Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Tested & Perfected Recipes

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.

Parmesan crusted chicken is easy enough to make for a busy weeknight but also special enough for company.

Parmesan crusted chicken in a skillet.

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.

“This chicken was excellent. Crispy on the outside and super tender and juicy inside. My husband loved it.”

Cindy

What You’ll Need To Make Parmesan Crusted Chicken

parmesan crusted chicken ingredients

Step-by-Step Instructions

Set up three large shallow bowls in an assembly line. Put the flour in the first bowl.

flour in bowl

Beat the eggs in the second bowl.

Bowl of beaten eggs.

Finally, mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and chopped fresh herbs in the third bowl.

bread crumb mixture

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.

seasoning chicken with salt and pepper

Dredge the first chicken breast in the flour and shake off the excess until just a light coating remains.

dredging chicken in flour

Next, dip the chicken in the egg mixture and turn to coat evenly, letting any excess egg drip off.

dipping chicken in eggs

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.

dredging chicken in bread crumb mixture

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.

cooking parmesan crusted chicken

Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Plate of parmesan crusted chicken.

Video Tutorial

You May Also Like

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Parmesan crusted chicken is easy enough to make for a busy weeknight but also special enough for company.

Servings: 4
Total Time: 30 Minutes

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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

Powered by Edamam

  • 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.

See more recipes:

Comments

  • Very easy and delicious. I will certainly make it again.

    • — Sheila Ferguson on June 23, 2024
    • Reply
  • 10/10!! Simple, easy, fast and delicious. My family loved it. Definitely making this again!

    • — Jessica on April 16, 2024
    • Reply
  • Just made this and it is wonderful! I didn’t have any plain bread crumbs (or bread for that matter) so I blended some herb stuffing croutons. Made for a wonderful crunch. I liked that I could do most of the steps ahead of time, as we had company for this meal. I just panfried it when we were ready to eat.

    • — Marcia on April 14, 2024
    • Reply
  • Exceptional. Even better with a nice lemon butter white wine sauce drizzled over it when served.

    • — TKH on February 10, 2024
    • Reply
  • Hey Jen. Made this with thin chicken filets. So yummy!
    But we have leftovers. How would you recommend to freeze & reheat! Thanks!

    • — Sandy on February 9, 2024
    • Reply
    • Glad you liked them! I would freeze them separated by parchment or foil in an airtight container or tightly wrapped with foil. When you’re ready to eat, I’d thaw them in the fridge then reheat 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.

      • — Jenn on February 12, 2024
      • Reply
  • Delicious! I used panko crumbs instead, made it crunchy! Great recipe, as always.
    And easy! I used chicken tenders, pounded slightly to flatten, and they melted in our mouths. The breadcrumb flavors were great.

    • — Laurie on January 27, 2024
    • Reply
  • This is in our regular dinner rotation, it’s amazing! The chicken is so tender and flavorful, my whole family loves it. Don’t skimp on the parmesan – it adds so much flavor! I often double the recipe so that my hungry kids can come home for seconds (or thirds) after practices or games.

    • — Anna on January 22, 2024
    • Reply
  • Jenn, I’m planning on making this, and I noticed 1 comment said she used panko. I’d like to because of the nice crunch. Is there a reason you chose regular seasoned bread crumbs instead?

    • — laurie on January 21, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Laurie, It’s perfectly fine to use either. In fact, I have a similar recipe in my second cookbook that calls for panko; it is a bit crispier.

      • — Jenn on January 21, 2024
      • Reply
    • I just made it with panko. MUCH better!

      • — TKH on February 10, 2024
      • Reply
  • Wonderful dish. Have made it two times for my picky husband. Crust is crispy and tasty, and chicken moist and tender. Thank you!

    • — Kari on December 25, 2023
    • Reply
  • This was great, baked some sweet potato fries in the same Italian seasoning! All turned out in about 45 minutes total!

    • — Andy B on December 12, 2023
    • Reply

Add a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.