Crispy Baked Chicken Breast
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This crispy baked chicken breast comes out golden, crunchy, and juicy without any frying. It’s ready in under 30 minutes and works well for easy dinners or meal prep.
This crispy baked chicken breast is part of my regular weeknight rotation, together with quick favorites like baked chicken with potatoes, sheet pan chicken fajitas, and garlic shrimp with quinoa.
It comes together quickly and always turns out tender inside with a crisp, golden crust. No frying needed. Panko gives it that signature crunch, and the seasoning is easy to adjust to your taste.
Recipe Highlights
- Quick and simple: Ready in under 30 minutes, perfect for busy weeknights.
- Family-friendly: Pairs well with any sides for a meal everyone enjoys.
- Great for leftovers: Try it in salads, wraps, or lunch bowls.
- Lighter than fried: Crispy and golden without the extra oil.
Key Ingredients & Easy Swaps
- Chicken breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise, cook more evenly and crisp up better in the oven. You can also use chicken tenders or boneless thighs. Just adjust the cooking time as needed.
- Flour: A light dusting of all-purpose flour helps the coating stick.
- Egg: It’s the binder between the flour and breadcrumbs. If you’re out of eggs, mayonnaise or plain yogurt works well as a substitute.
- Panko breadcrumbs: Panko gives the best crunch. You’ll find it in the breadcrumb aisle, Asian section, or online.
- Seasoning: I used paprika, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. You can also add chili flakes, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, or Italian seasoning depending on your taste or what you have on hand.
- Cooking spray: A light coating of neutral oil or olive oil spray helps the crust turn golden in the oven.
See the recipe card below for a detailed ingredient list and step-by-step instructions.
How to Make Crispy Baked Chicken Breast
Serving Ideas
- Pair with mashed cauliflower, pasta salad, or roasted vegetables.
- Make a crispy chicken sandwich with your favorite toppings.
- Slice it into strips for dipping or toss into salads for extra protein.
- Top with marinara sauce and mozzarella, then bake for a quick chicken parmesan.
Elena’s Tips
- Pat the chicken dry: This helps the breading stick and crisp up.
- Even thickness: Use similar-sized pieces or pound to even thickness for consistent cooking.
- Use tongs: They help keep your hands clean while breading the chicken.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan: Leave space between pieces, or the coating might get soggy.
- Check the temperature: Chicken is done at 165°F (75°C). No thermometer? Cut into the thickest part to check.
- Watch the time: Overcooking can dry out the chicken, so keep an eye on it near the end of the baking time.
How to Store & Freeze
Leftovers: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheating: Warm in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 10 minutes, or use an air fryer at 400°F (205°C) for 3 to 5 minutes.
Freezing: Freeze the breaded, unbaked chicken on a tray until firm (about 2 hours), then transfer to a freezer bag. Store for up to 3 months. If baking straight from frozen, simply add 5 to 10 minutes to the cooking time.
More Easy Dinner Ideas
If you’ve made these crispy baked chicken breasts, leave a comment and rating below. I’d love to know how they turned out for you.
How To Make It: Crispy Baked Chicken Breast
This crispy baked chicken breast is golden, juicy, and full of crunch, with no frying needed. It's a lighter take on fried chicken, ready in under 30 minutes and perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (500 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast
- ¾ cup (90 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 cup (80 g) panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- zest of 1 lemon grated
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- oil spray
Garnish (optional)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves finely chopped
- lemon slices or lemon wedges
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Prep the chicken
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Slice each breast in half lengthwise to make thinner, even pieces.
Set up the breading station
- Use 3 shallow bowls: one with flour, paprika, lemon zest, salt, and pepper; one with beaten eggs; and another with panko breadcrumbs.
Bread the chicken
- Dip each piece first in the flour, then the egg, and finally press it into the panko to coat. Shake off any excess at each step.
Bake
- Place the chicken on the prepared baking sheet and spray both sides lightly with cooking oil.Bake for 10 minutes, then flip and cook for another 12 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Thicker pieces may take a bit longer. Check for doneness using an instant-read thermometer (165°F or 75°C).
Serve
- Garnish with lemon slices and chopped parsley if you like.
Notes
- Chicken: You can also use chicken tenders or boneless thighs. Adjust cooking time as needed.
- Panko breadcrumbs: Find them in the breadcrumb aisle, Asian section, or online.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Warm in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 10 minutes, or use an air fryer at 400°F (205°C) for 3 to 5 minutes to bring back the crunch.
Nutrition
Serving: 160 g, Calories: 250 kcal, Carbohydrates: 22.9 g, Protein: 30.3 g, Fat: 4.2 g, Saturated Fat: 0.8 g, Cholesterol: 109.7 mg, Sodium: 504.2 mg, Fiber: 0.7 g, Sugar: 0.1 g
Did you make this recipe?Leave a comment or share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #aseasyasapplepie. We’d love to see what you come up with!
Super tasty, super easy! Whipped this up with some leftover chicken breast. First time I’ve made anything breaded and this was the right recipe to pick! Highly recommend squeezing fresh lemon over this. I added garlic powder to the flour mix.
great recipe, thank you! My family loved it.
This recipe is definitely a keeper! Thanks for posting this recipe. It is very good.
Thank you for the feedback, Ellen!
Absolutely loved this. Could not be easier! Very little clean up! Very tasty!
I salted and peppered my chicken before I put them in flour to make sure the seasoning sticks.
Served mine with Waldorf Salad. I think I would also eat this on top of a salad with a vinegar/oil dressing.
I used different spices (roasted garlic and pepper) but the breading recipe was absolutely perfect. Not that I’ve been trying breaded dishes for a long time but this was the best one I have ever made. Nice and crispy on the outside and very juicy on the inside. Definitely a keeper. Thank you (and Happy New Year)!
Thank you for the feedback, Hyke! Happy New Year! :)
Sooo good! I cut my chicken breasts into about 3 or 4 inch “strips.” I used zest from two lemons and a bit of salt and pepper directly on the breasts before coating. I have a gas oven and 425 for 12 minutes on each side (pieces were thick… a good two inches). Done perfectly. Very juicy yet thoroughly cooked. I served them with sauteed carrots and cranberry sauce. For the carrots: par boiled baby cut carrots in sugar sweetened water for 8 minutes; drained and sauteed on high heat for about 3 minutes with lemon infused olive oil, a pinch of ginger, salt, pepper and a sprinkle of dry thyme. Goes very well with this chicken.
I can’t wait to try your sauteed carrots. Thank you for the recipe, Mary!
This is a keeper…so very good.
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 :)
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!
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.
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! :)
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! :)