Crispy Baked Thin Chicken Breasts
Thin-Sliced Chicken Breasts with panko are crispy on the outside, flavorful and juicy on the inside, and oven-baked to perfection in about 20 minutes. Fast and easy recipe for busy weeknight dinners.
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When you need to get a fast, delicious dinner on the table everyone will actually eat, this panko crusted thin chicken breast recipe will be your new go-to.
The chicken is soft and tender, the panko breading is super crunchy and perfectly seasoned, and -- best part -- it bakes in about 20 minutes!
These thin sliced chicken breasts, aka chicken cutlets, are just thicker chicken breasts that have been cut in half horizontally and pounded to a consistent thickness so they cook more quickly and evenly -- not raw on one side and dry on the other.
They're also cooked at a high temperature for a short time to lock in all the juices and create a crispy and crunchy breading.
Serve oven baked breaded chicken with a fresh salad, mashed potatoes, and roasted vegetables for an easy, complete meal.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Great recipe for super juicy chicken breasts with crunchy Parmesan panko breading
- Baked thin sliced chicken breasts cook lightning fast for a quick easy dinner
- Oven baked panko chicken is a lighter alternative to fried chicken
Ingredients
This simple recipe comes together with basic ingredients.
Boneless skinless chicken breasts. It's okay if your boneless chicken breasts are super huge (hello, Costco chicken!) because you'll be slicing them into thinner pieces anyway.
Flour. Coating the chicken cutlets in flour gives the egg and panko something to hold onto.
Paprika. Paprika adds a mild sweet pepper flavor to the flour and the Panko breadcrumbs.
Garlic powder and onion powder. Seasoning the flour with garlic and onion powder adds another layer of flavor to this baked thin cut chicken breast recipe.
Eggs. Dipping the chicken cutlets in beaten eggs gives the Panko something to adhere to.
Panko bread crumbs. Panko is a Japanese style of breadcrumbs that has a crunchier texture than plain breadcrumbs, so it's perfect for making oven baked chicken. You can also use plain breadcrumbs.
Parmesan cheese. Freshly grated Parmesan cheese adds rich flavor to the panko.
How to Make Panko Thin-Cut Chicken Breasts
Step 1: Place a chicken breast on a cutting board and hold it flat with one hand. Use the other hand to slice the chicken in half horizontally with a sharp knife.
Step 2: Place the thin cut chicken breasts in a ziptop bag or between layers of plastic wrap. Pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin until the thickness of each chicken breast is ¼ to ½ inch thick.
Season both sides of the thin-sliced chicken with salt and black pepper.
Step 3: Prepare the breading station. Whisk the flour, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder together in a shallow dish. Beat the eggs in a second shallow dish. Stir the panko, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, and paprika in a third shallow dish.
Step 4: With tongs or your hands (use one hand for flour and breadcrumbs and the other for egg), coat each thin sliced chicken breast in flour.
Step 5: Then dip the floured chicken in the beaten egg.
Step 6: Coat the chicken in the panko mixture.
Step 7: Place chicken breasts on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Spray the tops of the chicken with nonstick cooking spray.
Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 when an instant-read thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of the chicken.
Serve and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Pounding the chicken to an even thickness helps it cook evenly so your oven-baked chicken breast isn't raw on one end and dry on the other.
- Use tongs or the "wet hand, dry hand" method for breading chicken.
- Baking time may vary depending on the thickness of the chicken breast. Start checking for doneness early to prevent overcooking.
FAQs
Store leftover baked thin chicken breasts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
For the crispiest, best results, reheat panko chicken in the oven. Let the chicken come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 400. Place the chicken on a wire baking rack on top of a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165.
No. Chicken cutlets are chicken breasts that have been cut in half horizontally into two chicken slices. This type of thin-sliced chicken breast is often pounded to an even thickness for quick cooking. Chicken tenders, on the other hand, are a small strip of meat that's attached to the chicken breast, but is usually removed and sold separately.
Thin sliced chicken breasts bake in about 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees. Use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature reaches 165.
Breading thin sliced chicken breasts in flour, egg, and then panko bread crumbs ensures the panko will stick to the chicken.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Crispy Baked Thin Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- salt and pepper, to taste
- ¾ cup flour
- 2 teaspoons paprika, divided
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2-3 large eggs start with 2 eggs and add a 3rd if needed
- 1 ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- nonstick cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Slice chicken breasts in half horizontally. Place the chicken cutlets in a ziptop bag or between layers of plastic wrap and pound to ¼ to ½ inch thickness.Season both sides of the thin-sliced chicken with salt and pepper.
- Whisk the flour, 1 teaspoon paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder together in a shallow dish. Beat the eggs in a second shallow dish. Stir the panko, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, and 1 teaspoon paprika in a third shallow dish.
- Coat each thin sliced chicken breast in flour, then the beaten egg, then the panko mixture. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Spray the tops of the chicken with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 15-20 minutes* (SEE NOTES) or until cooked through to 165 degrees.
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Tried this recipe tonight for dinner and it was a big hit! My boyfriend took out a box of Shake-N-Bake to coat our thin-cut, boneless, skinless chicken breasts and I stopped him as I had just saved this recipe earlier this morning. I had all of the ingredients on hand, the only thing I had to substitute was garlic salt in place of powder. I just cut the regular salt altogether. It came out tender, crispy and flavorful!
Hi, Michelle, thank you so much for sharing your review. I'm thrilled you enjoyed it! Cara