Prepare Crispy Oven Baked Panko Chicken for salads, sandwiches and wraps. Make extra crispy panko crusted chicken without frying it!
Quick
Beginner-friendly
You’ll Learn: How to get extra crispy panko
Worth It: It builds a freezer stash for stress-free meals later
Bonus: Makes a great base for different dishes
Why You’ll Love this recipe
- So versatile! – There are so many ways to enjoy this crispy chicken! This crispy baked panko chicken is a blank canvas on which you can make incredible recipes. Use it for chicken parm, salads, sandwiches, wraps and paninis.
- Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside – This is the best way to make crispy baked chicken on a busy night because you don’t need to use any messy frying oil to get a crispy crust on the outside of the chicken.
- Easy weeknight dinner – this easy recipe can be prepped ahead of time and then cooked just as you are ready to eat. It makes dinner time a breeze.
- Great for meal prep – This panko chicken recipe can be the blank canvas that you use to build your meal. It is great for meal prep and I especially love having leftovers to use in salads and wraps.
Kitchen Tools
- Cutting board and sharp knife
- Measuring spoons and measuring cups
- Shallow bowls
- Meat mallet or meat tenderizer
- Frying pan and spatula
- Sheet pan or baking sheet
Serving Suggestions
The best part about this crispy panko breaded chicken is that it is a blank canvas for so many other delicious recipes. We used it for baked chicken parmesan and on delicious panini sandwiches.
The simplest way to serve this delicious chicken is to toss some arugula in olive oil and lemon juice. Place the arugula on top of the chicken cutlet with some shaved parmesan cheese. Serve the whole thing with lemon wedges for a simple and refreshing meal.
I like to slice it on top of salads like on this Peach Burrata Salad. Or serve it alongside some of my favorite side dishes like this Grilled Watermelon Salad.
One of the best ways to eat this is sliced with your favorite dipping sauce. Here are some of my favorites:
Ingredients
- Boneless skinless chicken breast – cut chicken breasts in half and pour lightly for even thickness.
- Panko bread crumbs – panko crumbs are essential for a crispy crust. Using regular breadcrumbs will result in a thinner crust that isn’t as crispy.
- Olive oil – use extra virgin olive oil to toast the bread crumbs before breading the chicken.
- Parmesan cheese – freshly grated parmesan cheese gets mixed with the panko breadcrumbs to add extra flavor.
- Egg – make an egg wash out of a whisked egg and some olive oil.
- All purpose flour – seasoned flour is the first step in the breading process.
- Salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika – add this spice blend to the flour. Then, dip the chicken in the flour mixture to begin the breading process.
What is panko made of?
Panko are breadcrumbs made from steamed, crustless loaves of bread. The bread is processed into flakes and dried out so that it can be packaged.
You can buy panko breadcrumbs plain or seasoned. Italian seasoned panko breadcrumbs are good for recipes like meatballs!
If you love panko crusted chicken, then you should also try this shake and bake pork chop recipe.
Ingredient Substitutions
You can easily make this baked panko chicken gluten free by using a 1:1 gluten free flour mix in place of the all purpose flour. You can also use a gluten free panko mixture that is available at many stores.
If you are allergic to eggs you can use whole milk whisked with oil in place of the oil and egg mixture. To make an extra tender juicy chicken, add a splash of pickle juice to the milk. Lastly, if you prefer you can use a boneless skinless chicken thighs in place of chicken breasts although cook times will vary.
Be sure to use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken.
Save time by buying pre sliced chicken cutlets at the store. These are chicken breasts that are already thinly sliced and ready to be breaded. They may cook faster which will also save time when making this easy weeknight dinner.
Add more flavor to the chicken breading by mixing some mayonnaise or dijon mustard in with the eggs for the wet mixture. You could also add onion powder, garlic powder or even cayenne pepper to the dry mixture.
How to Make Panko Crusted Chicken in the Oven
Step 1: Toast panko breadcrumbs
To begin, preheat oven to 425F. Heat 1/2 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
Then, pour panko in the pan and toss to coat in the oil. Toss and stir frequently for 4-5 minutes, careful not to burn the panko.
You want the panko to be golden brown and toasted. Then, immediately remove panko from pan and allow to cool in a shallow bowl.
Step 2: Prep and bread chicken
While the panko cools, slice the chicken breasts in half through the middle so you have 2 thinner filets. Pound chicken until it lays flat, but you don’t want it too thin. I like to cover the chicken with plastic wrap while pounding to prevent chicken juice from spraying around my kitchen.
Next, mix panko with parmesan cheese, garlic powder and smoked paprika. Crack egg into a separate shallow bowl and whisk with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Pour all purpose flour into a third shallow bowl and mix with salt and pepper.
Then, bread chicken by dipping into the flour first, then the egg and finally the panko breading mixture. Press chicken into panko firmly to coat
Step 3: Bake panko chicken in the oven
Finally, place panko chicken onto a lightly greased sheet pan in a single layer. Bake at 425F for 15 minutes, flip chicken and bake for another 7-8 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165F.
Transfer baked chicken to a wire rack so it remains crispy. Serve immediately!
Tips and tricks
To ensure that you make the crispiest chicken, you must toast your panko breadcrumbs prior to breading the chicken. Not only will this make your chicken crispier, but it will help the panko bread crumb mixture stick to the chicken.
Do not use parchment paper or tinfoil to line the baking sheet. Baking the chicken directly on the pan results in super crispy chicken that the whole family will love.
If you are not eating them right away, allow them to cool on a wire rack instead of on the sheet pan. When they cool on the sheet pan the bottom can become soggy.
Storage, reheating and freezing
Allow chicken to cool completely and then store leftover panko chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.You can enjoy the chicken cold from the fridge or reheat in the oven or air fryer until warmed through.
I prefer to use the air fryer at 350F for 5ish minutes to keep the chicken crispy.
You can freeze these panko chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Freeze as soon as it is cooked and cooled to ensure best quality.Defrost it in the fridge and then warm in the oven or air fryer.
Check out These Other delicious chicken recipes
If you’re looking for a delicious oven baked recipe thats also vegetarian, try this marinated baked tofu.
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
Photos were taken by Elly from The Powdered Apron.
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
Email Recipe for Later
Recipe
Crispy Oven Baked Panko Chicken
Ingredients
- 1.5 – 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts 2-3 breasts
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tbsp + 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F. Heat 1/2 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Pour panko in the pan and toss to coat in the oil. Toss and stir frequently for 4-5 minutes, careful not to burn the panko. You want the panko to be golden brown and toasted.
- Immediately remove panko from pan and allow to cool in a shallow bowl. While the panko cools, slice the chicken breasts in half through the middle so you have 2 thinner filets.
- Pound chicken until it lays flat, but you don’t want it too thin.
- Mix panko with parmesan cheese, garlic powder and smoked paprika. Crack egg into a separate shallow bowl and whisk with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Pour all purpose flour into a third shallow bowl and mix with salt and pepper.
- Bread chicken by dipping into the flour first, then the egg and finally the panko breading mixture. Press chicken into panko firmly to coat
- Place panko chicken onto a lightly greased sheet pan. Bake at 425F for 15 minutes, flip chicken and bake for another 7-8 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165F. Transfer baked chicken to a wire rack so it remains crispy. Serve immediately!
Recipe Notes
- you must toast the panko breadcrumbs before using them otherwise the chicken will not be as crispy
- freshly grated parmesan cheese will melt better while the chicken bakes
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Leave a Reply