Name: Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 large chicken breasts (cut in half lengthwise); 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; Salt & pepper (to taste); 1/4 cup flour; 2 eggs (beaten); 2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs; 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese; 1/2 heaping teaspoon Italian seasoning; 3 tablespoons olive oil (divided)

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This parmesan crusted chicken recipe is a comfort food classic with tender chicken breasts nestled inside crispy breading. It's ready in just 30 minutes, and the parmesan and panko breadcrumb coating is easier to make than you think!

crispy parmesan crusted chicken on a plate with Fettuccine Alfredo and broccolini

Why you'll love it

If you've made my Chicken Parmesan recipe, you might have thought that the breaded chicken would be fantastic on its own. And you'd be right! Learning how to bread chicken is a great kitchen skill to have, and it's easy to make golden, ultra crispy chicken that uses only a handful of pantry ingredients.

In my home this is one of our favorite ways to jazz up chicken since it's got an insanely tasty crunch from the crispy parmesan coating yet stays juicy and tender on the inside.

The kids will love it too since this parmesan crusted chicken is basically the restaurant quality, dressed-up version of chicken tenders! You'll enjoy that it takes only 30 minutes to make, so busy weeknights can be a little less stressful.

What you'll need

Chicken breasts - cutting them into four smaller cutlets keeps them juicy, and they cook faster and more evenly
Garlic powder - you're not going to want to leave out this extra burst of seasoning!
Flour - to dredge the chicken cutlets
Egg - the egg mixture is for binding the parmesan breading to the chicken
Panko breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, and parmesan cheese - this delicious trio makes up the crispy breading. Make sure to grate your own parmesan!
Olive oil - for frying up to dreamy, crispy perfection

Pro tip

I like using panko breadcrumbs to make it extra crispy. If you can find Italian seasoned ones, no need to add the extra Italian seasoning. You can make this with regular breadcrumbs if that's all you've got on hand.

How to make parmesan crusted chicken

This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

preparing breading ingredients for making parmesan crusted chicken

Preheat oven to 400F. Cut the chicken in half lengthwise so that you end up with four smaller cutlets. Season them on both sides with salt & pepper and garlic powder.

dipping chicken cutlet into flour and then egg for parmesan crusted chicken

Dredge each chicken cutlet in flour, followed by dipping into the egg wash.

a hand dipping chicken cutlet into panko breading for parmesan crusted chicken

Finally, dip each piece into the panko breadcrumbs and parmesan mixture. Cooking the chicken in two batches, pan fry until golden brown. Arrange all four cutlets in the oven-proof skillet, and finish them off in the oven.

Breading tips

Make sure that you dry off the chicken before getting started. Simply pat it with paper towels.
During each step of the dredging process (flour, egg, breadcrumbs), be sure to shake off any excess and that the chicken pieces are fully coated for each step.
Don't add all the chicken to the skillet at once. I do two pieces at a time to give them plenty of room. Make sure the pan is hot prior to adding it.
Don't move the chicken around the skillet. Once it's in there, resist the urge to touch it until it's time to flip it over!

easy parmesan crusted chicken in a skillet

Tools for this recipe

Tongs make flipping the chicken in the skillet really easy.
This recipe uses an oven-proof skillet. It's something that I think every cook should own. They're very versatile and come in a range of price points. For this recipe I used my 10.25" Le Creuset (you can see it was a little small since I happened to buy rather large pieces of chicken, but a little overlap for the last part of the recipe is fine). I also love my Lodge cast iron (a more affordable option).
If you don't own an oven-proof skillet, transfer the chicken to a baking dish for the last step.
Use an instant read meat thermometer to quickly check if chicken is done.

What to serve with it

Try fettuccine with Alfredo sauce, my garlic mashed potatoes, or pesto gnocchi!
A side of vegetables works great too! I used broccolini in the first photo.
You can't go wrong with a simple salad. Try dressing it up with this homemade Olive Garden Salad Dressing.

Leftovers and storage

Leftovers of this chicken can be kept in the fridge in a covered container for 3-4 days, but the parmesan breading will soften up a bit.
To reheat, try crisping them up again in an air fryer. A couple of minutes/side at 350F should do the trick. You could also microwave them in 30-second increments or heat in a skillet on low until warmed through.

More tasty chicken recipes to try

Questions about this chicken recipe? Let me know in the comments below!

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