Herbed Parmesan Chicken (Printable)
Juicy baked chicken with crispy Parmesan herb coating, ready in 40 minutes for a satisfying family meal.
# What You Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
→ Cheese
02 - ¾ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
→ Herbs and Spices
03 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
04 - 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
05 - 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
06 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
07 - 1 teaspoon onion powder
08 - ½ teaspoon salt
09 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
→ Breading and Coating
10 - ¾ cup breadcrumbs (use gluten-free if needed)
11 - 2 large eggs
→ For Drizzling
12 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it with oil.
02 - In a shallow dish, combine the Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, parsley, thyme, basil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Mix until evenly blended.
03 - In a separate shallow bowl, beat the eggs until well blended.
04 - Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Dip each breast into the beaten egg, then press firmly into the Parmesan breadcrumb mixture, coating both sides evenly.
05 - Place the coated chicken breasts on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle each piece lightly with olive oil to encourage golden browning.
06 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the coating is golden and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.
07 - Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest for 3 minutes before serving. Garnish with additional fresh herbs if desired.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The Parmesan crust gets so crunchy and savory that nobody will believe it came out of a standard home oven.
- It uses everyday herbs and pantry staples, yet tastes like something from a neighborhood trattoria.
- Cleanup is almost nonexistent since everything bakes on one sheet pan.
02 -
- If the chicken breasts are very thick, place them between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound them to an even half inch thickness before coating, otherwise the outside burns before the inside cooks through.
- For a finishing blast of crunch, flip the oven to broil for the last 2 to 3 minutes but stand right there watching, the gap between beautifully bronzed and genuinely charred is about forty seconds.
03 -
- One hand for the egg and one hand for the dry coating, otherwise you end up with clubbed fingers of breading that look like something from a horror movie and waste half your mixture.
- Let the coated chicken sit on the sheet for five minutes before it goes into the oven, this helps the egg set slightly and drastically reduces how much crust falls off during baking.