Panko Crusted Chicken is a healthy, and delicious way to prepare chicken. It's made with simple ingredients and comes together so quickly. Serve it with your favorite sides to complete a delicious family meal.
Sometimes it can feel difficult to make a healthy meal that our family will love. This recipe is perfect because it's made with quality ingredients and it's picky eater-friendly!
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❤️Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Quick and easy: Have this meal ready in 25 minutes or less!
- Healthy: This recipe is made with simple ingredients: lean chicken, heart-healthy olive oil, flour, panko bread crumbs, egg, and spices.
- Flavorful: Some recipes I've tried in the past for panko chicken never had enough flavor. You have to add quite a bit of spice to the flour mixture to really be able to taste it. AND season every layer. That's how you get the most flavor to come through!
- Family-friendly: Most kids and families love chicken. Chicken with a savory and flavorful crispy crust is (undoubtedly) a dinner success.
- Versatile: This is a recipe that you don't have to get tired of. There are endless serving options with panko crusted chicken. From the main entree to salad toppings, and pasta additions, there are so many ways you can serve it.
📝Ingredient Notes
- Panko bread crumbs: Panko is made from crustless white bread that is processed into large flakes and then dried. When fried, it creates a crispier result than you would get with regular bread crumbs.
- Flour: All-purpose flour helps make a thicker crust.
🍞Substitutions/ Variations
- Panko bread crumbs: Regular bread crumbs can be used in place of panko, but it does yield a different texture. Just be sure they don't contain milk ingredients. Dairy-free brands include Katz Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Seasoned Seasoned Breadcrumbs, Aleias Italian Breadcrumbs (also gluten-free), and 365 By Whole Foods Italian Style Breadcrumbs. You can also use gluten-free panko if you need a gluten-free option. 4C Foods and Kikkoman make gluten-free versions.
- Flour: Flour can technically be omitted from the recipe, but I like to use it to build a thicker and crustier crust. If you need a gluten-free option, use gluten-free all-purpose flour. I like Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour.
- Egg: Panko crusted chicken can be made without eggs. You can use mayonnaise (regular or egg-free) or sour cream (dairy-free) as a binder.
- Italian seasoning: Instead of Italian seasoning you can use dried parsley.
- Oil: I like to use heart-healthy olive oil, but you can use any neutral oil like vegetable oil.
🥣Equipment
- Paper towels
- Skillet
- Meat mallet/plastic wrap
- Tongs
- Cooling rack
- Baking sheet
🔪How to Make Panko Crusted Chicken
- Thinly slice the chicken breasts and then thin them with a meat mallet until they are about ½-inch thick. Or you can buy thinly sliced chicken breasts and thin them with a mallet if needed. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Add oil to a skillet and let it heat up over medium heat. Mix the all-purpose flour and spices. Then, in a separate bowl, beat the egg until uniform in color. In a third bowl, mix the panko bread crumbs and Italian seasoning.
3. Cover both sides of the chicken breasts with flour.
4. Then dip into the egg mixture (letting any excess egg drip off).
5. Finally, cover with panko bread crumbs. Press the bread crumbs into the chicken to ensure they adhere well.
6. Once the oil is hot, carefully lay a couple of breasts into the pan (if it's not sizzling as soon as the chicken touches the oil, it's not hot enough. Test it with just the tip of the chicken). Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. If the panko starts to burn quickly, turn the heat down.
7. Once both sides are golden and crispy, let the chicken rest on a cooling rack for about 5 minutes. Serve with your favorite sides!
🧊Storing
Store leftovers in the refrigerator (in an airtight container) for 3 to 4 days.
✅Pro Tips
- Use thin chicken breasts: This is not optional! I purchase thin chicken breasts to save me the work of cutting and using a meat mallet to thin them out. But if you are working with regular-cut chicken breasts, you will need to cut the chicken into thin cuts and use a meat mallet to thin them out. This helps tenderize the meat and reduce the cooking time. The chicken should be even in thickness (½-inch thick throughout).
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels BEFORE seasoning: This step is crucial because it helps the crust stick to the chicken after it's been cooked. Otherwise, it may peel off after cutting/handling.
- Make sure the pan isn't too hot: Panko bread crumbs burn easily. If your skillet is too hot, they'll burn before the chicken is cooked through. Set the heat to medium. If you feel like it's getting too hot, turn down the heat to medium-low.
- Let the cooked chicken rest on a cooling rack: This ensures that moisture doesn't accumulate under the chicken as it rests, keeping the crust nice and crisp.
- Use a meat thermometer: Depending on the thickness of your chicken and the temperature of your skillet, it can take more or less time to completely cook your chicken. Using a meat thermometer helps ensure your meat is fully cooked and safe to eat. Chicken is fully cooked at 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
🥽Food Safety
- Always wash your hands after handling raw meat.
- Do not consume undercooked chicken. It should reach a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Surfaces and utensils that have touched raw meat should be thoroughly washed and sanitized immediately after use.
- Do not place fresh produce or ready-to-eat items on any surfaces or items that have touched raw meat.
- For more on food safety when handling raw chicken, visit the cdc.gov.
⁉️Frequently Asked Question
Yes. Regular bread crumbs will yield a different texture, but they can replace panko bread crumbs. Just be sure to use one that doesn't contain milk ingredients. Dairy-free brands include Katz Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Seasoned Seasoned Breadcrumbs, Aleias Italian Breadcrumbs, and 365 By Whole Foods Italian Style Breadcrumbs.
Yes! This recipe is made with lean chicken, heart-healthy olive oil, flour, panko bread crumbs, egg, and spices. When eaten in moderation, it's a good source of protein, polyunsaturated fats, and monounsaturated fats.
No. Panko bread crumbs and flour are not gluten-free. However, you can buy gluten-free versions of both. 4C Foods and Kikkoman are brands that make gluten-free panko bread crumbs that you can search for at your local grocery store. Any gluten-free all-purpose flour will work for this recipe, but I love to use Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour.
Yes. You can bake panko crusted chicken in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for around 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Be sure you are working with thin cuts of chicken (about ½-inch thick), otherwise you may need to cook it longer. For this method, instead of using an egg wash, try brushing some mayonnaise on the chicken to act as a binder. This method yields delicious and juicy chicken. To prevent the crust from drying out in the oven, let it sit on the counter for 5 to 10 minutes before baking, or spray it with oil beforehand.
After pan-frying the chicken, transfer it to rest on a cooling rack. This way the moisture doesn't get trapped under the chicken.
🥦Serving Ideas
🍗More Chicken Recipes
⭐️Before you go! If you enjoyed this recipe for Panko Crusted Chicken, leave a review and share it with me! I love to hear from you.
📖 Recipe
Panko Crusted Chicken
Equipment
- Paper towels
- Meat mallet/ plastic wrap
- Skillet
- Tongs
- Cooling rack & baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 pound thinly sliced chicken breasts about ½-inch thick, roughly 4 pieces
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more for coating the raw chicken
- ¼ teaspoon pepper plus more for coating the raw chicken
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- ⅓ cup olive oil for shallow-frying
Instructions
- Thinly slice the chicken breasts and then thin them with a meat mallet until they are about ½-inch thick. Or you can buy thinly sliced chicken breasts and thin them with a mallet if needed. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
- Add oil to a skillet and let it heat up over medium heat.
- Mix the all-purpose flour and spices. Then, in a separate bowl, beat the egg until uniform in color. In a third bowl, mix the panko bread crumbs and Italian seasoning.
- Cover both sides of the chicken breasts with flour, then dip into the egg mixture (letting any excess egg drip off) then cover with panko bread crumbs. Press the bread crumbs into the chicken to ensure they adhere well.
- Once the oil is hot, carefully lay a couple of breasts into the pan at a time (if it's not sizzling as soon as the chicken touches the oil, it's not hot enough. Test it with just the tip of the chicken). Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. If the panko starts to burn quickly, turn the heat down.
- Once both sides are golden and crispy, let the chicken rest on a cooling rack for about 5 minutes. Serve with your favorite sides!
Notes
- Be sure to pat the chicken dry with paper towels BEFORE seasoning. This helps the crust stick to the chicken after its been cooked. Otherwise, the crust can peel off when cutting/handling the chicken.
- Make sure the pan isn't too hot! Panko bread crumbs burn easily. If your skillet is too hot, they'll burn before the chicken is cooked through. Set the heat on medium. If you feel like it's getting too hot, turn down the heat to medium low.
- Chicken is fully cooked and ready to eat at 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Never eat undercooked chicken.
- I use olive oil, which does have some flavor, but you can use vegetable oil for shallow-frying the chicken.
- Store leftover chicken in the refrigerator (in an airtight container) for 3 to 4 days.
Nutrition
Additional note: The nutrition label is only an estimate. Amounts may vary.
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