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Baked Parmesan Chicken is a super quick and easy recipe for tender, flavorful chicken. It is so juicy and coated in well balanced flavors, both you and your kids will be so happy to eat it!
Parmesan on chicken is one of my favorite ways to bake and have that melted, crispy cheese laying over top a tender chicken breast. Try this baked parmesan garlic chicken breast for the same delicious flavor or try bite size baked parmesan chicken nuggets for a kid friendly version.
Baked Parmesan Chicken:
I have been seeing this recipe everywhere on Pinterest. So, I thought it was time to give it a try. Boy am I glad I did! This Parmesan chicken amazingly delicious! Let’s just say my abnormally picky eater ate the whole thing! You know what that means? It gets a 5 star review from me! It is rare that I can make one meal that the entire family goes crazy over. And when I find them, I am so happy! I have a feeling it will go just as well at your house too.
I already invited my family over for dinner just so they could have this mind-blowing experience! Honestly, thinking about how delicious this chicken was makes me want more! I always get nervous baking chicken and want them to be cooked throughout. I always cut my chicken in half to make tenders. Since I have a big family, I cooked this in a 9×9 and used 3 chicken breasts cut in half. I also put a thin layer of the sauce on the bottom so that the chicken would be perfectly moist!
Parmesan Chicken Ingredients:
It’s actually pretty hard to mess this baked chicken recipe up! Really it is as easy as mixing all of the ingredients together, smothering them all over the chicken, popping it in the oven, and then, voila, it will come out perfectly! There is tons of delicious flavor in this tender chicken and the crispy parmesan cheese on top is so perfect in texture and taste!
- Chicken: Boneless skinless breasts work great with the mayonnaise since it keeps them moist while cooking.
- Light mayonnaise: Or greek yogurt (I used ½ of each and it was delish!) to coat the chicken and keep it tender and flavorful while cooking.
- Parmesan cheese: Part of the cheese will go in the mixture to cover the chicken and part will be sprinkled on top of the chicken before baking.
- Seasoning salt: I love Lawry’s seasoning salt!
- Pepper: To taste.
- Garlic powder: I think I put garlic powder on everything. It is so good and adds a rich flavor to the chicken.
How to Make the Perfect Parmesan Chicken:
Honestly thinking about how delicious this chicken was makes me want more! I always get nervous baking chicken and want them to be cooked throughout. I always cut my chicken in half to make tenders. Since I have a family of 4 I cooked this in a 9×9 and used 3 chicken breasts cut in half. I also put a thin layer of the sauce on the bottom so that the chicken would be perfectly moist!
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray. Lay the chicken inside the pan.
- Mix ingredients and cover chicken: Combine mayonnaise (or Greek yogurt) salt, pepper, seasoning salt, garlic powder, and part of the parmesan cheese. Then, spread the mixture evenly over each piece so that the chicken won’t dry out while baking.
- Add remaining cheese: Sprinkle the top of the chicken with the rest of the fresh parmesan.
- Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Enjoy!
How to Make Chicken Breasts Juicy:
- Marinate them: I love to marinate my chicken in buttermilk.
- High temperature: Cook your chicken at a high temperature to seal in the juices.
- Perfect Temperature: Make sure you don’t overcook the chicken. If you overcook them, they will come out dry. Use a meat thermometer to be sure your meat reaches 165 degrees. Also, remember they will continue to cook as they rest after they come out of the oven.
- Let Meat Rest: Allow the meat to sit before you cut into it so that the juices reabsorb into the chicken and keep it moist.
- Evenness matters: While you are trying to get that thick part to cook through, the thinner parts are drying out as they overcook. So, pound out the thicker part of the chicken to make the entire chicken one thickness.
Variations:
- Toppings: In the last five minutes of baking, top the chicken with spaghetti sauce and mozzarella for a yummy italian dish.
- Spices: Add some spice by mixing ½ teaspoon dried herbs, such as rosemary or sage, into the melted butter mixture.
- Protein: Use chicken tenders, thighs or drumsticks.
- Crust: Add a yummy crust by adding Italian or Panko bread crumbs. Then, fry them in ½ olive oil and ½ butter until they reach golden brown on each side.
- Serve with: A crisp Caesar salad, pasta and marinara sauce, and garlic bread.
- Ingredient swap: Replace mayonnaise with egg, butter or oil.
Storing Baked Chicken:
- Proper storage: To get the maximum safe and quality enjoyment out of the delicious chicken meal you just whipped up, refrigerate the chicken in shallow airtight containers or wrap tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Keep in mind the size of your leftovers when packing. A container that’s too large allows room for air to move around, which drives up moisture and encourages bacterial growth. When correctly stored, cooked chicken will last for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator or in the freezer for 2-6 months.
- Let it cool first? It is a myth that hot food cannot be placed directly in the refrigerator. They can be. You may want to consider letting breaded chicken cool to room temperature before putting it in the refrigerator so that the breading doesn’t get soggy….However, do not wait longer than 2 hours!
- Chicken needs to be kept below 40 degrees F or above 160 degrees F. So, for example if chicken is sitting outside by your BBQ on a 90 degree day, it needs to be stored quickly after serving.
- How to tell if your chicken is spoiled: Check the color. Your freshly cooked chicken has a brown or white color to the meat. Over time, as the chicken cooked goes bad, the chicken will start to look more grey, or green-grey. Other signs of spoiled cooked chicken are an offensive smell, chicken that’s slimy after cooking, and mold or white spots on cooked chicken.
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