Easy Baked Panko Chicken
Panko Chicken is a quick and easy dinner recipe, featuring chicken breasts crusted with Parmesan and Panko then baked until tender and juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside!
WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
Enter your email below and we'll send it to your inbox. Plus get our best recipes every week!
There are certain dinners that I know are going to be received with cheers instead of grumbles by my three sometimes-picky children. And this scrumptious Panko Chicken is one of them!
In case you've never had Panko crusted chicken before, this shortcut recipe is as simple as smothering chicken breasts with a simple, creamy topping, generously sprinkling with a combo of Panko breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan, and then popping in the oven. No dipping and breading...no mess! The resulting baked Panko chicken is juicy on the inside with a crunchy, golden crust on top. Delicious!
Ingredients
Making Panko Chicken requires just a handful of ingredients:
- Chicken breasts. The size of your chicken breasts will dictate the ultimate cooking time. You could also make this recipe using chicken tender, obviously cutting back on the cooking time.
- Mayonnaise + sour cream. This Panko Chicken recipe calls for a 50/50 ratio, but you could honestly tweak that and use more of one than the other. Similarly, you may substitute plain yogurt or Greek yogurt for the sour cream, if you like. If you end up using more sour cream/yogurt than mayo, however, you may want to season the mixture with a bit of salt and pepper to keep it from being bland.
- Parmesan cheese. Freshly grated is recommended, but pre-grated will work as well.
- Panko breadcrumbs. Using Panko instead of regular breadcrumbs will give you the most crunch for your buck. 😉
- Garlic salt + pepper. For seasoning the chicken and the Panko breading mixture.
How to Make Panko Chicken
(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)
- Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise and sour cream until smooth.
- In another small bowl, combine the grated Parmesan, Panko breadcrumbs, garlic salt, and some freshly ground black pepper.
- Arrange chicken breasts on your prepared baking sheet and season them with garlic salt and pepper.
- Divide the mayonnaise mixture between chicken breasts, spreading over the tops and down the sides of each one.
- Evenly sprinkle the Panko breading on top of each chicken breast, covering and lightly pressing it into the mayonnaise mixture.
- Bake Panko crusted chicken for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the topping is golden brown, taking care not to overcook.
- Serve immediately and enjoy! 🙂
Tips, Tricks, & Special Equipment
- For a dairy-free version, you may make your Panko breaded chicken using all mayonnaise (in lieu of half sour cream/yogurt).
- If you don't have Panko breadcrumbs, regular bread crumbs (plain or seasoned) will work perfectly fine. I just like Panko because they're extra crunchy.
- For even baking, make sure your chicken breasts are about the same size and thickness.
- This Panko Chicken turns out really moist and juicy, as long as you're careful not to overcook it! If you're worried about overcooking, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of a breast and remove the pan from the oven when it reaches 165°F.
There's really not much more to say about this tender, juicy Panko Chicken. It's as straightforward and yummy as it sounds!
Everyone loves its creamy coating and crunchy, Parmesan and Panko crusted topping.
Serve it with roasted veggies and a crisp green salad and you've got one winner, winner of a baked chicken dinner!
More Yummy Chicken Dinners
- Copycat Shake 'n Bake Chicken Nuggets
- Crunchy Baked Chicken Tenders
- Italian Baked Chicken
- Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken
Easy Baked Panko Chicken
Video
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream, OR plain yogurt
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons Panko bread crumbs
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt, plus additional for seasoning chicken
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper for easy clean-up.
- In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise and sour cream. In another small bowl, combine Parmesan, bread crumbs, garlic salt, and pepper.
- Lay chicken breasts on baking sheet. Season with garlic salt and pepper. Spread one-fourth of the mayonnaise/sour cream mixture on top and down sides of each chicken breast. Sprinkle one-fourth of the Parmesan/Panko mixture over the top of each chicken breast, covering the mayonnaise mixture and lightly pressing the crumbs into it.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and topping is golden brown , taking care not to overcook.
Notes
- You may tweak the ratio of the mayonnaise to the sour cream or yogurt, using more or less of either.
- For a dairy-free version, you may use all mayonnaise (in lieu of half sour cream/yogurt).
- If you don't have Panko bread crumbs, regular bread crumbs (plain or seasoned) will work perfectly fine. I prefer Panko because they're extra crunchy.
- Chicken breasts that are close to the same size will cook more evenly.
- This chicken turns out really moist and juicy, as long as you're careful not to overcook it! If you're worried about overcooking, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of a breast and remove the pan from the oven when it reaches 165°F.
Nutrition
Adapted from Hellmanns.com.
Post originally published on October 11, 2013, and updated on February 19, 2020, and April 21, 2023.
Can you cover the entire chicken in the coating rather than just on the top?
I don't think that would be ideal, Nancy...the panko turns golden and crisps up where it's exposed. I'm afraid it would just turn wet and soggy underneath the chicken.
This recipe was a home run! My whole family absolutely loved it, which is RARE! Adding this to our recipe rotation!
Love this panko chicken! The crunch is fantastic! It goes well with so many things and we make it often!!
I made this for dinner yesterday and the hubby asked me to hold on to the recipe because he wants to have it again! Thank you for a "hit" recipe!
This was sooo goood! And easy!
This was SO GOOD! It reminded me of something my mom used to make a lot, and being in college and therefore totally sick of cafeteria food, it satisfied my need for some homemade food! Give me some of this chicken and I'll be a happy camper!
I'll be honest, I'm running out to grab the ingredients right now to make this, let you all know how it turned out 🙂
I hope you loved it, Josh! Happy Friday! 🙂
This recipe looks very simple and I'm excited to try! But Is there anything I can substitute the mayo for?! My family can't even stand to look at it lol.
Hi Samantha! You can definitely substitute anything creamy for the mayonnaise. You can just use all sour cream in this recipe or substitute some plain yogurt for the mayo instead. It will affect the taste a little bit, but if you don't like mayo, that's a good thing! 😉
Simple, delicious and healthy -- exactly the type of recipes I'm looking for for this new semester! College tends to have a magical ability to absorb all your time so I appreciate recipes like this one. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Thanks, Adrienne! Quick and easy recipes are the name of the game around here. Much like college courses, three kids tend to vanquish any possibility of extra time for cooking! 😉 Glad you found something new to try...hope you enjoy it!
This was fabulous! I have a couple picky eaters too and this satisfied them.
I get the same question from my hubby and kids every day and am usually met with moans and whines half the time as well. My answer now is always "food" which drives them crazy. Now they can feel my pain. 😉 This chicken sounds like something they would all like though. I am definitely giving it a try. Pinning to share with my friends too!
Food. The simplicity of that answer is brilliant, Shari! I hope that this chicken is met with the opposite of moans and whines from your crew. 😉 I really appreciate you stopping by and the pin!
This is what's for dinner tomorrow!
You won't be sorry... 😉
Your son must converse with my hungry son, cuz he says the exact statement to me as soon as he see's me! I feel the same way too!!
This chicken would pass the "demanding perfect dinner meals" scale for sure! Looks scrumptious!
Ha, Tahny! I'm so glad I'm not the only one to receive such a loving greeting! 😉 Hope this recipe gets you a positive response!
I make a similar recipe...and it is great!
Isn't it amazing how moist the chicken stays with this coating? I was really surprised the first time I made it! Glad it's a hit at your house, too! 🙂
Perfect! Just two nights ago my husband asked if I would make Parmesan Chicken! Thanks for the quick recipe. I do feel your pain about the groans of dinner time. It's inevitable at our house- It pretty much doesn't matter what I cook, before I have even told them I hear "Ahhhh man" It's become a joke.
Posting this recipe today was clearly meant to be, Angela! 😉 Seriously, though, I hope your hubby enjoys this version of Parmesan Chicken. And I'm so glad to hear that my kids aren't the only ones who feel obligated to whine about what's for dinner, even when it's something I know they like! Thanks so much for stopping by...hope you have a great weekend! 🙂