Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Chicken can be cooked in almost every way imaginable, and we firmly believe there can never be too many crunchy breaded chicken recipes. Similar to schnitzel or Crispy Breaded Pork Cutlets, Parmesan crusted chicken consists of thin chicken breasts, coated with a crumb mixture and fried in a skillet until crisp.

What makes this recipe different from other breaded chicken cutlet recipes is the use of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs and the addition of Parmesan cheese to the breading. Pan frying flattened chicken cutlets is a quick and easy way to cook chicken evenly, and breaded fried cutlets are found in many cuisines, including Japanese tonkotsu, Italian Milanese, and South American milanesa. It is also less messy and uses less oil than deep frying.

If you're craving crunchy chicken and don't want to bother with deep frying, Parmesan crusted chicken is the perfect recipe, popular with both kids and adults. Learn how to make this weeknight favorite, and then have fun with sauces and sides.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken Ingredients

To make Parmesan Crusted Chicken you will need mostly pantry staple items:

• Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs: These will be beside regular breadcrumbs in the seasoning aisle. If you can't find them, add Italian seasoning mix to the regular kind.
• Grated Parmesan cheese: This hard cheese grates nicely and blends in with the breading ingredients. It also adds a salty, nutty flavor.
• Dried oregano: For extra seasoning.
• Flour: For dredging.
• Eggs: A quick egg wash helps the breading ingredients stick.
• Chicken breasts: Thinner chicken cutlets will cook faster and more evenly.
• Oil and butter: For frying.
• Lemon wedges: Recommended for squeezing over the fried cutlets. Lemon adds brightness and freshness to the dish.

How To Make Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Making Parmesan Crusted Chicken requires several steps:

• Step 1. The first step is to pound chicken breasts. Coating your cutting board or counter with plastic wrap or parchment paper can make for easy clean up. If you don't have a meat mallet, you can use a rolling pin to pound the cutlets.
• Step 2. To bread the cutlets, set up a station with a bowl of flour, another bowl with beaten and seasoned egg, and a final bowl with grated Parmesan cheese and Italian breadcrumbs. Cutlets are dipped successively in the flour, then the egg, then crumbs
• Step 3. Finally, the breaded chicken is pan fried in a mixture of oil and butter in a non-stick skillet. Frying in a combination of butter and oil ensures good flavor but is easier than frying in just butter because the oil raises the smoke point so it's less likely to burn.

What To Serve With Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Crispy chicken cutlets can be served with potato salad, green salad, coleslaw or Italian style—topped with a handful of fresh arugula. You can also serve the cutlets in a sandwich.

Storage and Reheating

Store leftover chicken in an airtight container up to 3 days. You can reheat in the microwave, but the breading may be soggy. For a crisper crust, try reheating in an air fryer or frying again in a bit of oil on the stove.

Editorial contributions by Alyssa Sybertz.