Parmesan Crusted Chicken

A much healthier alternative to traditional chicken parm, this recipe is also a thousand times easier for a weeknight meal.

Don’t tell anyone, but this recipe uses mayonnaise as its secret ingredient. But don’t freak out if you’re not a mayo stan! The nifty thing about mayonnaise is that it already includes oil and eggs, both of which you need to fry chicken parm the traditional way. Mayo will blend into the background as a mysterious part of the chicken, making your guests ask, “How is your chicken so juicy?!”

Pair this chicken recipe with my spaghetti sauce recipe and you have an incredible weeknight dinner in 20 minutes or less!

Tips, Tricks, & Shortcuts (hit the arrow to expand/collapse)

The instructions below direct you to pound out chicken breasts to approximately ½ inch thickness. Note that the end result measurement does not matter; the result you want is consistently thin chicken. If the smallest end of your chicken breast is ½ inch or ¾ inch, you can pound out the larger end to the same size.

Thicker chicken will take longer to cook, so adjust your cooking time as needed and USE A MEAT THERMOMETER!

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (2 large chicken breasts)

½ cup Italian style bread crumbs

¼ cup grated Parmesan and Romano cheese

1 Tbsp. full-fat mayonnaise per individual chicken breast

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F

2. Place chicken breasts into a Ziploc gallon bag or between two pieces of parchment paper

3. Using a meat mallet, a rolling pin, or your fist if you have some rage to release, pound each chicken breast to about ½ inch consistent thickness

4. Place chicken breasts onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper

5. In a small bowl, measure out 1 Tbsp. of mayonnaise per chicken breast - this step will avoid cross contamination with your mayo container!

6. Using a spoon or small spatula, spread the mayonnaise evenly onto each chicken breast, adjusting as needed - less mayo on a small chicken breast and more mayo on a large chicken breast (see picture)

7. In a medium bowl, mix the bread crumbs and the grated cheese together until well combined

8. Using your fingers or a spoon, sprinkle the bread crumb mixture onto each chicken breast in a thick layer

9. Pat the bread crumbs into the mayonnaise and chicken to make sure the layers are adhered together

10. Place the baking sheet onto the middle rack of the oven

11. Bake for 15-20 minutes, adjusting depending on the thickness of the chicken

12. Use a meat thermometer to determine when the chicken is done*

*The USDA recommends 165ºF for 30 seconds for poultry to be safe to consume, but due to carryover cooking, pull your chicken earlier so it will reach 165ºF while resting. I would never recommend letting the temperature rise past 165ºF, even after carryover cooking, otherwise you will be eating dry, stringy chicken.

Suggested Products*

Ziploc gallon bags

Meat thermometer

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