Parmesan Crusted Chicken
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Parmesan crusted chicken is easy enough to make for a busy weeknight but also special enough for company.
Parmesan crusted chicken is a great chicken dish to add to your repertoire. It’s easy enough to make for a weeknight dinner but also special enough for company, and it appeals to the whole family. Kids especially love it because it bears some resemblance to chicken fingers. For adults, try topping it with a heaping pile of lemony arugula salad. There are two secrets to success: first, pounding the chicken breasts to an even 1/4-inch thickness tenderizes the meat and ensures even cooking; second, a three-step breading method ensures that the coating adheres to the meat while it cooks, resulting in a crispy crust and juicy interior every time.
For a variation on this recipe, try my easy parmesan chicken, which uses a similar breading and pan-frying technique but is then baked topped with marinara sauce and cheese, or chicken piccata, which is served with a lemon and caper sauce. For a vegetarian option, you can follow the directions for breading and frying eggplant in my eggplant parmesan recipe.
Table of Contents
“This chicken was excellent. Crispy on the outside and super tender and juicy inside. My husband loved it.”
What You’ll Need To Make Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Step-by-Step Instructions
Set up three large shallow bowls in an assembly line. Put the flour in the first bowl.
Beat the eggs in the second bowl.
Finally, mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and chopped fresh herbs in the third bowl.
Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
Dredge the first chicken breast in the flour and shake off the excess until just a light coating remains.
Next, dip the chicken in the egg mixture and turn to coat evenly, letting any excess egg drip off.
Finally, dredge the chicken in the bread crumb mixture, turning a few times to coat well. Set breaded chicken on a plate and repeat until all of the chicken breasts are breaded.
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken breasts to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until the first side is golden brown. Flip and continue cooking until done, 2 to 3 minutes longer.
Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Video Tutorial
You May Also Like
- Easy Chicken Parmesan
- Chicken Schnitzel
- Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard Sauce
- Fried Chicken Sandwiches
- Chicken Piccata
- Marry Me Chicken
Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Parmesan crusted chicken is easy enough to make for a busy weeknight but also special enough for company.
Ingredients
For Breading
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- ⅔ cup seasoned Italian bread crumbs (I use Progresso)
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh herbs, such as thyme, parsley, chives or rosemary
For Chicken
- 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1½ pounds), pounded ¼"-thick (see note)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Set up three large shallow bowls in an assembly line. Put the flour in the first bowl; beat the eggs in the second bowl; and mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and chopped fresh herbs in the third bowl.
- Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Dredge the first chicken breast in the flour and shake off the excess until just a light coating remains. Next, dip the chicken in the egg mixture and turn to coat evenly, letting any excess egg drip off. Finally, dredge the chicken in the bread crumb mixture, turning a few times to coat well. Set breaded chicken on a plate and repeat until all of the chicken breasts are breaded.
- Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken breasts to the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the first side is golden brown. Flip and continue cooking until done, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
- Note: If chicken breasts are large (8 or more ounces), it's best to cut them in half once they are pounded out. Alternatively, you can cut them in half horizontally before pounding.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 562
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated fat: 8g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Sugar: 1g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 48g
- Sodium: 1218mg
- Cholesterol: 223mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Absolutely delicious ! Made a lemon cream sauce, mashed potatoes and green beans to go with it
We’re not a big fan of chicken but love this recipe! Quick question: this is similar to the new schnitzel recipe. Why use brining method in one and not the other? Just curious- thanks Jenn! 😊
Hi Oleda, That’s a great question. The cheese in this recipe makes a huge difference in terms of flavor—it adds lots of savory, salty depth— so the brining is unnecessary.
Ah, that makes sense. Thank you so much for the quick response! ♥️
Hi Jenn. Plan on making this for a group with a few other foods. Could I make this about an hour ahead before they arrive, leave at room temperature as it is cool weather now & reheat. If that works, what temp would you recommend & how long? I googled & they recommend 425F but that seems high. Greatly appreciate your expertise.
Hi Dana, yes, I think they can sit at room temperature for up to an hour. I would reheat them on a baking sheet at 325°F until heated through. They won’t be quite as crispy as when you first made them, but should still be good.
Wonderful!!
Love all your recipes (including this one)! Any tips on making this ahead of time? How long do you think the prepared, uncooked chicken could wait in the fridge? Thanks!
Hi Marie, I’ve never done the prep ahead and refrigerated these, but I suspect you could. I wouldn’t let them sit any longer than 12 hours. Hope that helps (and glad you like the recipes)!
Outstanding! I had fresh thyme, oregano, parsley that I minced up finely…. added garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, some season salt and salt & pepper to the bread crumbs and parmesan. The key here is not to overcook the chicken. Was delicious!
I made this tonight for the first time. I skipped the flouring step and it still was crispy and delicious! My husband said he thought it would be amazing as the basis of Chicken Parm. We’re trying that soon! Thanks Jenn for another “go to” dinner ❤️
This recipe is terrific! Everyone loved it and asked me to make it again. I used 1 teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning instead of the fresh herbs and it was perfect.
This was delicious! I used thyme and Italian parsley.
Jenn I had to write a review! I’ve been trying to get my 4 year old who is a picky eater to eat meats. She has gotten better, but still only has her select meats she will eat. She loved your chicken and so did the whole family. Thank you for your recipes that are always so precise.