This delicious and easy to make oven-baked chicken is a great alternative to fried chicken. Flavorful juicy chicken breasts soaked in seasoned buttermilk and coated with seasoned panko breadcrumbs.
Our baked breaded chicken is perfect for busy weeknights – tender & juicy chicken breasts ready in less than 60-minutes. Panko breadcrumbs give the chicken a golden, crispy exterior. You’ll want to save this one for your dinner rotation!
Tender chicken coated in Parmesan panko breadcrumbs – no need for coating in flour and egg. It’s one of the easiest and most flavorful easy weeknight dinners.
If you grew up on Shake ‘n Bake chicken, you’ll love my baked chicken recipe with scalloped potatoes, baked beans and buttermilk biscuits.
Why this recipe works
- Ease – Less mess, no oil, no frying, no oil splatter on your stovetop.
- Simple ingredients – Uses buttermilk, chicken breasts, Panko or Italian breadcrumbs, readily available in grocery stores.
- Flavorful – Soak seasoned buttermilk, which tenderizes chicken. Super juicy and flavorful chicken recipe.
- Healthier – A heathier option to buttermilk fried chicken.
What you’ll need
- Chicken breasts – Boneless skinless chicken breasts are pounded to an even thickness.
- Buttermilk – True buttermilk is best. If needed, make your own with 1 cup whole milk to 1 teaspoon white vinegar or lemon juice. Stirred together and sit on the counter for 5 minutes.
- Onion & garlic powder – Find bulk spices in the international food aisle of your local grocery store or Walmart. (They are the same spices in larger containers for a much better value!)
- Salt & black pepper – Adds a depth of flavor.
- Paprika – Adds a wonderful depth of flavor to the buttermilk.
- Parmesan cheese – Added to the panko breadcrumbs for added flavor.
- Panko breadcrumbs – Gives the breading an extra crunch. You can use seasoned breadcrumbs if needed, but Panko breadcrumbs are our favorite.
- Zesty Italian dressing – Added to the chicken half way through baking, adds a unique flavor & moisture.
How to make baked breaded chicken
- Prepare the chicken – Pound the chicken to an even thickness, one breast at a time in a large zip-style bag.
- Mix buttermilk & spices – Combine buttermilk and spices in a large zip-style bag. Mix together by pressing your fingers on the outside of the bag.
- Soak & refrigerate chicken – Place each chicken breast into the seasoned buttermilk. Refrigerate a minimum of 4-hours and up to 24-hours.
- Prepare baking pan – Line a half sheet pan with aluminum foil & spray with cooking spray or grease a baking dish.
- Mix breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese – Mix panko breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in a large zip-style bag or shallow baking dish.
- Bread the chicken – Shake off excess buttermilk and fully coat each chicken breast.
- Bake – Bake covered with aluminum foil for 30 minutes, then uncovered.
- Add Zesty Italian dressing – Drizzle with dressing and bake until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165 degrees F. (about 20 more minutes)
Easy clean up for baked chicken – Lining the half sheet pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil helps with cleanup. After baking chicken, just peel the aluminum foil off and discard – your sheet pan will still be clean.
Want crispy baked chicken? Elevating the chicken on a wire rack set on a half sheet pan, lifts the chicken up off the pan, creating airflow and circulation of heat.
Be sure and try my buttermilk fried chicken and buffalo chicken recipe.
More easy dinner recipes
- Chicken fajitas
- Orange glazed chicken
- Easy chicken marinade
- Meatloaf recipe
- Italian meatballs recipe
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Baked Breaded Chicken
Ingredients
- 4-6 boneless chicken breasts
- 2 cups full-fat buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 tablespoons paprika or smoked paprika
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups seasoned panko breadcrumbs (or seasoned Italian breadcrumbs)
- ½ cup Zesty Italian dressing
Instructions
- Combine the buttermilk and seasonings in a large zip-style freezer bag. Mix together by using your fingers on the outside of the bag.
- Pound the chicken thin. Working with one chicken breast at a time, place inside a gallon zip-style freezer bag and pound with a rolling pin to an even ½-inch thickness.
- Set the flattened chicken breast into the seasoned buttermilk. Shake the bag slightly to fully emerge the chicken breast in the buttermilk mixture. Repeat with the remaining breasts. Refrigerate a minimum of 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
- Line a half sheet pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray, set aside. Or butter a 9×13-inch baking dish, set aside. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Mix the seasoned bread crumbs and parmesan cheese together in a shallow baking dish or large zip-style bag.
- Using tongs, shake the excess buttermilk off the chicken breasts and coat with breading. Dip each chicken breast into the bread crumb mixture, one at a time. Press the bread crumbs to the chicken so each breast is fully coated.
- Place each coated piece of chicken on the prepared half sheet pan or in buttered baking dish. Cover the entire pan with aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove the aluminum foil, drizzle with zesty Italian dressing and continue to bake for 20-30 minutes. Or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
- Let the chicken breasts cool 5 minutes before slicing.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
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Joanie says
very flavorful and tender. Will definitely make again. my picky husband loved this recipe!
Jessica Robinson says
I’m so happy to hear you both enjoyed it!