Parmesan Crusted Chicken

This easy Parmesan-crusted chicken recipe layers mayo, bread crumbs, and high heat to make it crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and ready to eat in just about 30 minutes.

I think crispy cutlets of Parmesan-coated chicken are one of the tastiest types of chicken you can eat. My crispy Parmesan buttermilk chicken tenders, crispy baked buffalo chicken breasts, and crispy chicken katsu all scratch that golden brown, tender but crisp chicken cutlet itch. This easy Parmesan-crusted chicken recipe is yet another great iteration to make. It’s delicious stripped down as is, with the addition of veggies for a simple sheet pan meal, or turned into a healthier baked chicken Parmesan with marinara sauce and noodles. My grandma had two versions of this recipe, with one ingredient variation: Use mayo or butter to dredge the chicken breasts. Since it adds just a bit more tang and moisture to the chicken, I opt for mayo almost every time (more on why below).

Why You’ll Love It

• This baked chicken parmesan recipe is pretty much hands-off cooking. We use thinly cut, boneless chicken breasts that cook fast but stay juicy when baked on a sheet pan at high heat in the oven
• For ease (and fewer ingredients), we skip the typical flour/egg/breadcrumb dredge and use a slather of mayonnaise (or butter) for the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese mixture to stick to
• It’s awesome to batch cook for meal prep and then portion into containers

Parmesan Crusted Chicken Ingredients List

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts—cut them in half lengthwise and pound them all the same thickness so they cook evenly. I prefer chicken cutlets somewhere between ¼″ and ½″ but the thinner the better IMO.
• Italian seasoned breadcrumbs—for a crisp, golden brown breading (you could use plain breadcrumbs but I love the Italian herbs)
• Grated Parmesan cheese—lends excellent flavor to our chicken breading
• Garlic powder—gets mixed with the breadcrumbs, paprika, salt, and pepper to season our chicken breasts (you could also use 1 clove of fresh garlic that’s been pressed or very finely minced instead)
• Paprika—lends a subtle smoky flavor, but it’s mainly used to add a warm sheen to the crust as it bakes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper—for seasoning our chicken
• Mayonnaise—this gives the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese mixture to stick to (you could also use melted butter)

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

What’s in the Parmesan Bread Crumb Coating

Baking these chicken breasts is a healthier way to get the crunch we’re after.

Use seasoned Italian bread crumbs instead of panko. Thinking this recipe might be better with the extra crunch panko breadcrumbs. I tried it with both panko and regular breadcrumbs. While the panko did have a nice crunch, my family preferred good old Italian seasoned breadcrumbs more. The coating mixes in better with the grated cheese and covers the chicken uniformly for an extra crisp crunch.

Skip the canned cheese and use freshly grated Parmesan. Freshly grated Parm is the only way to go. I use the grated Parmesan from the deli department. If grating your own, be sure it’s extra fine so it melds in with the bread crumbs, making the exterior crisp and not soggy.

Add paprika for color. The smoky flavor is very subtle.

How to Prepare the Chicken Breasts

• Halve the boneless, skinless chicken breasts for faster cooking time. To make my grandma’s recipe faster, I took a page from some of my other fast chicken dinners like Chicken Marsala and Chicken Piccata and halved the chicken breasts lengthwise with a long, sharp knife. This makes a thinner cut that cooks quicker and also gives more surface area for crispy sides. Because let’s be real, the crispy parts are everyone’s favorite parts.
• Slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise then place between two pieces of plastic wrap on a cutting board.
• Use a meat tenderizer to gently pound the chicken breasts thinner, flattening them to about ⅜-inch thick. Not only does this make the meat more tender, it also stretches the amount needed and is a more appropriate serving size.

How Do You Get Breading to Stick to Chicken Parmesan

Dredging meats usually call for eggs, milk, and flour before coating them with bread crumbs. Not this recipe. We’re consolidating steps and ingredients by using mayonnaise to adhere to the breadcrumbs instead.

Butter is an option my grandma gave me, but here’s why I use mayo instead:

• A ready-made combination of eggs and oil, mayo does the job in one easy slathering step.
• Mayo acts as a tenderizer that melts into the meat, adding tang, fat, and flavor to the low-fat, skinless chicken breasts.
• It also protects the chicken than butter would to keep the thin fillets juicy while cooking at a higher heat.

How to Bake Parmesan-Crusted Chicken

Because these chicken breasts have been halved and pounded thin, the cooking time is cut by more than half as my grandma’s original recipe suggested.

• Use one hand for dredging. When it comes to dredging anything and avoiding a big, clumpy mess, it’s important to use only one hand for all the dirty work. Transferring the meat, dredging, patting…Keeping one hand free is the key to keeping things clean.
• Pat and shake. Be sure to gently pat the breadcrumb mixture into the mayo-glazed chicken breasts then shake off any excess before baking.
• Bake these boneless chicken breasts at 400°F for 17-20 minutes, or until golden on the outside and cooked through, yet still juicy on the inside. (A higher oven temperature creates a crust that crisps faster and keeps the meat juicy.)

Kitchen Tools for This Recipe

• Meat tenderizer for pounding the chicken to the right thickness
• Meat thermometer for checking the doneness of the chicken. The chicken does most of its cooking in the oven. How long it takes (roughly 10-12 minutes) depends on the thickness of your chicken. Use a meat thermometer and when it hits an internal temp of 165°F, it’s done.

Recipe Variations and Substitutions

• Avoid adding extra cheese to the breadcrumbs. While more cheese always seems like a good thing, in this case adding extra can make the crust mushy as the cheese melts.
• Instead of garlic powder, use 1 clove of fresh garlic that’s been pressed or very finely minced instead.
• Rather than Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs, use regular breadcrumbs with 1 ½ teaspoons of Italian seasoning added to them.
• If you don’t like mayonnaise, use 4 tablespoons of melted butter instead.

FAQ and Recipe Tips

• How do you get breading to stick to chicken Parmesan? Most chicken parm recipes feature an egg wash, but for this baked chicken Parmesan, mayo (or softened butter) is all you need to help the breadcrumbs adhere.
• Use seasoned Italian breadcrumbs instead of panko. You can certainly use Panko breadcrumbs, but I prefer good old Italian seasoned breadcrumbs for this chicken Parmesan. Regular breadcrumbs mix better with the grated cheese, and because the crumbs are smaller than panko, cover the chicken uniformly for an extra crisp crunch.
• Skip the green can and use freshly grated Parmesan. Freshly grated Parm is the only way to go. Use finely grated Parmesan from the deli department, instead of shredded. If grating your own, be sure it’s extra fine so it melds in with the breadcrumbs, making the exterior crisp and not soggy.

What to Serve with Parmesan-Crusted Chicken

• Easy Parmesan Buttered Noodles
• Greek Pasta Salad with Cucumbers and Artichoke Hearts
• Grilled Vegetables with Chimichurri Sauce
• Healthy Quinoa Salad
• How to Make THE BEST Potato Salad
• Mediterranean Orzo Salad

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a  rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

4.99 from 83 votes

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

This easy Parmesan chicken recipe layers mayo, bread crumbs, and high heat to make it crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside.

Print SaveSaved!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword chicken parmesan

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 264kcal

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground paprika
• ⅓ cup mayonnaise

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Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large shallow bowl or on a large plate, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and paprika. Set aside.
• Use a thin, sharp knife to slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise to create two thin fillets. Place the chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap on a cutting board, and gently pound to about ⅜-inch with a meat tenderizer.
• Brush both sides of the chicken fillets with mayonnaise to evenly coat. Dredge each of the chicken fillets in the breadcrumb mixture and place on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until cooked through and the outsides are golden and crispy.

Notes

Notes:

• Instead of garlic powder, use 1 clove of fresh garlic that's been pressed or very finely minced instead.
• Instead of Italian seasoned bread crumbs, use regular bread crumbs with 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning added to it.
• Instead of mayonnaise, use 4 tablespoons melted butter.

Nutrition

Calories: 264kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 733mg | Potassium: 272mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 169IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 132mg | Iron: 1mg

More Easy Chicken Dinner Ideas

• Asian Glazed Orange Chicken
• Potato Chip Crusted Chicken Breasts Recipe
• Cheesy Mustard Baked Chicken Breasts
• Crispy Parmesan Buttermilk Chicken Tenders (Baked or Air Fryer)
• The Best Greek Chicken Marinade

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