Parmesan Herb Crusted Chicken Recipe

Parmesan Herb Crusted Chicken is juicy and delicious from a panko, Parmesan cheese, and herb breading that crisps in the oven. This easy recipe is weeknight dinner friendly and elegant enough for special occasions.

We brush the same zippy mustard sauce and press breading with fresh herbs on pork and turkey tenderloins too. It's always a winner, and I bet your whole family will love it.

How do I know?

This was a popular special occasion recipe at our Make Ahead Meal Kitchens. Customers always raved about it.

It's a budget-friendly alternative to similar chicken dishes at restaurants like The Cheesecake Factory or Texas Roadhouse. And you won't have to make reservations or wait in a crowd.

In fact, we suggest making Parmesan Herb-Crusted Chicken ahead of time so you can enjoy the festivities before dinner begins with everyone else. And while you have everything out, make a few servings to freeze for later. We'll show you how!

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Directions with Pictures
• Variations
• Storage and Make Ahead
• More Easy Baked Chicken Recipes
• 📋 Recipe

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make chicken with a Parmesan and herb crust:

• Lemon juice, preferably from a fresh lemon, to avoid any preservatives.
• Dijon mustard - It's made with brown mustard seeds and white wine, which gives it a little extra kick. I've never tried this recipe with any other type.
• Black pepper is used in the sauce.
• Panko breadcrumbs - We used unseasoned panko but breadcrumbs with Italian seasoning will work, too, since the additions are complementary to the other ingredients in this recipe. Plain or seasoned bread crumbs work equally well, but the topping won't be crunchy.
• Parmesan cheese, finely grated.
• Olive oil is added to the breading mixture.
• Fresh parsley, basil, and thyme - Fresh chopped herbs contribute to the beautiful presentation. But dried herbs can be used instead. If you're a big fan of another herb, such as rosemary, use it. You actually don't have to add any herbs at all, but you will need to call it something else!
• Chicken - We used boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Pound them thin for a quicker cook time, or use chicken cutlets.

Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.

Directions with Pictures

Here's how to make Parmesan herb crusted chicken and bake it in the oven.

1. Make the mustard sauce.

Combine lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and black pepper in a small shallow bowl. The mustard sauce is brushed over the chicken, and a small amount is added to the breading ingredients.

Note: It's worth emphasizing that you set the first bowl with the mustard sauce aside at this point. A little bit of the mustard sauce, but not all, is added to the breading in the next step. The remaining sauce is spread over the chicken so that the breading has something to stick to!

2. Make the Parmesan herb breading.

To make the bread crumb mixture, mix together Panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and freshly chopped herbs in a second bowl.

Now, and stick with me here to avoid a super wet breading, spoon 2 Tablespoons of the sauce from the first bowl you set aside and add it to the breading bowl. You will have lots of mustard sauce left over. Save it!

Use a fork to mix the breading ingredients together until it's a nice crumbly mixture. It should be slightly wet but not have big clumps.

3. Coat chicken with mustard sauce and press with herb breading.

Spoon one tablespoon of the mustard mixture (from the bowl you set aside) over each chicken breast. The entire surface of the chicken breast is coated. Don't worry about the bottom. Use a basting brush if desired.

Next, lift out some breading and lightly "press it" over the chicken with your fingers, so it's not too thick but not too thin either.

4. Bake.

Bake herb-encrusted chicken uncovered until the top is golden brown and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Using a meat thermometer will ensure you have perfectly juicy and tender chicken breasts because the exact time will vary depending on the thickness of the chicken.

Variations

Make these substitutions to Parmesan Herb Crusted Chicken based on dietary restrictions:

Make it even healthier: Use whole wheat panko breadcrumbs.

Make it low-carb: Cut the amount of whole wheat breadcrumbs in half or use carb-free breadcrumbs.

Make it gluten-free: Use gluten-free breadcrumbs.

Make it dairy-free: Leave out the Parmesan cheese and substitute it with a dairy-free substitute or use nutritional yeast. I made it for my daughter this way and it got two thumbs up.

Looking for a skillet recipe? Make Pan-Fried Lemon Chicken. The sauce is infused with dried herbs.

Just add a few simple sides, like crispy green beans and cauliflower mash, to round out a dinner where Parmesan-crusted chicken is the main dish.

Storage and Make Ahead

• Leftovers - Store leftover Parmesan Herb Crusted Chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or up to 2 months in the freezer. Reheat in the oven at 350°F until hot.
• Make it ahead and freeze it: Prepare the recipe, but don't cook it. Freeze chicken in a pan or baking dish that can be covered and wrapped in plastic wrap. For best quality, eat within 2 months of freezing. When you are ready to serve, defrost overnight and cook according to instructions.
• Make smaller portions: The ingredients will easily cover 6 chicken breasts that are about 4 ounces in size. You can cut the recipe ingredients in half. Or make the full recipe and freeze the portions you don't want to eat.

More Easy Baked Chicken Recipes

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📋 Recipe

 This recipe was originally posted on May 21, 2013, and has been updated to improve the reader experience.