as well with the same amount in the recipe.
- 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.
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.
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.
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, parsley, salt and pepper. Do a taste test and adjust seasonings 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
I made this tonight during a snowstorm. It made the whole house smell like an Italian restaurant. It rivaled my Italian MIL’s wonderful cooking. My husband loved it! It was a perfect meal for a cold winter’s night. Bravo!
The recipe turned out amazing! I used three already thinly sliced chicken breasts that come in a bag from the frozen food department, which saved time on having to pound them out. The flavors from the parmesan and panko coating were delicious. I didn’t have cooking spray, so I added the remainder of the panko mixture to the butter mixture (only a little was left) and mixed together to form buttered bread crumbs. I then pressed the leftover buttered crumbs onto the tops of the chicken breasts before baking. The buttered crumbs really browned up nicely! Thank you for an easy and flavorful recipe!
You’re welcome and thanks for sharing your tips, Mary! I sometimes use frozen or fresh chicken cutlets (pre-sliced or pounded chicken breasts) just to skip this step too. The brand I usually go for is Purdue.
This looks delish! Can’t wait to make it. For those who have tried it, did it come out dry at all? I’ve found similar recipes tend to turn out dry.
This recipe was delicious! I will be making it again! Thanks!
You’re welcome, Leslie, and thanks for trying it out! Hoping you love it just as much the next time ❤️
Have made this multiple times. So good!
I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the recipe so much! It makes the house smell so delicious 🙂
I used chicken tenders and added a little dijon mustard to the butter and oil. Delicious!
Oooh, nice little kick with the Dijon mustard. I like that addition a lot. Thank you for sharing, Toni!
I have made so many chicken recipes and this is hands down the absolute best! So crispy and delicious!
Love it! I’m happy you found a winner and enjoy the chicken the next time you make it ❤️
Can I use boneless skinless thighs instead of breasts
Yes, you can and they should be juicier. The only difference in cooking is that it might take longer to cook than chicken breasts. I would start with another 5-10 minutes of cooking time. The chicken is cooked when it reaches the internal temperature of 165°F.
I have made this twice now and it was a hit both times for everyone involved. It was absolutely delicious and so easy!
Glad it was a hit! Thank you for coming back and letting me know, Melissa! 🙂
Made this tonight. And made it will little tweaks seasoning wise. But it was absolutely delicious!!!! This is going in the recipe book.
Glad to hear it! My favorite part was smelling the butter while it baked. Was delicious-smelling, like popcorn!
This is the best chicken recipe I have made, and I’ve made many in my 60 years of cooking.
I dont change anything about the recipe
It comes out juicy and crunchy every time and delicious flavor too
My husband doesn’t like to eat chicken frequently but never complains about this he cleans his plate.
Delicious! Instead of the butter I mixed paprika with mayo.
Yum! Thanks for letting us know that it works just as well with mayo, Robin. I’m sure this will help others that browse the comment section for substitutions.
I am new to cooking and am thrilled to have discovered The Cooking Jar. The recipes are great and so easy to follow. I just made Baked Parmesan Crusted Chicken and not only was it simple, but it was simply delicious! I forgot to get fresh parsley so I subbed 1 teaspoon of dried parsley flakes and it worked like a charm. I put a cooking rack over the pan so the chicken pieces were able to fully cook on both sides. As mentioned in the recipe, I cut 2 chicken breasts and made 4 pieces so we were able to have it for two nights and it was even better the second night. I am looking forward to my next Cooking Jar recipe!
Hi Effie! Parsley flakes work in a pinch – glad you managed to sub that. I have a jar of those handy but I prefer fresh parsley all the way! Also, using a rack is a great idea! I use them for oven-baked wings all the time. Let me know how you like the next recipe you try 🙂
Very good recipe, good combinations of flavors. My only difference was, instead of just parmesan, I used grated parmesan/romano cheese. Very distinct flavor. Enhances every dish.
Thanks for sharing! I do love the pungency of pecorino romano in small quantities 🙂 Doing a mix is a great idea.
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!