Crispy on the outside, juicy inside - this easy parmesan crusted chicken is pan-fried in 25 minutes with just 8 simple ingredients. A weeknight favorite!
This parmesan crusted chicken is golden, crispy, and ready in 25 minutes - the kind of weeknight dinner your whole family will ask for on repeat.
Chicken cutlets are breaded in Parmesan cheese, garlic and bread crumbs; and then pan fried until golden brown. When you bite into it - the chicken tastes crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
Why You'll Love Parmesan Crusted Chicken
This pan fried parmesan chicken is a game changer for the boring chicken dinners - golden brown on the outside & opaque and white on the inside. This is one of those basic chicken recipes that get you out of the chicken redundancy mode and that you will make over and over again.
Each bite is bursting with flavor, Parmesan especially, and yet there is no gigantic puddle of melted Parmesan or butter at the bottom of the plate. The chicken is also very easy to cut through, thanks to the fast cooking method.
A reader, Deborah, says: "I should have made more! My husband ate 2 pieces. I'm stuck with a breast & a half so I'm going to make a salad with the remaining chicken tomorrow. Will make it again but I will make more! Thanks for a wonderful meal! ★★★★★"
My Secret to Crispy Parmesan Crusted Chicken
After testing this recipe more times than I can count - with everything from pre-shredded bag Parmesan to a freshly grated wedge - I can tell you the single biggest difference is THE CHEESE itself. Freshly grated Parmesan melts into the bread crumbs and fuses to the chicken, while the pre-shredded stuff stays powdery and slides right off during cooking.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Thin, flat and even chicken breasts - The chicken breast that works best is thin, flat and even. If the chicken you bought is thick as it usually is, make sure to half each chicken breast horizontally. Once you do that, you get 4 thin chicken fillets.
- Parmesan cheese - grated Parm in the breading amps up the chicken flavor tremendously.
- Egg, flour & bread crumbs - I prefer to coat chicken in an egg and then let the majority of the egg run off, and after that coat in bread crumb mixture. You can repeat this step once more for that extra crunch.
- Seasonings - The delicious mixture includes salt, pepper, garlic powder and dried Italian seasoning. You can also try Homemade Chipotle Seasoning.
- Olive Oil & Butter - I use olive oil to pan fry my chicken all the time. Did you know that all upscale restaurants use extra virgin olive oil exclusively? So don't be scared to fry in it, but if you are - then you can definitely use Canola, Avocado or even Peanut oil here.
How to Make Crispy Parmesan Crusted Chicken
- First, paper towel dry the chicken and then prepare two bowls. One is for the egg, salt, pepper and seasoning. The other bowl is for the Parmesan breading mixture. Next, you should whisk the egg slightly.
- Now it's time to dredge each chicken breast piece in egg mixture. After that place in garlic Parmesan breading mixture and press. Turn to coat the other side of the chicken with the mixture and press again.
- If you've ever wondered why your Parmesan crust won't stick to chicken, skipping the flour dredge is almost always the culprit. The classic two-step station (egg → flour-parmesan-bread crumb mixture) isn't just tradition; the flour gives the egg something to grip, and the egg acts as the glue that locks the crust in place.
- Repeat with remaining chicken pieces and place each coated chicken onto a plate or a cutting board.
- Melt butter and add olive oil on medium high heat in a skillet (stainless steel, cast iron skillet or non-stick).
- Place coated chicken into the skillet without crowding the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes one one side. I also learned the hard way that crowding the pan kills the crunch - you'll steam the breading instead of searing it, which is exactly why parmesan crusted chicken gets soggy.
- Do not move chicken otherwise the cheese will slide off surface before it adheres! Press down lightly with a spatula. Turn with tongs when the first side is golden brown and cook the other side for 3 to 4 minutes.
Parmesan Crusted Chicken
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Ingredients
- 1 egg
- salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese (grated or shredded)
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 lb chicken breasts (thin, 4 pieces)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
Prepare chicken and bowls
- First, paper towel dry the chicken and then prepare two bowls.
- Bowl 1 is for the egg, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Next, you should whisk the egg mixture slightly.
- Bowl 2 is for the Parmesan, bread crumbs and flour.
Coat the chicken
- Dredge each chicken breast with egg mixture in bowl 1.
- After that place the chicken in bowl 2 with Parmesan mixture and press.
- Turn to coat the other side of the chicken with Parmesan mixture and press again.
- Repeat with remaining chicken pieces and place each coated chicken onto a plate or a cutting board.
Pan fry chicken
- Melt butter and add olive oil on medium high heat in a skillet (stainless steel, cast iron skillet or non-stick).
- Place coated chicken into the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes one one side.
- Do not move chicken otherwise the cheese will slide off surface before it adheres! Press down lightly with a spatula.
- Turn with tongs when the first side is golden brown and cook the other side for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Do not cook for more than a total of 6-8 minutes - just set the timer and flip when it beeps.
- Check to make sure the chicken is fully cooked and not pink. If not, lower the heat and cook for a couple more minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Pro Tips
- Slice chicken horizontally if it's thick: If you're getting them from typical grocery store, they are too thick. Slice them horizontally in half. About an inch thick. The frozen breasts you get in a bag are perfect for this.
- To get that perfect color on your Parmesan crusted chicken, let your oil heat up a little more before adding your chicken. In a professional kitchen, everything tends to be screaming hot for fast cooking.
- Use extra virgin olive oil exclusively. So don't scared to fry in it. Once you have a beautiful golden crust on one side, flip it and throw it on the opposite side for 4 or 5 minutes till just done.
- Heat up your oil: I would definitely try to let your oil heat up a little more before adding your chicken. In a professional kitchen, everything tends to be screaming hot for fast cooking.
- Reuse the oil: The oil makes a huge difference. In a professional restaurant environment they'll reuse oil. In your house you have clean fresh oil, so the flavor that's built up in there isn't there. Strain your oil, keep it, and reuse it.
- Do not cook for more than a total of 6-8 minutes - just set the timer and flip when it beeps.
- Use excellent quality cheese: At the end of the day, the chicken is just a flavor carrier and the real flavor comes from the cheese and the sauce, so id focus on those.
- Grate your own Parmesan: I do recommend to use either fine shredded cheese or grated cheese. If you grate your own cheese, the finer you grate you Parmesan cheese, the better! The thinner cheese texture will help it stick and stay on the Parmesan crusted chicken better.
- Use 2 bowls: One for dipping chicken breasts in cracked egg, and the other for dredging in the breadcrumbs, flour, grated Parmesan, salt and pepper, and Italian seasoning.
Can parmesan crusted chicken be baked instead of fried?
Yes! Place the coated chicken on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 20-25 minutes, until the crust is golden and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
The wire rack lifts the chicken off the pan so heat circulates all around, giving you an even, crispy crust without any flipping!
What is the difference between chicken parmesan and parmesan crusted chicken?
Chicken parmesan is topped with marinara and mozzarella; parmesan crusted chicken has parmesan baked/fried into the crispy breading coating.
How do you keep parmesan from falling off chicken?
Pat chicken dry, press the coating firmly, and don't move it in the pan for the first 3-4 minutes.
Is parmesan crusted chicken healthy?
Each serving has 48g of protein. It can be made lighter by baking or air-frying instead of pan-frying.
Recipe Variations
No-breadcrumb version - Skip the breadcrumbs entirely and use only grated parmesan mixed with a little garlic powder and Italian seasoning. The result is a lighter, crispier crust that's also low-carb and keto-friendly.
Baked parmesan crusted chicken - Arrange the coated chicken on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and bake at 425°F for 20-25 minutes. The rack allows hot air to circulate underneath so you get a crispy crust without flipping.
Air fryer parmesan crusted chicken - Cook at 400°F for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through. The air fryer gives you an incredibly golden, crunchy crust in a fraction of the time with less oil.
Spicy parmesan crusted chicken - Add ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper and 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes to the breadcrumb mixture. For extra heat, mix a teaspoon of hot sauce into the egg wash before dipping.
Gluten-free version - Swap the breadcrumbs for gluten-free panko or almond flour. The almond flour version pairs especially well with the nutty flavor of the parmesan and keeps the coating light and crisp.
Use olive oil instead of the egg: To do so, take your chicken breast and give it a generous amount of olive oil, the salt and pepper liberally. Drop in your bread crumbs and Parmesan and coat.
How to store leftovers
- Refrigerate within 2 hours: Don't leave Parmesan crusted chicken out at room temperature for more than 2 hours. This is because bacteria can multiply rapidly in warm temperature.
- Airtight container or wrap: Store the cooled chicken in an airtight container or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or foil. This helps maintain freshness and prevent the breading from getting soggy.
- Use oven - simply heat up the parmesan crusted chicken in the oven at 350 F to get the coating crispy once again.
- Don't microwave - I wouldn't suggest microwaving refrigerated Parmesan crusted chicken. Microwaving will put too much moisture into the chicken crust and the coating won't be so crispy any more.
What to serve Parmesan crusted chicken with
- If you love cooking, you will find that Garlic Parmesan Crusted Chicken pairs up very well with pasta dishes such as Louisiana Chicken Pasta, or Baked Ziti. I also love serving it over Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes.
- I also love having a salad with this Parmesan Crusted Chicken. I can slice it up and serve it along this healthy Spinach Salad, or my warm Brussels Sprout Salad. Just make sure to slice the chicken!
This recipe was originally published in 2018 and now with more in depth descriptions, a helpful video tutorial, clearer instructions, and different ways to use this classic Parmesan Crusted Chicken recipe, especially in this Louisiana Chicken Pasta.
Hannah says
I just tried this recipe and it was so delicious with all the Parmesan. Definitely wasn’t any leftovers from my family. Will be making this many more times for dinner or lunch!
Dale says
Delicious with garlic mashed potatoes. Parmesan is a must!
Dan says
The practical alternative here is to use Caesar dressing to mix in all of the other seasonings. Use panko so they’re crispiest, I bake on a wire rack.
Olya Shepard says
Great idea, Dan!
Tina says
Made this in the baking pan and doubled the recipe without any problem.