This Baked Parmesan-Crusted Chicken tastes like it's been deep fried, but it hasn't! Even better, it's ready in under 30 minutes and is easy to whip up at the last minute.
one pound boneless skinless chicken breastssliced in 4 thin pieces (see tip below)
about 3 tablespoons olive oil
1scant cup panko bread crumbs
½cupfinely grated Parmesan cheese
½teaspoondried oregano
½teaspoonsaltor to taste
½teaspoonfreshly ground black pepperor to taste
2 to 3tablespoonsfresh Italian flat-leaf parsleyfinely chopped for garnishing
lemon wedgesoptional for serving
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, set aside.
To a large ziptop plastic bag, add the chicken. Tip – I recommend buying one 1-pound breast from your butcher. Slice it in half horizontally so you have two thin halves, then slice each half vertically, so you now have 4 pieces. If you can’t get chicken from the butcher, do your best so you end up with one pound of thinly sliced breasts.
Add the olive oil, seal bag, and smoosh chicken around so it’s evenly coated with oil.
Unseal bag, add the panko, parmesan, oregano, salt, pepper, seal, and smoosh chicken around so it’s evenly coated.
Transfer chicken to baking sheet. There will likely be a fair amount of panko mixture in the bag. Using your hands or a spoon, add a couple tablespoons of the mixture to each breast so it’s quite thickly coated on the top side.
Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temp of 165F and is lightly golden browned. You don’t have to flip it. I baked for 25 minutes for a richer golden color. Bake until done; all ovens, climates, and thickness of chicken varies and impact baking time.
Garnish with parsley and optionally serve with lemon. Serve immediately. Chicken is best warm and fresh.