Our Parmesan Crusted Chicken is golden brown, perfectly crisp, and packed with bold, cheesy flavor in every bite. It’s made with panko bread crumbs, grated parmesan, and simple pantry staples that come together like magic in a hot skillet.
This is juicy chicken the whole family will go wild for, and it’s ready before anyone can ask, “What’s for dinner?”

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Parmesan Crusted Chicken is dinnertime magic. Thin, tender cutlets fry up fast in a golden, cheesy crust that crunches like fried chicken and tastes like something from your favorite Italian place. It’s quick, flavorful, and doesn’t make a mess of your whole kitchen.
If Chicken Parmesan comes to mind, you’re not wrong. They’ve got shared roots, but this one skips the sauce, keeps the crisp, and delivers all the flavor in way less time.
Our crispy chicken crusted with parmesan can be made with pantry staples and two shallow bowls, making preparation blissfully simple.
It’s ready in just over 20 minutes, so you can squeeze in a proper meal even when the day’s already running away from you.
Serve this crispy chicken with a scoop of our buttery, pillowy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and you’ve got pure comfort on a plate. Or go all in with our Potatoes au Gratin, creamy and cheesy with rich, melty layers that make every bite of chicken even more satisfying.
Ingredients
Gather the ingredients to prepare our easy Parmesan Crusted Chicken recipe. Culinary professionals call this the “Mise en Place,” which means “everything in its Place.”
Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also ensures you have all the necessary ingredients on hand to make the recipe.
Can I Change Up the Recipe?
Absolutely. We made the dish with panko breadcrumbs for extra crunch, but you can use Italian breadcrumbs or regular ones if that’s what you’ve. You’ll lose a bit of that light, crispy texture, but it still delivers on flavor and gets the job done.
Add a pinch of cayenne, smoked paprika, or even some lemon zest to the parmesan mixture if you want a little more kick. It’s a simple upgrade that adds your own personal flair to every bite.
You can also mix fresh parsley or chopped basil into the bread crumb mixture for a more herbaceous, fragrant finish. It’s an easy way to add a bit of freshness without altering the flavor.
How to make Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Follow along with my simple step-by-step instructions to learn how to make Parmesan Crusted Chicken in your home kitchen.
- If the breasts are large, butterfly them and split them into two portions to create even-sized chicken cutlets, resulting in four pieces in total.
- Pat the skinless chicken breasts dry with paper towels to help the bread crumb mixture stick.
- Add the all-purpose flour, table salt, and black pepper to a shallow dish.
- Whisk to combine.
- In a second bowl, combine eggs and cold water.
- Whisk to make your egg mixture.
- In a third bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and chopped parsley.
- Whisk to combine.
- Cover the breasts with plastic wrap.
- Lightly pound each piece to a ¼-inch thickness using a rolling pin or the flat side of a meat mallet.
- Dredge the breasts in the flour mixture, coating both sides.
- Shake off any excess flour and place each one in the egg wash one at a time. Coat completely.
- Let any excess egg drip off, then place the breasts in the bread crumb mixture one at a time. Press the breasts into the mixture to coat them well on both sides.
- Add the olive to a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the prepared breasts to the hot pan in a single layer and cook until golden brown (3-4 minutes).
- Then flip them over and cook on the other side for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown, and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers an internal temperature of at least 165°F.
If the breasts are browning too quickly, reduce the heat. Don’t crowd the pan; if necessary, cook in two batches.
Transfer the finished breasts to a wire rack or paper towels to drain excess oil.
Our Parmesan-crusted chicken is perfect for a busy weeknight dinner, and fancy enough for a dinner party.
And I can guarantee that after one bite, even the pickiest eater in your family will ask for seconds!
How to Store and Reheat
Store any leftover chicken crusted with parmesan in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat, place the cutlets on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or pop it in the air fryer at 350°F for 5 to 7 minutes until hot and crisp. Avoid microwaving if you want to keep the crust from going soggy.
Freezing isn’t recommended, as the parmesan coating tends to lose its texture once thawed.
Recipe FAQs
Use an instant-read thermometer and pull the chicken at 165°F. That way, you get tender chicken every time, without drying it out.
Many home cooks fry on too high heat or use too little oil, causing the crust to burn or pull away from the chicken. Try medium-high heat and enough olive oil so it reaches halfway up the sides of the cutlets.
Absolutely. Preheat your air fryer to 380°F. Don’t overcrowd the basket, and cook for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through. Lightly spray with cooking spray first for a crisp, golden crust.
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Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoon olive oil
- 1¼-1½ lb boneless skinless chicken breasts 4 cutlets -split large breasts in half to make 5-6 ouce cutlets
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup cold water
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- ⅔ cup grated parmesan cheese -I use Locatelli Romano cheese
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Italian parsley -finely chopped (save one teaspoon for garnish)
Instructions
- If the breasts are large, butterfly them and split them into two portions, making four pieces in total.
- Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels.
- Cover the breasts with plastic wrap and pound each piece to ¼-inch thickness with the flat side of a meat mallet.
- Add the all-purpose flour, table salt, and black pepper to a shallow bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Add the eggs and cold water to another shallow bowl and whisk to combine.
- In another shallow bowl, add the panko bread crumbs, grated parmesan, Italian seasoning, parsley, and garlic powder. Whisk to combine.
- Dredge the breasts in the flour mixture, coating both sides.
- Shake off any excess flour and place them one at a time in the egg wash. Coat completely.
- Let any excess egg drip off, then place the breasts one at a time in the bread crumb mixture. Press the breasts into the mixture to coat them well on both sides.
- Add the olive to a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the prepared breasts to the hot pan and cook until golden brown (3-4 minutes. Then flip them over and cook on the other side for 3-4 minutes until golden brown and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers at least 165 degrees F. If the breasts are browning too quickly, reduce the heat.Don't crowd the pan; if necessary, cook in two batches.
- Transfer the finished breasts to a rack or paper towels to drain.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges, mashed potatoes, and green beans.
Alison says
This was absolutely delicious!! I did not waver from the recipe and prepared it exactly as Chef Dennis wrote. To keep the frying mess down, I used a cast iron skillet on the grill. It was so good there were no leftovers so I’ll make more next time. Will definitely make it again. YUM! Thanks Chef!
Chef Dennis Littley says
You’re welcome and thanks for letting me know you enjoyed the chicken!
L F says
In your ingredient picture you have Ketchep labeled above the pic of bread crumbs!
Chef Dennis Littley says
Thanks for catching that!
Marilyn says
When I bread anything, after breading, before frying, I put it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (I usually try for an hour). The breading sticks to the food much better and doesn’t come off while frying.
Chef Dennis Littley says
We would prep breaded foods ahead of time at the restaurants I worked at, but they tend to get a little wet, so we always ran them through the bread crumbs again before frying.