Crispy Baked Chicken Breasts
Crunchy and golden on the outside, juicy and tender on the inside, these crispy baked chicken breasts are way better than the fried version. And, of course, healthier!
I like my chicken super crispy, and usually that requires deep frying. But with panko (a Japanese-style breadcrumbs), you get crispy chicken even if you bake it.
The recipe is very easy. Start by breading the chicken breasts with flour, egg, and panko, place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, and bake for 20-25 minutes. When they are done, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve!
The baking time depends on the thickness of your chicken breasts. Mine took about 22 minutes. After the first 10 minutes, I flipped them over and baked for another 12 minutes.
You can make several batches ahead of time and stick them in the freezer. They’re perfect for nights when you are out of groceries, or when you are just too tired to cook. Pull them out, bake them from frozen, and have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes!
To freeze them, place the breaded chicken on a plate and freeze for at least 2 hours. Remove them from the plate, place in a large ziplock bag and store in the freezer.
These crispy baked chicken breasts are a quick and easy weeknight meal everyone will love! Enjoy!
Give this quick but delicious recipe a try, and let me know what you think! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to take a picture and share it on my Facebook page or tag it #aseasyasapplepie on Instagram! I love seeing what you come up with!
Crunchy and golden on the outside, juicy and tender on the inside, these crispy baked chicken breasts are way better than the fried version. And, of course, healthier!
Panko is usually found in the Asian section of supermarkets.
- 500 grams (1 lb) boneless, skinless chicken breast cut lengthwise
- 90 grams (¾ cup) all-purpose flour
- 1 egg beaten
- 80 grams (1 cup) Panko Japanese-style bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- zest of 1 lemon grated
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves finely chopped
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Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C (425 F degrees).
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Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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In a shallow plate, combine the flour, paprika, lemon zest, salt and pepper.
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Beat the egg in another shallow plate.
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Place the Panko breadcrumbs in a third shallow plate.
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Working one at a time, dredge the chicken breasts in flour, dip into eggs, then dredge in panko, pressing to coat.
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Place the chicken on the prepared baking sheet and spray with olive oil on both sides.
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Bake for 10 minutes, turn each piece over and continue baking for an additional 12 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and slightly golden. Baking times vary depending on thickness of the chicken.
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Garnished the crispy baked chicken breasts with a slice of lemon and chopped parsley, if desired.
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Enjoy!
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This looks absolutely incredible!
Thank you Shauna!
Yum! These look so crispy and delicious! Can’t wait to give this a try!
These look so tasty and easy to make!
Hi Elena! This is an amazing recipe. I made this today and everyone in my family loved it! Will share it in my blog soon and link it back. I really can’t thank you enough for sharing this!
These were absolutely wonderful!. The crispiness, the freshness of the lemon, and it wasn’t deep fried. I would suggest maybe some parmesan cheese with the panko. Everyone loved it. Thanks so much for this recipe (:
Thank you for your feedback, Jennifer! It’s a great idea to add parmesan cheese. 🙂
made this tonight and my family loved it. excellent healthy alternative and does not feel like you are sacrificing a thing. will definitely make this again and again. thanks for the recipe!
I am glad you they liked it! This is one of my favorite recipes for chicken breasts 🙂
I have never baked chicken at 220 are u sure. Not trying to debate but I was always taught to bake at 350
Hi Leslie! The temperature is correct 220 degrees C or 425 F degrees
This is the 3rd time I’ve made these. They come out perfectly each time! Prep is not only quick and easy, but really avoids the huge mess I always make when frying chicken cutlets. I even like them the next day cold with a little salt, or reheating the leftovers to top a salad or to make a sandwich. I don’t think I’ve fried chicken cutlets since I’ve tried this recipe!
So glad to hear that, Tim! Thank you so much for the feedback!
Fabulous! Thank you. The kiddos gobbled it up, with some honey mustard sauce. Yum. Will be a go-to 🙂
Thank you for your feedback Regan! I love honey mustard sauce 🙂
These were awesome!!!! Im from Alabama l, so this was very new for me . Im use to everything being fried lol. Now that I’ve found this recipe, I think I’ll be sticking with this.
I am glad you liked this recipe, Janae! 🙂
When you freeze these do you freeze after baking or when raw? Can’t wait to try these, they look great!
Hi Isabel! You could freeze them either way, cooked or uncooked. I personally prefer to freeze them raw. 🙂
I just made them and we have leftovers. I will try freezing them already baked but wish I would have froze them raw. Thanks.
Megan, try to increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees F and leave it in the oven a little bit longer. Also, make sure that the oven rack is not too low.
Another solution would be to toast the panko breadcrumbs: heat 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil in a large fry pan over medium-high heat, add the breadcrumbs and sauté for 2/3 minutes, until golden brown.
I hope it helps, let me know how it goes! 🙂
My husband and I loved this recipe. It turned out a little crunchier than I would have expected but hubby loved the crunch
I am glad that you liked this recipe, Jessy! 🙂
What can I use instead of eggs??
Ariel, you can use milk instead of eggs
if you can’t do dairy at all I’ve made baked chicken cutlets using BBQ and/or honey mustard in lieu of eggs/milk. Both times came out great!
We used olive oil instead of eggs and they came out delicious. This is one of our favorite go-to meals!
This looks delicious! I make a variation of this but you have a few ingredients that I don’t use, like lemon and paprika. I will give this a try. I’m so glad you didn’t say to pound the chicken flat. I feel that it has been through enough already!
I hope you will like it! 🙂
These look delish. I live alone and wonder if I made one chicken breast at a time would I change the cooking time? I’m a cooking noob.
The cooking time will be the same. I hope you will like this recipe, let me know if you have any more questions! 🙂
Great dinner!
I’m glad you liked it, Jason. Thanks for reporting back!
These are delicious! Thank you for sharing. I am am first time mom and struggle to get dinner cooked at a decent time. I now want to make bigger batches to freeze. If I pull them out on freezer, do you cook them the same? On parchment paper at 425F for 20-25minutes? I’ve never baked anything straight from the freezer, so I worry, would it maybe get soggy? Thanks in advance!
Hi Kathy! I am so glad you liked this recipe.
Yes, when you pull them out of the freezer, you cook them the same 🙂
Made this tonight and YUMMMY! I can’t cook – yet these were quick and easy. Thank you, thank you!!
Thanks for trying the recipe, Kelsey. I’m glad it came out great for you! 🙂
Ok, I’m a poor, semi retired physician who is trying to “healthy up” my cooking for my wife and I.
This fits perfectly. The idea of baking, rather than frying is appealing.
Taste is great. I added a beurre blanc for flavour. Not the healthiest but growth is incremental!
Enjoy
Doug
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Doug! 🙂 Your version with beurre blanc sounds incredible.
The recipe says to cut the chicken breasts crosswise in half, yet they appear to be whole in the picture. Is it necessary to cut them in half , or can they be left whole?
Sorry, I meant lengthwise.
When you say a 1/2 tbsp of olive oil do you sprinkle that over the chicken or do you use olive oil spray and spray the chicken like the directions say. Thank you.
Hi Sonia! If you don’t have an olive oil spray, you can drizzle it on top…that’s why I wrote the amount. Maybe I should specify it. 🙂
Made this the other night for dinner, turned out really good. Super easy directions!! I didn’t have parchment paper, but it still turned out great. Will do this again!
Thank you for your feedback, Melissa! I am glad you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
Made this today for first time – came out great! Love the lemon (we usually do Italian spices, parm and panko so liked switching it up). Nice bright flavor. First time on your site – will definitely be trying out other recipes
I’m so glad to hear that. Thank you Jac! 🙂
Hi Elena. Loved this. Wondering if you have a similar recipe stuffed with ham and cheese, thank you.
Hi Kathleen! I am glad you liked this recipe. 🙂
If you want to make stuffed chicken you can try this recipe. It looks easy and delicious. Just replace the spinach and tomatoes with ham.
If I use thinly sliced chicken breast, would you cut the time in half?
You can bake them at 200 degrees C (392 degrees F) for 15 minutes like a did in this recipe 🙂
Great recipe! Funny thing happened. I prepped all the ingredients until I got to the egg. I discovered I ran outnof eggs!
So I used 2/3 cup of Greek Yogurt (plain) with tbsp of lemon juice. Worked well and the it came out juicy and tender! Thx for sharing 🙂
I am so glad you liked this recipe, thank you for your feedback. I am curious to try it with Greek yogurt next time 🙂
I made this tonight,and it was a huge hit with my guys! Served with a salad and my 12 year old gobbled it up!Thanks Elena!!!! No leftovers!
I am so glad to hear that, Lisa! 🙂
Can you make these with Chicken boneless thighs instead?
Sure, you can! 🙂
Do you have to use panko Japanese style bread crumbs or will any bread crumbs work?
You can use regular bread crumbs in place of panko, it should still work just fine. However, there can be a slight variation in texture.
I want to follow the recipe but for 3 lbs instead of 1. I have adjusted all the other ingrediens. How would you adjust the cooking time? Thank you!!
Hi Rachel! The cooking time will remain the same! 🙂
When you freeze them do you then bake them straight from the freezer? How long do you bake them from a frozen state?
Yes, I bake them straight from the freezer. Place the frozen chicken breasts on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through.
My daughter and I made these and they looked just liked the picture! They tasted incredible, crunchy and healthy. We used a few dipping sauces and everyone could choose! It was super easy and absolutely delicious and healthy, thank you!
Also, my daughter had the idea to mix the breadcrumbs we got, whole wheat Italian organic and gluten free Glutino 1/2 cup each and it was delish!
I am so glad to hear that! 🙂
Perfect every time I make these!
COOKED CUTLETS AS DIRECTED AND THEY CAME OUT DELICIOUS. COOKED THEM FOR 25 MINUTES AND USED A TEX-MEX SAUCE I HAD. COULD THREW A LOT OF FLOUR AWAY, THINK I COULD GET AWAY WITH 1/2 CUP INSTEAD.
Thank you for the feedback, Allan!
This recipe was delicious! I added a bit of onion powder to the panko for a bit more flavor. We loved it, will definitely go to the favorites section of my recipe book!
I am so glad to hear that, Victoria! Thank you for the feedback! 🙂
Hello. Can I substitute whole wheat flour? If so, should I use the same amount? Thanks.
Hi Jenna! You can use the same amount of whole wheat flour. 🙂
Made these for my family tonight and they looked awesome, smelled awesome, and tasted awesome. Thank you.
Hi Joey, so happy to hear you love this awesome recipe! 😀
This recipe is amazing!! Crispy and delicious on the outside, yet tender and juicy on the inside.
Absolutely a recipe to save and make over and over again 🙂
I am so glad you liked this recipe, Jessie! Thank you for the feedback! 🙂
So much better than the fried ones. This recipe is just fantastic. I’m now buying loins, using this recipe and keeping them around as high protein low fat snacks for the boys. One extra step that I do is to brine the chicken breasts/loins at least for 15 mins before starting this recipe. Makes them so tender and juicy! My brine is pretty simple; 4 tbsp of kosher salt, 4 cups water, 1 tbsp onion powder, 1 tbsp of garlic powder.
Thanks for the tip, Diana! 🙂
Thank you for this recipe! Simple. Delicious. Healthy. I liked it.
Glad you liked it, Richard! 🙂
Outstanding, juicy chicken. The chicken breasts I bought were quite thick, so my baking time was about 20 minutes per side. My picky-eater child thought it was fantastic. We will definitely make this again.
So glad you loved it! Thank you for the feedback,Kathryn! 🙂
Chicken was tender on the inside and crispy outside. I didn’t have the Panko so toasted some sour dough bread I had in the house. I left the sour dough bread slices in the toaster for about 5 minutes after toasting to further dry the bread out. I then tore into small pieces andchopped it up in the Cuisinart with the blade. This worked fine. Great simple but delicious recipe
That’s a great idea, Doug!
This was the absolute best chicken we have ever had! It was crispy without frying. The chicken breasts were so juicy! I made 4 pounds of chicken breasts, so I adjusted the ingredients. These are the changes I made: I did take another person’s advice and I added Parmesan cheese to the Panko breadcrumbs. The only seasonings I used in the flour were salt, pepper, garlic. and paprika. I used melted butter instead of olive oil and sprinkled with parsley before baking. When I flipped the chicken breasts for cooking, I added more butter on top. Thank you for this great recipe!
Thank you for the feedback, Mary! 🙂
I have 2 relatives who must eat gluten free. The GF Panko is extremely bland, so I use Breton Gluten Free Herb and Garlic crackers. They crumble very easily, have salt, taste and go nicely with this recipe.
Thank you for the tip, Drina! 🙂
Fantastic recipe. Reminded me of a lemon-pepper chicken we used to get at a favourite Italian restaurant which has now since closed. It’s amazing as written and I made a few modifications to suit our taste. I toast the Panko In the oven before I bread the chicken. I also added about 1/2 a cup of fresh shredded parmiggiano reggianno to the Panko before breading. Both the original and my twist make fantastic chicken strips too! Very family friendly. We served with mashed potatoes and fresh steamed green/yellow beans. Thrilled to have found this recipe! Thank-you for sharing.
Super easy to make and versatile, which is great during a pandemic when you don’t always have tons of fancy ingredients. I can already see different ways to play with this recipe. Very yummy too, sure to be a staple! Thanks!
So glad you liked it, Rachel! Thank you for the feedback!
Have made this twice! My family LOVES it. I cut my chicken breasts into filet size first. Sometimes add some HV powdered ranch dressing to panko bread crumbs and some white wine to casserole before baking. Thank you for this great recipe. It keeps my daughter from drive through chicken nuggets. we serve with rice and a salad!
Thank you for the feedback, Marguerite! Happy to hear your family loved this recipe 🙂