Baked Parmesan Chicken

Fresh bread crumbs, Parmesan, and parsley get pulsed in the food processor into a fine, herby coating that sticks to butter-dipped chicken strips and bakes into a golden, savory crust. Making your own crumbs from bread gives you a lighter, more irregular texture than store-bought, which means crunchier results.

The butter serves two purposes. It helps the crumb mixture adhere to the chicken, and the extra butter in the bottom of the pan creates a pool of drippings that you baste with throughout baking. Each baste adds another layer of buttery, Parmesan-flavored richness to the surface.

Slicing the chicken into strips before coating means more surface area covered in crust. Every bite is crispy coating with tender chicken, no plain, uncoated patches.

Paprika on top isn’t just for looks. It adds a subtle warmth and helps the crust brown evenly.

Pro Tips

• Use fresh bread, not dried, for softer crumbs that crisp up with more texture in the oven. Day-old bread works best.
• Baste 2-3 times during baking. This keeps the crumbs from drying out and adds flavor with each pass.
• If the top browns too fast, tent loosely with foil for the remaining bake time. The chicken needs the full hour to cook through.
• Serve immediately. The crust softens as it sits, so these are best straight from the oven.

Variations

• Italian herb crust: Add dried oregano and basil to the food processor with the crumbs for a more herbaceous coating.
• Panko upgrade: Swap soft bread crumbs for panko and Parmesan for an extra-crunchy Japanese-style crust.