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This Parmesan crusted chicken recipe pairs tender, juicy chicken with a crisp, golden Parmesan coating—and it’s on the table in 30 minutes.
Parmesan crusted chicken is one of those dishes that feels a little more special than your everyday weeknight chicken dinner without requiring much extra effort. The chicken is coated in seasoned breadcrumbs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and fresh herbs, then pan-fried until golden. I love it with a squeeze of lemon, or topped with a lemony arugula salad for a light meal.
There are two secrets to getting it just right. First, pounding the chicken breasts to an even thickness tenderizes the meat and ensures even cooking. Second, the 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.
“Doing the 3-step breading process really makes a difference in the outcome…restaurant quality!”
What You’ll Need To Make Parmesan Crusted Chicken
- Flour and eggs: These work together to help the coating stick to the chicken. The flour gives the egg something to grab onto, and the egg helps the breadcrumbs adhere.
- Seasoned Italian breadcrumbs: I like Progresso here; the crumbs are fine and even, so they form a crisp, golden coating on the chicken.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano and fresh herbs: For the best flavor, use authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano—look for the name embossed on the rind, or check the label on grated cheese to make sure it’s the real thing. Thyme, parsley, chives, or rosemary all work well.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: Pounding them thin helps them cook quickly and evenly. If yours are large, cut them into smaller portions after pounding.
- Olive oil: Adds flavor as the chicken pan-fries and helps the coating turn crisp and golden.
- Lemon wedges: A squeeze of fresh lemon cuts through the richness of the Parmesan and brightens the finished dish.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Season the chicken: Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness, then season both sides with salt and pepper. Getting the chicken evenly thin is important—it helps it cook quickly and evenly without drying out.
Bread the chicken: Set up three shallow bowls with flour, beaten eggs, and the Parmesan-breadcrumb mixture. Coat each piece first in flour, then egg, then the Parmesan mixture, pressing gently so the coating adheres. Shake off the excess at each stage so the breading doesn’t get too thick.
Pan-fry the chicken: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and add the chicken without crowding the pan. Cook until crisp and golden on the first side, then flip and cook until golden and cooked through. Try not to move the chicken as it cooks so the coating stays put.
Serve: Serve the chicken hot with lemon wedges—the fresh acidity is a nice contrast to the rich Parmesan coating.
Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheating Instructions
Make ahead: You can bread the chicken up to a day ahead. Arrange the breaded cutlets on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to cook. Let the chicken sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before frying.
Storage and reheating: Refrigerate leftover cooked chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat, place the cutlets on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and warm in a 375°F oven until heated through. This will help restore some of the coating’s crispness.
Freezing: To freeze the chicken before cooking, arrange the breaded cutlets in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid, about 1 to 2 hours. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container, separating layers with parchment paper, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before pan-frying.
You can also freeze the cooked chicken for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely, wrap each piece individually, and store in a freezer-safe bag. Reheat in a 375°F oven until heated through and crisp. Avoid microwaving, which can make the coating soggy.
Video Tutorial
Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Ingredients
For Breading
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- ⅔ cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs (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 to 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1½ lb/680 g), pounded ¼-in (6 mm) 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.
- Dip the chicken in the beaten eggs 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.
Notes
- If the breasts are large (8 oz/227 g or more), you can either cut them in half crosswise after pounding to create smaller portions or slice them in half horizontally before pounding to make thinner cutlets that won’t spread as much when pounded.
Nutrition Information
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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What to Serve with Parmesan Crusted Chicken
In addition to the arugula salad mentioned above, Parmesan crusted chicken pairs beautifully with roasted asparagus or garlicky roasted broccoli. For something heartier, try Parmesan smashed potatoes or a simple side of spaghetti aglio e olio.
More Crispy Chicken Recipes You’ll Love
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Excellent! For novice cooks this might take a little bit more prep time than what it says, but well worth it! I highly recommend this recipe! It is the closest one that I have found yet to compare with the one I used to make(It was baked in the oven, but I can’t seem to find the recipe for that one anywhere! Now I will stop looking, this one is just as delicious!) Thank you for sharing it! The only thing I did different was I fried them in pure butter, because I discovered I was out of cooking & olive oil, & didn’t want to go back to the store! I’m sure the butter is not healthy at all, but it was delicious!
Oh my goodness this was awesome! Followed your recipe to a t. I think it’s really important to pound the breasts as you instructed, and I used the small setting on my grater for the cheese, which I think helps to incorporate it into the bread crumbs better. Had some fresh rosemary and used that in the crumbs too as well as just a touch of dried thyme. The final lemon squeeze is the coup de gras. My husband was absolutely in heaven eating this tonight. Served it with cauliflower steaks rubbed with melted butter and garlic. Yum! Thanks for another fabulous recipe – you rock!
Fantastic Recipe! This is the third recipe I tried from your site and all have been awesome. I messed up a little and didn’t have my pan quite hot enough so some of the breading came off when I flipped it; but that is a lesson learned on my part. Currently scrolling through for tonight’s dinner!
Recipes tried so far:
Chicken Marsala
Sheet Pan Garlic Shrimp
Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Forgot that I also made the Ziti, which is another homerun!
This was absolutely a perfect dinner dish. The flavors throughout the breast were mouth watering. Crisp on the outside, moist juicy tender on the inside. And then there’s the sauce that flows over top. Perfect in every way. This recipe is good restaurant quality. I served it for dinner and everyone thought I had gotten it from a restaurant to go it was so good. Let me tell you this recipe was given to those interested. I will continue making this delightful dish all the time now. Thank you for a easy but outstanding chicken recipe. WOW!
Made this tonight and it turned out great! Didn’t change a thing. I did have less chicken than planned so I saved some of my breadcrumb mix in a ziploc before dredging. Can’t wait to make a little more and try with some gnocchi.
absolutely fantastic
As I am new to cooking foods that require technique, this was my first time making a fried food. I found the instructions very easy to follow. This chicken turned out so juicy and crispy!! Thank you so much for this website; I will be making several more of your recipes in the future! Next week is the bulgogi burgers… Can’t wait!
This chicken is simple, full of flavor (Parmigiano-Regianno – yum!), and cooks quickly. I used to cook my proteins until they were unrecognizable, but I now enjoy the golden color and tenderness of the chicken. My family loves this chicken, and we use it in pasta dishes, salads, and on its own.
I have made this several times, and the kids always love it.
I love everything about this recipe! It’s quick, delicious, and turns out great every time! Thank you for sharing 🙂