This dish is not to be confused with an Italian Chicken Parmesan which is a dish covered with marinara sauce and cheese.
Crispy Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breasts
I’m not going to lie, I love fried chicken in any shape or form! A seasoned crispy crunchy coating with tender juicy chicken inside. As much as I love fried chicken, my waistline doesn’t so I don’t eat it very often. That means I had to find a way to make oven-baked chicken that has crunch and is tender and juicy! Voila. Here we are!
The Best Coating for Crunch
While some recipes make chicken breasts with mayo to stick the breadcrumbs on, I find the egg mixture allows the crumbs to stick better keeping the coating on the chicken. Use a combination to get the best flavor and crunch! I use Panko bread crumbs along with cornflake crumbs and fresh parmesan cheese. Freshly shredded parmesan is best but in a pinch, grated will do. What is Panko? If you’re not familiar with Panko, they’re Japanese bread crumbs often found with the Asian items or with the other bread crumbs. They are a much lighter crispier crumb which results in a perfect coating. I usually use an olive oil spray to spritz on top of the chicken before baking (but any cooking spray will do). Since I like having olive oil to spritz, I use an Olive Oil Sprayer which I fill with my own oil. It’s perfect for this parmesan chicken, for greasing pans and even for spritzing on a salad to have a light dressing.
How to Make Chicken Breasts Juicy
Just like my favorite Oven Baked Chicken Breasts, this parmesan crusted chicken comes out tender and juicy when cooked properly. Here are a few great tips for the best ever chicken breasts.
Marinate: If time allows, marinate them. I love chicken marinated in buttermilk, it becomes incredibly tender. Even Size: Pound them out to be even using a rolling pin or meat mallet on the thicker end. If you are waiting for the thickest part to cook through, the thinner parts can dry out. Temperature: The most important thing when cooking chicken breasts is to cook them to the right temperature. Overcooked chicken breasts go from juicy to dry very quickly. You want them to reach 165°F in the thickest part! Use a meat thermometer for best results.
Serving Suggestions
This parmesan crusted chicken is great on its own served with an easy side like Instant Pot Mac and Cheese or Parmesan Roasted Broccoli. We often add in a side salad and some crusty bread. This chicken recipe can also be modified to make many different meals:
add it to a hamburger bun with a generous portion of creamy coleslaw for a great chicken sandwich serve it over spaghetti with marinara sauce and cheese replace the chicken breasts with chicken tenders for easy finger food (serve with sweet and sour or barbecue sauce) swap the parmesan for a tablespoon or so of sesame seeds and top an Asian salad with sliced crispy chicken bits
The possibilities are endless!
More Chicken Breast Favorites
Oven Baked Chicken Breasts Creamy Chicken and Mushrooms Easy Grilled Chicken Breast Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken Baked Bruschetta Chicken
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