A perfect, juicy Baked Chicken Breast recipe topped with crispy panko-parmesan crumbs are flavorful and delicious!
Baked Chicken Breasts
The secret to making these Baked Chicken Breasts super juicy is brining the chicken in saltwater and spreading a little mayo on the chicken before baking (trust me!). It’s then topped with a little panko and parmesan for a tasty chicken dinner the whole family will love! If you want more healthy baked chicken breast recipes, try this Baked Chicken Parmesan or Chicken Rollatini. Or for drumsticks, this Oven Baked Chicken is a favorite
This oven-baked chicken reminds me of Shake and Bake but in a good way. I discovered Shake and Bake, or maybe it was Oven Fry when my parent’s friend invited me over for dinner as a kid. My parents never cooked from packages so it was my first time trying it, and I loved it. Here, I use mayo to help the “shake and bake” panko mixture stick to the chicken. And instead of breading the whole chicken breast, I just bread the top, which makes it super easy.
What is the best way to brine chicken breasts?
If you’ve never brined chicken before, it’s easier than you may think! Brining is the process of letting meat sit in saltwater to tenderize it.
1. To make the brine, stir a quarter cup of salt into six cups of water.
2. Add your chicken and refrigerate for an hour or two.
3. Once the time is up, remove the chicken from the water, pat dry with paper towels, and pour out the water.
How long does it take to bake chicken breasts?
I bake these chicken breasts in the oven at 425 degrees for 24 to 28 minutes. Cooking times will vary depending on the thickness of your chicken. I always recommend checking the internal temperature of the chicken with a meat thermometer. Once it reaches 165 degrees, it’s ready.
Variations:
- Protein: Swap the boneless skinless chicken breasts for bone-in ones or pork chops. Cooking times will vary, so just keep an eye on it and
periodically check the temperature. - Spices: Play around with the spice mixture to switch up the flavors. You could add chili or onion powder or omit any spices that you don’t have.
More Baked Chicken Breast Recipes You’ll Love:
- Ratatouille Baked Chicken
- Pickle-Brined Baked Chicken Tenders
- Chicken Thighs with Brussels and Sweet Potatoes
- Baked Chicken with Dijon and Lime
- Baked Chicken Milanese with Arugula and Tomatoes
Baked Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 4 6 ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts , preferably organic
- kosher salt, Diamond Crystal Kosher, if using Morton's or table salt use half
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup seasoned Panko Breadcrumbs, OR gluten free pankp
- 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges for serving
Instructions
- Pound the thicker end of the chicken to make both sides leveled out so they cook evenly.
- Fill a large bowl with 6 cups of water and add 1/4 cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt, stir to dissolve. (if using table salt, or sea salt, or Mortons, use half)
- Add the chicken breasts to the water and let them sit, refrigerated at least 1 hour, or up to 2 to brine.
- Remove from water, pat dry with paper towels and discard the water.
- Preheat oven 425F degrees. Spray a 9 x 12 baking dish with olive oil.
- In a small bowl combine 3/4 teaspoon salt, with the remaining spices. Rub the spice mix over the chicken and transfer to the baking dish.
- Spread the mayonnaise evenly over the top of each breast then sprinkle with panko and Parmesan. Spray the top with olive oil spray.
- Bake until chicken reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees, 24-27 minutes.
- While the chicken bakes, slice lemon into wedges and serve with chicken.
Last Step:
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This is excellent. The chicken is moist and tender and we loved the flavor with the spices. This is something I will be making frequently.
Has anyone used an air fryer instead? If so what temp and time? Thanks
I despise mayo can I use something else like yogurt or sour cream in place of it? Thanks!
Jen, try adding some dijon mustard to the mayonnaise, or replacing with dijon mustard entirely. The mayonnaise keeps the chicken moist, and the dijon takes away the mayonnaise taste.
Excellent. Tender and delicious. This is a keeper.
These were delicious – crisp on the outside, moist on the inside. I love having the breading only on top so that it gives it a nice crisp crust, without a less-crisp bottom. I did find the chicken noticeably salty (yes, I used the right kosher salt and garlic powder, not garlic salt). I think the saltiness came from the brine. I”m not willing to give that up because the chicken was so beautifully moist, but I may try cutting the brine time (I did just over an hour) down a bit.
Very tasty! I used plain breadcrumbs and added just a sprinkle of Italian seasoning. Not salty at all; wondering if people mistake garlic salt for garlic powder. Anyway, my family enjoyed it!
I made this according to the recipe EXCEPT, I was short on time and needed to get the chicken into the brine ASAP, so I did not pound the breasts until AFTER I removed them from the brine. I used table salt and 6 cups water, 1 hour. Then pounded and followed recipe exactly. This was delicious. And I may have used a bit more parmesan than called for. I am usually the first to say a dish tastes salty and, to me, this did not taste too salty. It was perfect.
What if you are using a completely different brand of salt? We don’t have either of those brands in Canada! Any tips?
Use less
Pretty tasty, will be a repeat receipt. Just as tasty next day, heated in an air fryer – 10 minutes. @ 350
Waaaay too salty
Did you use regular table salt, and maybe forget to half it?
I skipped the brining because I used kosher chicken. I only used 3/4 tsp kosher salt in the rub as written and found it waaaaay too salty as well. Maybe it’s the parmesan cheese that’s salty? Next time, and there will be a next time because it was great, I’ll skip the 3/4 tsp salt.
Oops, did not bribe mine. I used chicken cutlets
Such a flavorful way to make chicken, and they came out very tender.
Did you mistakenly use garlic salt instead of garlic powder?
This “Baked Chicken” was quick and easy! Moist, delicious flavor with crunch.! Love all skinny taste and plan my meals around her recipes. Thank you, Gina, for helping to make feeding my family so enjoyable!
This was AWESOME and super easy. Definitely a keeper!
great!!
How do I keep the breading from falling off and sticking to the baking sheet? I sprayed it with olive oil and still had it happen.
Hi. Just made this tonight. The mayonnaise was the glue – I spread the mayo on the tops, patted the Panko/Parmesan mixture on top, then sprayed tops with Olive Oil. No place for the coating to go. Do it again. 👍
Didn’t need to brine. Turned out perfect and delicious! Used 1/2 tsp salt.
I did not coat the bottom of the chicken only the top
This was absolutely delicious! The brine made the chicken so tender! I’ll definitely be making this again.
Wow! This was absolutely DELICIOUS!! Loved by all. Didn’t change a thing.
Awesome!
This was so easy and delicious!
I skipped the brine because I didn’t have time tonight, but i will definitely add that step next time!
I also shredded my parm a little finer than I think I would next time, but it still came out great! Flavorful and juicy and you cannot beat the ease of this.
Superb! One of the best tasting recipes I’ve used for chicken, and it was already requested to make it again soon before we even finished our meal!! 😋
Only variation I made was to use smoked paprika, because that is what I had on hand.
Superb! One of the best tasting recipes I’ve used for chicken, and it was already requested to make it again before we even finished our meal!!
Delicious and easy! I used Greek yogurt instead of Mayo and it worked perfectly. Also forgot the lemon at dinner so will try it with leftovers! Served with balsamic zucchini.
I’m not usually a fan of using chicken breasts since they tend to get dry, but I’m so glad I tried this recipe. The mayo seems to help keep the chicken juicy, and the crunch of the panko and parmesan is just delightful. I will definitely be making this again.
This was delicious, but the measurements are way off. I had 59 double the amount of spices, Mayo and panko. I didn’t have any reduced fat mayo, so I used 1 tbs of Mayo and .5 tbs plain Greek yogurt (and then I ended up doubling that mix).
They were not as tender as I hoped, but I only had an hour to brine. I will do 2 hours for sure next time.
I made this today for my wife and me. It was one of the best recipes for chicken breast that we’ve come across. We agreed that I’ll fix it for our family the next time we’re all together. Usually I follow a recipe exactly the first time, and then adjust it to make it more to our liking. I won’t be changing anything in this one. Thanks.
Thanks Philip! Glad you both enjoyed this!
I used pork chops instead of chicken and grated parm instead of shredded and it came out delish. I didn’t brine them because I didn’t have the time and they still came out very tender. Next time I’d add more salt and seasoning. Super easy, yummy dinner.
Does anyone know if you can freeze these after they are cooked?
Sure, why not 🙂
I always freeze leftover cooked chicken.
You guys. I’ve been making Skinnytaste recipes for over 6 years, and this is my first recipe comment… you HAVE TO try this chicken recipe. It is INCREDIBLE!!!! I made some mods. I skipped the salt brine (honestly did not miss it at all, was plenty salty), and I almost always double spices in any Skinnytaste recipe.
I also changed up the spices a little bit— I used the paprika, garlic powder, salt, and then added a little thyme, and a mushroom umami spice that I have (left out the parsley for personal preference). And this was the best baked chicken I’ve ever eaten. I think it’s the mayo— it really locks in the moisture as it cooks, and we use a digital meat thermometer to cook meats to perfection. Served ours with sauteed mushrooms and a side salad. *chefs kiss* Can’t WAIT to eat this again.
GREAT!
Delicious! Everyone loved them.
Absolutely awesome! Don’t skip a step. The brining followed by spice rub really made a huge difference.
Delicious 🤤 Juicy and full of flavor!
Just printed and slipped in my Book of Inspiration. Yes, I keep an old fashioned recipe notebook.
🙂
It was great I love it
This was delicious – my first time to brine chicken breasts and they definitely were juicy. The only change I would make is I think I will mix the parmesan in with the panko – I put it on the top and it got a little crispy.
These are easy to make, TOTALLY DELICIOUS, and already a most requested recipe in my house. Foods like these make WW dinner prep easy. SO, SO good. Also, I HATE mayonnaise and don’t even notice it in this recipe. If you hate it too, have no fear! It magically disappears during the cooking process.
Great flavor, juicy – amazing!