Parmesan Crusted Chicken - Cooking Classy (2024)

Published March 13, 2021. Updated May 17, 2023

Parmesan Crusted Chicken – chicken breasts are halved into smaller cutlets, dredged in a flavorful parmesan and panko bread crumb coating, and pan fried until beautifully golden brown and crisp. Such a tasty and exciting way to prepare otherwise bland chicken!

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

There’s nothing quite like a perfectly golden brown and crispy piece of chicken – especially when it’s highlighted with the bold yet welcome flavors of parmesan cheese!

You get a tender, juicy interior surrounded by that cheesy, slightly crunchy exterior that’s been fried in rich olive oil. Talk about a delicious Italian chicken dinner!

Though this recipe may require a few extra dishes for dredging, I’m telling you it’s easily worth it.

It’s a restaurant quality dish to be enjoyed in the comfort of your home.

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Parmesan Crusted Chicken Recipe Ingredients

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts: You’ll begin with two larger chicken breasts which will be halved through their thickness, creating four smaller and thinner portions that will cook faster.
• Olive oil:This is used for frying, so use standard refined not extra virgin so it withstands high temps.
• All-purpose flour: This dry base layer helps the eggs stick to the chicken.
• Eggs: This second layer helps the parmesan and bread crumbs stick.
• Italian seasoning: A nice herby addition to the recipe that adds a little extra flavor. You can also just use 1/2 tsp basil, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp thyme and 1/2 tsp marjoram.
• Garlic powder: I like to use dried garlic powder here because fresh garlic will burn and become bitter after cooking this long in the skillet.
• Panko bread crumbs: I highly recommend panko bread crumbs here, not standard. They yield a crispier end result. You can usually find them by the other bread crumbs or in the Asian foods section of the grocery store.
• Salt and pepper: Season fairly.
• Lemon wedges: You’ll love this bright finishing touch. Just add upon eating so it doesn’t soften up the crispy crust.

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How to Make Parmesan Crusted Chicken

1. Cut and flatten chicken breasts: Butterfly and split each chicken breasts into two portions, making four pieces total. Cover chicken with plastic wrap and pound each piece to an even 1/4-inch thickness with the flat side of a meat mallet.
2. Mix flour and seasonings: In one shallow dish add flour, Italian seasoning and garlic powder and whisk to blend.
3. Blend eggs: In a second shallow dish whisk eggs together until blended.
4. Mix panko and parmesan: In a third shallow dish, toss together panko and parmesan.
5. Dredge chicken flour and egg: Season chicken cutlets with salt and pepper on each side. Then working with one at a time, dredge both sides in flour mixture, transfer to eggs and dredge both sides, lift and let excess run of.
6. Coat in parmesan mixture: Transfer to panko parmesan mixture, coat both sides while pressing mixture in to coat well.
7. Heat oil in pan: Heat 1/4 cup olive in a 12-inch heavy non-stick skillet over medium heat.
8. Cook chicken until browned: Add two breasts to preheated skillet and let cook until golden brown on bottom, about 4 minutes (if needed reduce burner temperature slightly if you find it’s browning too quickly). Flip and continue to cook until golden brown on bottom and center registers 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer, about 4 minutes longer.
9. Rest chicken on paper towels: Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain, leaving oil in skillet. Add remaining 2 Tbsp oil to skillet and repeat cooking process with remaining two chicken breasts.
10. Garnish and serve: Serve warm with lemon wedges and garnished with parsley if desired.

Can It Be Baked?

You can bake this chicken, just keep in mind it won’t be quite as golden brown and flavorful. Here’s the method:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Prepare chicken as directed up to step 6.
• Set chicken on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet.
• Drizzle coated chicken lightly with olive oil or spray with olive oil cooking spray.
• Bake until center registers 165 degrees in thickest portion, around 15 minutes.

What to Serve with Parmesan Crusted Chicken

• Breadsticks
• Pasta Primavera
• Roasted Broccoli
• Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Spaghetti with Homemade Marinara Sauce

Variations:

• Try with a blend of cheeses such as parmesan and Romano cheese.
• Finish the cooked cutlets with a slice of provolone or mozzarella and broil just briefly on a sheet pan.
• Replace the dried Italian seasoning with fresh herbs such as oregano or parsley.
• Add lemon zest to the parmesan panko mixture.
• Serve with a sauce for dipping such as marinara sauce.
• Serve inside a sub sandwich.

Helpful Tips:

• Be sure to use thin chicken portions, otherwise the exterior will burn by the time the interior is cooked through with thicker portions.
• Use good quality Parmigiano Reggiano for best flavor. Definitely avoid the pre-shredded parmesan that’s finished with a powdery coating, it won’t melt smoothly.
• Freshly shred the cheese and shred fine so it coats more evenly and melts more evenly.
• Monitor interior temperature of chicken with an instant read thermometer. Aim for 165 degrees, much past that and chicken breasts start to dry out.
• Cook chicken in two batches so it’s not crowded and therefore cooks more evenly and browns better.

More Tasty Chicken Recipes to Try

• Best Chicken Parmesan
• Chicken Marsala
• Chicken Piccata
• Creamy Lemon Romano Chicken
• Chicken Scampi