16 Breaded Chicken Recipes That Will Satisfy Any Crunchy Craving

By Mary Shannon Wells August 11, 2021

Credit: Hector Sanchez

Chicken is a household favorite for weeknight suppers. Endlessly versatile, healthy, and affordable, chicken is the hero of the dinner table. If your usual chicken recipes are feeling monotonous, try one of our favorite breaded chicken recipes. Though "breaded" might translate to "unhealthy" or "fried" on a restaurant menu, we have some healthy breaded chicken recipes that are so much lighter than their takeout counterparts. For instance, our Air Fryer Buttermilk Chicken Tenders and Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken Cutlets with Roasted Broccoli and Parmesan Cream Sauce offer two ways of cooking crunchy "fried" chicken without all the extra fat (and mess). Our Homemade Chicken Nuggets are the perfect on-the-go meal for picnics and road trips, and we're sure the kids wouldn't mind opening their lunch boxes to find our Buttermilk Chicken Tenders with Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans. Looking to freshen up your ho-hum "al desko" lunch at work? Our Oven-Fried Chicken Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing and Dixie Chicken Salad with Grapes, Honey, Almonds, and Broccoli are full of texture and flavor you'll want to put on repeat. Plus, our Peanut Chicken Scaloppine and Pecan-Crusted Chicken and Tortellini with Herbed Butter Sauce are pretty enough for a dinner party. See? Breaded chicken recipes go way beyond heavy fried chicken entrées. We have delicious breaded chicken recipes for every member of the family.

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Oven-Fried Chicken Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Oven-Fried Chicken Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

We added a Southern ingredient to the breading on this "fried" chicken for even more flavor and crunch—pecans!

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Chicken Fingers Coated With Cheesy Snack Crackers

Credit: Sheri Castle

Recipe: Chicken Fingers Coated With Cheesy Snack Crackers

Breaded with the cheese crackers the kids already love, these baked chicken tenders are going to be their favorite meal.

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Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Credit: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Be sure to read the recipe before making it—to get the best flavor, these homemade nuggets need plenty of time to marinate.

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Crispy Chicken Cutlets with Blistered Tomatoes

Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Anna Hampton

Recipe: Crispy Chicken Cutlets with Blistered Tomatoes

This summery version of chicken piccata pairs beautifully with fresh, caramelized tomatoes.

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Air Fryer Buttermilk Chicken Tenders

Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Recipe: Air Fryer Buttermilk Chicken Tenders

We love testing out new recipes in our Air Fryers, and this chicken tenders recipe comes with a homemade dipping sauce that you'll want to keep in the fridge all the time.

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Oven-Fried Chicken with Spring Salad

Credit: Greg DuPree

Recipe: Oven-Fried Chicken with Spring Salad

A tangy caper vinaigrette and simple green salad are a match for lighter "fried" chicken from the oven.

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Hot Sauce Fried Chicken with Pickled Okra Slaw

Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Recipe: Hot Sauce Fried Chicken with Pickled Okra Slaw

A quick coleslaw adds just the right amount of tang to a savory, spicy fried chicken main dish.

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Peanut Chicken Scaloppine

Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Recipe: Peanut Chicken Scaloppine

When pounded to ¼-inch thickness, chicken cutlets cook quickly on the stovetop for an easy dinner. A simple, fresh squash salad is the perfect pair for summertime, but you can enjoy this chicken with any of our favorite side dishes for chicken year-round.

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Pimiento Cheese-Stuffed Fried Chicken

Recipe: Pimiento Cheese-Stuffed Fried Chicken

Pimiento cheese AND fried chicken? We're in Southern comfort food heaven with this recipe.

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Breaded Chicken Salad with Grapes, Honey, Almonds, and Broccoli

Credit: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Breaded Chicken Salad with Grapes, Honey, Almonds, and Broccoli

Who says salad is boring? Not this recipe! Full of flavor and texture from crispy chicken, crunchy broccoli, sweet grapes, and a tangy homemade vinaigrette, this salad will brighten up your workday lunch routine.

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Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken Cutlets with Roasted Broccoli and Parmesan Cream Sauce

Credit: PHOTO: HECTOR MANUEL SANCHEZ, PROP STYLING: HEATHER CHADDUCK HILLEGAS; FOOD STYLING: TORIE COX

Recipe: Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken Cutlets with Roasted Broccoli and Parmesan Cream Sauce

Instead of dredging the chicken in eggs and panko breadcrumbs, this recipe uses a mixture of melted butter and Dijon mustard for the liquid component and Panko stirred together with crushed cornflakes cereal and Parmesan cheese for a breading with so much more taste.