Crispy Baked Panko Chicken

Name: Crispy Baked Panko Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 chicken breasts (about 12 ounces each), sliced into chicken cutlets ((can buy thin-sliced chicken breast aka chicken cutlets)); 1 tablespoon mayonnaise ((can substitute sour cream or Greek yogurt)); ½ cup panko breadcrumbs; 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese; 3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning; ¼ teaspoon garlic powder; ¼ teaspoon kosher salt; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; 1 tablespoon olive oil

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Perfect for busy nights, this delicious Crispy Baked Panko Chicken will make dinnertime a breeze! Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, it's a dish that the whole family will love. Make it in under 30 minutes!

Crispy Baked Panko Chicken on a black plate.

If there's one type of recipe that people request the most, it has to be quick and easy meals, especially a good chicken dinner! As a mom of two, I rely on a handful of 30 minute meals on busy weeknights. Some of my staples are my Marry Me Chicken, Quick & Easy Canned Tuna Pasta, and Sheet Pan Sweet Chili Salmon and Veggies.

Getting a delicious and healthful dinner on the table can be quite a challenge some days. That's why I love recipes like this easy Crispy Baked Panko Chicken. I mean who doesn't love tender, juicy chicken cooked to crispy perfection, right?

I coat thin-sliced chicken breasts with a mixture of panko breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese. Then I bake them in the oven until golden brown- yum! Both kids and adults will love this crispy panko chicken. It's made with a handful of basic ingredients and it's a whole lot healthier than buying chicken nuggets!

Plus, I've taken a shortcut to make your life easier so that you can get dinner on the table fast. No messy breading station dipping the chicken in flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs. My method is a lot quicker and easier.

This baked panko chicken is one of my favorite easy weeknight dinner recipes. It's also great for meal prep and can be repurposed throughout the week in salads, pastas, and grain bowls. I love to top it with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese, and turn it into chicken parmesan!

So the next time you're in a dinner rut and need a quick and easy recipe, try this baked panko crusted chicken. It may just become one of your new favorite recipes!

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Dish
What is Panko?
Crispy Panko Chicken- The Shortcut!
Ingredients
How To Make Crispy Baked Panko Chicken Step-By-Step
Chef's Tips
How To Make Panko Chicken In The Air Fryer
How To Serve This Dish
Recipe FAQs
More Easy Weeknight Dinners
Recipe
Reviews

Why You'll Love This Dish

Quick- make it in under 30 minutes!
Easy- my shortcut method of breading chicken avoids a labor-intensive breading station.
Tasty- who can resist tender, juicy chicken cooked to crispy perfection?
Healthy- baking at high heat gives a golden brown color and crispy texture and is healthier than frying in oil.
Great for meal prep- take it for lunch the next day or repurpose the leftovers into other dishes like chicken parmesan.

What is Panko?

Panko are Japanese-style breadcrumbs that are traditionally used to coat deep-fried foods. They're made from crustless white bread that is processed into flakes rather than crumbs, and then dried.

Panko have a lighter, more delicate consistency than traditional breadcrumbs. Thus, panko produces a crispier texture when cooked.

Having a dryer, flakier texture also means that panko breadcrumbs absorb less oil than regular breadcrumbs. This makes them especially perfect for fried dishes.

On its own, panko doesn't have a lot of flavor. So I typically add seasonings to it such as herbs, spices, garlic, grated cheese and lemon zest.

You can use panko breadcrumbs to coat food like chicken breast, pork chops, or shrimp. You can also use it as a binder for meatballs or meatloaf. It also makes a nice crunchy topping for casseroles and pasta dishes like mac and cheese.

Crispy Panko Chicken- The Shortcut!

As I learned in culinary school, breaded chicken breasts are traditionally made with a 3-part breading station. First, you dip the chicken in a coating of all purpose flour, then beaten egg, and finally breadcrumbs. This process helps the breadcrumbs adhere to the chicken.

However, I decided to skip the breading station for this panko crusted chicken dish. That's because I wanted to make a quick and easy version that's perfect for busy nights. A breading station is messy and it takes some time to set up. If you want to see how a typical breading station is set up, watch the video for my Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp.

The trick to making this quick and easy panko chicken is to coat the top of the chicken with a thin layer of mayonnaise. Then you just press the mayonnaise-coated side of the chicken into the breadcrumb mixture. The mayonnaise helps the breadcrumbs stick to the chicken.

After all, mayonnaise is just an emulsion of oil and eggs, which are used in a breading station. The mayo also adds nice flavor. If you want even more flavor, you can mix it with a little Dijon mustard or hot sauce.

To make the panko breadcrumb topping even better, I stir in some dried spices and grated parmesan cheese. The combination of panko breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese takes this crispy topping to the next level!

I prefer to just coat the top of the chicken cutlets with the panko mixture. I find that's it's the perfect amount of breadcrumbs for thin-sliced chicken breast, and it's easier. Also, as the chicken bakes, a lot of moisture is released onto the pan. As a result, the breadcrumbs on the bottom of the chicken tend to get soggy.

Once the chicken is breaded, just pop it in the oven and in 10 minutes, dinner is ready! It's so much easier and healthier than frying chicken in hot oil on the stove.

Ingredients

Recipe Notes and substitutions (see recipe card below for full ingredient list):

Thin-sliced chicken breast- I like to buy regular chicken breasts and slice them in half to make thin-sliced chicken breasts. You can also buy them pre-sliced from the grocery store as chicken cutlets or thin-sliced chicken breast.
Mayonnaise- adds flavor and keeps the chicken moist; you can substitute sour cream or Greek yogurt but they will give a different flavor.
Panko breadcrumbs- the star of the dish; don't substitute a different type of breadcrumb.
Parmesan cheese- use freshly grated parmesan if you can; if not, you can use the prepared stuff.
Seasonings- I use a combination of garlic powder, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, and black pepper but feel free to use your own favorite seasonings like onion powder, lemon pepper or paprika

How To Make Crispy Baked Panko Chicken Step-By-Step

Steps for making Crispy Baked Panko Chicken.

See recipe card below for full instructions.

Step 1- Mix the panko breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and olive oil together in a shallow bowl.
Step 2- If using regular chicken breast, lay the chicken flat on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut each one half, butterflying it open to make cutlets.
Step 3- Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on top of each piece of chicken. Then, press the mayonnaise-coated side of the chicken into the breadcrumb mixture so that the breadcrumbs stick to the chicken. Place the breaded chicken on a prepared baking sheet and spoon any leftover breadcrumbs on top.
Step 4- Bake in a preheated oven on the top shelf at 425°F for 8-10 minutes until the crumb coating is golden brown and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F. The best way to check this is with an instant-read thermometer.

Crispy Baked Panko Chicken on baking sheet.

Chef's Tips

I like to buy chicken breasts and butterfly them into cutlets; however, you can buy thin-sliced chicken breast (aka chicken cutlets) from the grocery store to save time.
To add a pop of flavor, you can stir some Dijon mustard or hot sauce into the mayonnaise before spreading it on the chicken.
I find that coating one side of the chicken breasts with breadcrumbs adds the perfect amount of crispy texture but if you want more crunch, you can coat the bottom of the chicken with breadcrumbs as well. If coating both sides, I would recommend placing a wire rack on the sheet pan so that the air can circulate around the chicken and the bottom doesn't get soggy.

How To Make Panko Chicken In The Air Fryer

If you're an air fryer fan like I am, then I have good news for you. You can make this crispy baked panko chicken recipe in the air fryer and it will be delicious!

Simply cook the panko chicken in your preheated air fryer at 400°F for 8-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

Learn how to adapt any recipe to cook in your air fryer! Read my Easy Oven to Air Fryer Conversion Guide and get my helpful conversion chart!

How To Serve This Dish

This baked panko chicken is one of those great staple recipes that you'll use on a regular basis. It's so versatile and you can use it in so many different ways.

You can serve this chicken as a main dish along with a vegetable like my roasted asparagus and grape tomatoes, air fryer zucchini or quinoa with roasted vegetables. You can also serve it with a starch like mashed potatoes, twice-baked sweet potatoes, rice, risotto or pasta.

I also love to top this panko chicken with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese and make it into chicken parmesan.

Make a double batch of this dish and use it for meal prep. The leftover chicken is perfect for meals throughout the week. Pack it up for lunch on top of a salad, toss it with pasta or turn it into a chicken sandwich on some toasted bread with lettuce and tomato.

Recipe FAQs

How do you store panko chicken?

Leftover panko chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

How healthy is panko?

Panko is typically made from crustless white bread so it doesn't have a lot of nutrients. It's also typically used in fried foods. However, panko can be part of a healthy diet if you pair it with nutrient-dense foods and use healthy cooking oils and cooking techniques that use minimal oil like baking and air frying.

How do you get panko to stick to chicken?

The traditional way to get panko to stick to chicken is to set up a 3-part breading station with flour, eggs, and panko . First, you dip the chicken in the flour, then the egg, and finally the breadcrumbs. However, in this quick and easy panko chicken recipe, I take a shortcut and spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on the chicken. Then I dip the chicken into the panko. The mayonnaise helps the breadcrumbs stick to the chicken.

How long do you bake chicken breast at 425°F?

I bake this thin-sliced chicken breast in the oven at 425°F for 8-10 minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F as checked by a meat thermometer.