Valentina's Corner
This easy Parmesan-crusted chicken is the ultimate dinner idea inspired by the classic chicken parmesan. Chicken breasts dredged in an egg mixture, coated with a crispy breading, and cooked until beautifully golden and crunchy!
Serve over pasta, creamy mashed potatoes, or in a sandwich – the possibilities are endless for an easy chicken dinner!
Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Parmesan-crusted chicken is an easy restaurant-quality meal from the Italian cuisine. It’s bursting with bold flavors from the parmesan and Italian seasoning. The chicken is crispy from the bread crumbs yet tender and juicy, no matter the method of cooking you choose. The whole family will love this recipe and will request it again and again!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Healthy option. Healthier and tastes even better than Olive Garden.
- Loved by all. A kid-approved meal.
- Quick to make. Perfect for easy meal prep.
- So versatile. The chicken is so versatile in the way it may be enjoyed.
Parmesan Crusted Chicken Ingredients
The ingredients for this easy parmesan-crusted chicken recipe are simple yet blend together so well for the most delicious flavor.
- Chicken- two boneless skinless chicken breasts sliced in half lengthwise.
- Butter- use unsalted butter to saute the chicken.
- Oil- mixed with butter to cook the chicken recipe.
- Egg- helps the parmesan crust to stick to the chicken.
- Garlic- fresh garlic adds flavor to the chicken, but you can substitute it with garlic powder if desired.
- Seasonings- simply use Italian seasonings and salt to give the chicken flavor.
- Parmesan cheese- for the best flavor, shred your own parmesan from a block of cheese. If you’re out, you can use pre-grated cheese or pre-shredded cheese.
- Bread crumbs- give the coating a nice crisp finish.
- Flour- helps bind the breading for it to stick to the chicken fillets.
How to Make Parmesan-Crusted Chicken
Have everything ready to go because this parmesan chicken recipe is such a quick recipe.
- Prep chicken: With a sharp knife, cut the chicken breasts into halves lengthwise. Beat the chicken with a meat mallet until the chicken is even in thickness to ensure even cooking.
- Prep egg mixture: In a shallow dish, you’ll whisk together the eggs, garlic, Italian seasonings, and salt.
- Prep breading: In a separate dish, combine the grated parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, and all-purpose flour until well combined.
- Dredge chicken: Dredge the chicken in the egg mixture, and allow any excess to drip off. Then, coat the chicken in the breading, patting the mixture onto the chicken as needed. Ensure the chicken is fully coated before sauteing.
- Cook: Heat a skillet with the butter and oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken to the skillet in a single layer. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until cooked through and golden brown.
- Garnish: Sprinkle with fresh herbs such as parsley or cilantro.
- Serve and enjoy, friends!
Pro Tip for Crispy Crust: Be sure to add the chicken to a hot pan and hot oil. Otherwise, the chicken will absorb the oil and will not get crispy.
Other Methods to Cook Chicken
- Air fried: Preheat the air fryer to 380°F. Lightly spray the bottom of the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Place chicken into the air fryer and spray the top of the chicken with cooking spray or lightly drizzle with olive oil. Cook for 8 minutes, flip the chicken, spray again lightly, and cook for another 3-5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Oven baked: You can bake the parmesan chicken, although the end result will not be quite as crispy as with a pan or air frying. To bake the chicken, preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the parmesan chicken onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Optionally, broil for a couple of minutes at the end for a crispier crust.
Substitutions and Variations
- Chicken fingers or nuggets: You can cut the chicken into smaller strips or nuggets if you have young kids who like smaller pieces of chicken.
- Add lemon: Squeeze lemon juice over cooked chicken for a tangy punch of flavor!
- Gluten-free: You can substitute the breadcrumbs and flour with about 1/3 – 1/2 a cup of almond flour!
Serving Suggestions
You can enjoy this parmesan chicken in countless ways! Use these ideas to get you started:
- Pasta: Slice the chicken and serve on top of your choice of pasta tossed in our homemade alfredo sauce.
- Mashed potatoes: Serve over creamy mashed potatoes for the ultimate comfort meal.
- Vegetables: Compliment the dish with a side of roasted broccoli, some air-fried asparagus, or roasted cauliflower.
- Bread: Complete the dish with a side of breadsticks as you’d get at Olive Garden!
- Homemade sauce: Delicious sauces like our chick-fil-a sauce remake recipe and delicious honey mustard will compliment the chicken well!
- In a sandwich: Use the crispy chicken to recreate your favorite takeout chicken sandwich.
- Top a salad: Slice the chicken and top your favorite salad, such as the cobb salad, for added protein.
REcipe FAQs
Make sure you let the excess egg mixture drip off the chicken before adding it to the breading. When coating the chicken, make sure the chicken is fully coated before frying. If your oil isn’t hot before adding the chicken, the breading will absorb too much oil, which could cause the breading to fall off.
Yes, this recipe is great to prepare ahead of time for a quick weeknight dinner. Whisk together the egg mixture and slice the chicken. Add the chicken to the egg mixture a few hours in advance or even overnight. When ready to cook, allow excess egg to drip off, then dredge in the breading. Cook per instructions.
We do not recommend grilling this recipe, as the breading won’t stick to the chicken.
If you don’t have breadcrumbs on hand, you can substitute with crushed crackers, crushed cornflakes, panko breadcrumbs, or simply add another tablespoon or two of flour.
Store & Freeze
- STORE: Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- FREEZE: Allow the chicken to cool completely to room temperature. Place in a freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat prior to serving.
- REHEAT: Reheat the chicken in the air fryer, oven, microwave, or stovetop over low heat until warmed to the desired temperature.
More Chicken Recipes
If you enjoyed this chicken recipe, be sure to try our other popular chicken recipes:
Crispy Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless skinless
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, to cook
- 2 Tbsp oil, to cook
bowl 1:
- 2 large eggs
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
bowl 2:
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 Tbsp plain bread crumbs
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients for the egg mixture in bowl 1 and the parmesan mixture in bowl 2.
- Dredge the chicken generously in the egg mixture, allow any excess egg mixture to drip off. Generously coat in the parmesan mixture, pat the mixture onto the chicken so it's fully coated.
- In a skillet, over medium heat, heat butter and oil. Once hot, add the chicken and cook about 3-4 minutes per side until chicken is cooked.
- Enjoy, friends.!
Notes
- If the chicken begins to brown too quickly, turn the heat down and continue cooking until the chicken is fully cooked.
- The chicken may be marinated in the egg mixture up to one day in advance (and kept refrigerated).
- Reheat the chicken over low heat until heated.