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My parmesan crusted chicken recipe features fried chicken breasts coated in Italian-seasoned parmesan breading. Every bite is cheesy, salty, and crunchy!
Whenever I’m stuck on what to cook using chicken breasts and need something fast, I combine them with cheese and Italian herbs, resulting in the most incredible parmesan-crusted chicken recipe.
It’s been a family favorite for years and one of the first dishes I learned to cook. Thanks, Zia Christina, for letting me steal your authentic Italian recipe to share with my wonderful readers today!
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Perfect texture and flavor. The chicken has a tender crust on the outside while being extra juicy on the inside. The parmesan crumb compliments the chicken perfectly without being overpowering.
- Ready in 15 minutes. I like to make this kind of dinner on busy weeknights when I need something on the table fast!
- Freezer-friendly. After they’re fried and cooled, if I have any leftovers, I like to freeze them up to enjoy later. They thaw beautifully and taste just as good as when made fresh!
- Super versatile. Back to my earlier point, I actually love to batch cook this chicken and use the leftovers to toss through pasta or make it into a sandwich (hello, chicken parmesan sandwiches!).
If you love crispy Italian chicken recipes like we do, try my chicken Milanese, panko chicken, chicken parmigiana, and chicken cutlets next.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“These are delicious and so easy to make! I used chicken tenders, and they were just perfect for dipping. They were a huge hit with the kids in the family. The parmesan gives them so much flavor, and the panko keeps them really nice and crispy.” – Adrienne
Key Ingredients
- Chicken breasts. Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I’ve tried this with chicken thighs and found them a little too big and bulky to properly coat and crisp up. If the chicken is too thick, pound them using a meat mallet until around 1/2-inch in thickness.
- Parmesan cheese. Buy a block of parmesan cheese and grate it yourself. The pre-shredded kind may be more convenient, but the flavor is all in the freshly grated kind.
- Breadcrumbs. I prefer using panko breadcrumbs as they have a much nicer crunch, but any regular breadcrumbs will work.
- All-purpose flour. To help form an extra crispy coating around each chicken breast. Also, adding a dash of flour helps keep the juices intact.
- Dried herbs and seasonings. The flour coating is seasoned with Italian seasoning (basil, thyme, rosemary, and oregano), garlic powder, salt, and pepper. You could omit this, but I find it really elevates the dish.
- Eggs. To help with the flour and breading sticking to the chicken.
- Olive oil. For pan frying and also flavor. Any neutral flavor oil is fine.
How to make parmesan crusted chicken
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Pound the chicken into 1/2-inch thickness. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 2- Coat the chicken. Dip each chicken breast first into the flour mix, then the beaten eggs, and lastly, the parmesan-bread crumb mixture.
Step 3- Fry. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, lay the breaded chicken breasts in the pan and fry on both sides until golden brown.
Step 4- Drain, then serve: Let the fried chicken rest on a wire rack to help them stay crispy. Once all of the chicken breasts are cooked, serve them with your favorite sides and enjoy!
Alternative cooking methods
While I find frying the chicken to be the quickest and easiest option, you can cut down on the calories and fat by either oven-baking it or air-frying it. Here is how you’d do it:
Oven baked method: Lay the breaded chicken breasts on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet and spray them with cooking spray. Bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F.
Air fryer method: It’s identical to my air fryer chicken parmesan (minus the sauce and cheese). To air fry, lay the coated chicken breasts in the air fryer basket and lightly spray them with cooking spray. Air fry at 350ºF for 15 minutes, flip, and cook for another 10 minutes or until they’re crispy and golden.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Use a meat thermometer. I seriously respect anyone who can cook chicken (or any meat) without using an instant-read thermometer. Once the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F, it’s fully cooked.
- Always shred the cheese by hand! Parmesan cheese from the block melts and tastes much better than store-bought shredded cheese.
- Season with lemon. This is how they serve this chicken everywhere in Europe, and for good reason: a squeeze of lemon juice on top balances the salty and savory flavors perfectly.
- Use the same-size chicken breasts. This will ensure the chicken all cook evenly, completely, and simultaneously.
- Batch cook, if needed. I can comfortably fit 2-3 fillets in my pan, so I usually have to make three batches when feeding my family. It might be a teeny bit more time-consuming, but it’s the best way to ensure the chicken is perfectly crispy every single time.
Frequently asked questions
Technically, you don’t, but I find it makes such a difference! It not only helps the breading stick to the chicken easier, but it also tenderizes the meat, yielding a more juicy texture.
Yes, you can! Swap out the breadcrumbs for either almond flour or crushed pork rinds.
Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Video
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- 1 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Pound the chicken breasts into 1/2-inch thickness. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a shallow bowl, combine the grated Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. In a second bowl, add the flour, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Mix well. In a separate bowl, add the beaten eggs.
- Dip each chicken breast into the flour mix, then the beaten eggs, allowing any excess to drip off. Press the chicken breasts into the Parmesan breadcrumb mixture, coating both sides thoroughly.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the breaded chicken breasts and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until they turn golden brown.
Notes
Nutrition
More family-favorite chicken dinners
- Oven Fried Chicken
- Chicken Schnitzel
- Chicken Katsu
- Grilled chicken margherita
- Stuffed chicken breast
Originally published July 2023, updated and republished November 2024
I tried the baked method and it was wonderful. My hubby prefers things not fried so this was perfect. Thanks for the wonderful recipe! I paired it with garlic mashed potatoes and a side of fresh fruit.
Delicious!
Can I also fry it with coconut oil as I have it?
Melt in your mouth moist and tender.
Whole family loves it. I followed everything with 1 difference, I put my metal cookie drying rack on top of my baking pan so I could have it crispy on the bottom too!!
Love all your recipes!!!
Thanks, Linda!
All your thing I have try has been good so far ..thank you for the best ideas
These are delicious and so easy to make! I used chicken tenders and they were just perfect for dipping and a huge hit with the kids in the family. The parmesan gives them so much flavor and the panko keeps them really nice and crispy.
Awesome tasting recipe
I decided to use crushed pork rinds for the bread crumbs to lower the carbohydrates and it was delicious
Definitely a recipe for weeknights and weekends
Thank you
This dish is out of this world delicious. My kids and husband said they would eat it again tommorow, Please add it to our regular meal plan.
Great recipe!
Amazing!
We made this recipe with pork chops, instead of chicken. It was delicious!
This looks delicious! However I am allergic to eggs. Can you suggest something else to use in place of eggs in this recipe?
This looks incredible- but I have two questions. How many ounces of chicken are you using (per breast) and can this be made gluten free? (I have a gluten intolerance)
4-6 ounces per chicken breast and yes it can- just use gluten-free panko.
Is there a way to make the coating egg free?
If you don’t mind a slightly crispier chicken, I find buttermilk works (even a homemade version- 1 cup milk with 1 teaspoon vinegar).
This looks delicious but I’m allergic to eggs. Is there anything else i can use in place of eggs?
This looks incredible- but I have two questions. How many ounces of chicken are you using (per breast) and can this be made gluten free? (I have a gluten intolerance)