This Parmesan Crusted Chicken is one of my go-to easy chicken recipes! It’s incredibly crispy, juicy inside and so flavorful!
The Crispiest Parmesan Crusted Chicken
It was love at first bite with this parmesan crusted chicken. From the very first time I made it, I knew it was going to be in our regular dinner rotation. It’s so crispy, kid-friendly, and delicious with a variety of simple side dishes!
I’ve found the secret to perfectly golden, crispy chicken: a two-step method. Brown it in a skillet first for that irresistible crunch, then finish it in the oven for 5–10 minutes to cook through without burning the crust. Open the oven door and listen: that sharp, crackling sizzle tells you the parmesan crust is perfectly golden. Amazing. My family loves this chicken so much!
How to Make Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Initial prep: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Put the flour in one wide, shallow bowl and the eggs in another. Beat the eggs together with a fork. In a third dish, stir together the panko, grated Parmesan, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, pepper and lemon zest.
Bread the chicken: Coat it first in the flour, then in the egg, and finally in the panko-Parmesan mixture.
Cook the chicken: First cook it for 2-3 minutes per side in hot oil in a skillet to brown and crisp the outside. Then finish cooking it in the oven for 5-10 minutes, until cooked through.
Tips for Perfectly Cooked, Crispy Chicken
- Use chicken cutlets. These are thin-sliced chicken breasts and they turn out so much more tender and cook much faster than full boneless breasts. If your grocery store doesn’t sell chicken cutlets, you can slice chicken breasts horizontally into thinner pieces.
- When breading the chicken, gently shake off excess flour, and make sure to fully coat each piece with the egg (it’s the glue) and the panko mixture.
- Start it on the stove for that golden, crispy crust, then finish it in a 425°F oven to get it perfectly cooked without burning the outside. You just can’t achieve this same level of crispiness with the oven alone.
- Don’t overcook it or it will dry out. I find that it finishes cooking really quickly in the oven, usually 5 minutes is all it takes. Use an instant read thermometer to test for doneness. The center should be 165°F.
What to Serve with It
Here are my favorite side dishes for this parmesan crusted chicken:
- I love to add a green veggie to our plates, like Roasted Green Beans, Air Fryer Asparagus or Air Fryer Broccoli.
- A simple Green Salad or Arugula Salad is a nice, fresh contrast to the crispy chicken.
- I tested my Lemon Parmesan Orzo recipe alongside this chicken recipe and appreciated the overlap in ingredients! You can see the orzo plated alongside the chicken in these photos.
More Favorite Chicken Recipes
Here are a few more chicken recipes that my family loves:
- Baked Chicken Thighs: With my favorite chicken seasoning blend, these thighs are one of my most well-loved chicken recipes.
- Chicken Parmesan: My easy recipe has crispy breaded chicken topped with marinara sauce and melty mozzarella.
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken: This one seems fancy but is so simple to make!
- Chicken Piccata: You can’t go wrong with this classic.
- Chicken Casserole: With potatoes, vegetables and cheese in a creamy sauce, plus a crispy topping.
Did you make this recipe? I’d truly appreciate if you leave a comment and star rating below! Your review will help others who want to try this recipe. Thank you! 💛
Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds chicken cutlets, or boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into thin cutlets or pounded to ½-inch thickness
- salt and pepper, to season chicken
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- zest of one medium lemon, save the lemon and cut into wedges for serving
- ¼ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Season both sides of chicken cutlets with salt and pepper.1 ½ pounds chicken cutlets, salt and pepper
- Gather 3 wide, shallow dishes such as pie plates or bowls. Put the flour in one dish and the eggs in another. Beat the eggs together with a fork. In the third dish, stir together the panko, grated Parmesan, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, pepper and lemon zest.½ cup all-purpose flour, 2 large eggs, 1 cup panko breadcrumbs, ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, zest of one medium lemon
- Heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet. Coat the chicken first in the flour, then in the egg, and finally in the panko-Parmesan mixture. Add coated chicken pieces to the hot skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until browned.¼ cup olive oil
- Transfer chicken to a large rimmed baking sheet and bake until cooked through, about 5-10 minutes depending on the size/thickness of the chicken. The center of the chicken breasts should register 165°F on an instant read thermometer. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges.
