These breaded chicken breasts are thin slices of chicken in a yogurt marinade and coated in breadcrumbs before being pan-fried until golden and crisp in less than 30 minutes.
Table of Content
my kids' favorite way to eat chicken is chicken is when I dip them in egg mixture and dredge them with bread crumbs. I love to have them with a side salad and lemon wedges but you can also serve them with turmeric rice or rice pilaf.
Why make this breaded chicken?
- Simple and easy - This recipe is a simpler version of my chicken schnitzel or parmesan-crusted chicken.
- Simple pantry staples - Chicken breast is all you need to make this dish because all the rest of the ingredients are pantry staples.
- The breadcrumb coating keeps the chicken tender and juicy. While the butter adds that nice crispness.
- Complete meal in 30 minutes - The breaded chicken takes less than 30 minutes to make. Simultaneously, you can also make a side of mashed potatoes, roast potatoes or rice such as my turmeric rice or rice pilaf with fruit and nuts.
- Leftovers keep well for days in the fridge and can be frozen in an airtight container for up to a month.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Chicken breast - You want something that cooks quickly and won't burn the bread crumbs, so it has to be the chicken breast, or chicken cutlets, not chicken thighs.
- Yogurt - I love using a yogurt marinade with egg. The yogurt tenderizes the chicken and keeps it moist.
- Mustard - Just a touch of mustard goes a long way with in adding flavor to the chicken.
- Herbs - I love chopping parsley really fine and adding it to my breadcrumbs for a nice refreshing flavor.
- Optional ingredients - You can also add spices like paprika or cayenne.
How to pan fry chicken breasts
- Cut each chicken breast horizontally into two, so you have 8 slices. Use a mallet, meat tenderizer, or rolling pin to flatten the pieces
Pro tip - You can also ask your butcher to butterfly and prepare these for you as well. - Using a paper towel, pat dry the chicken pieces, season with salt and pepper. Set aside to marinate for a while.
- In a bowl and whisk, combine egg, yogurt, mustard, salt, and pepper. Then, add the flour and combine well. Make sure there are no lumps.
Pro tip - Any lumps will prevent the mixture from sticking to the chicken and it will cook as lumps. - Dip the chicken pieces in the marinade and let marinate for 15 minutes to an hour.
Pro tip - you can leave this to marinate for up to 2 hours.
- In a flat tray, shallow dish or, plate, combine panko bread crumbs, sesame seeds, and parsley. Season with salt and black pepper. Combine well.
Pro tip - Make sure you season well and combine well so you don't have uneven seasoning around the chicken. - Using a fork, pick a piece of chicken from the marinade and generously coat it with the breadcrumb mixture (see video).
Pro tip - I like to use one hand for the wet chicken and the other for the dry breadcrumb mixture. This prevents the panko breadcrumbs from getting lump. - Set aside while you do all the rest of the chicken pieces.
Pro tip - You can prepare the coated chicken pieces and leave them in the fridge for up to 12 hours.
Pan-fry
- To a frying pan (preferably non-stick), add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Place three to four chicken pieces (do not overcrowd the pan).
Pro tip - The butter gives the breadcrumbs a nice golden color and makes the chicken crispy. - Let cook on one side without touching for one minute on medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the chicken for 2 minutes more.
Pro tip - Avoid turning too often as this will prevent you from getting that beautiful golden color. - Flip the chicken, add another tablespoon of butter or oil as necessary.
- Cook on the second side for one minute on medium-high. Then, lower the heat and cook for another minute on medium-low.
Pro tip - The one-minute high-heat cooking is what makes the crust crispy. But, be careful not to burn it. - Remove the chicken on a clean paper hand towel to absorb excess fat.
- Continue with the rest of the chicken pieces.
Pro tip - It is best to clean the pan if you have any burnt breadcrumbs. Otherwise, the burnt crumbs will stick to the next batch of chicken and burn some more.
Baked breaded chicken breast
These can be baked in the oven as well. But, make sure to keep a close eye as overbaking can cause them to be very dry inside.
- Prepare the chicken and coat them in breadcrumbs as above.
- Then, lay the chicken on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Give them a generous spray with cooking spray on both sides.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 190C/375F / Gas Mark 5 for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Turning once in between if necessary.
Air fry breaded chicken breast
- Preheat the air fryer at 400F/200C
- Give them a generous oil spray with cooking spray on both sides.
- Air fry for 20 minutes turning once in between.
- You can also reheat the frozen chicken in the air fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
Tips for success
I usually make more than what I need for one meal, so I can put the extra pieces in the freezer for busy days.
- Cook them as we do above. When they are cold just place them in a ziplock bag. These make amazing sandwiches and wraps. If you have teenagers (who are always hungry) these are great to have on hand. Just thaw as many as you need in the microwave.
- Freeze them uncooked as you see in the image below. All you do is place them uncooked in a ziplock bag, remove as much air, and lay them flat in the freezer until frozen. Once they are frozen you can stack them up and store them away in the corner of the freezer until you need them.To re-use just thaw them in the fridge for a couple of hours and cook them as we do below. My kids love chicken schnitzel so I have these on hand for busy cake days and it's such a blessing.
Frequently asked questions
How long will this breaded chicken keep?
This breaded chicken breast will keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Can I make this chicken ahead of time?
Absolutely, these can be made a few days ahead of time and kept in the fridge.
What do you serve this breaded chicken with?
You can serve it over any of your favorite pasta. Or, try buttered noodles, mashed potatoes, or alongside some sautéed veggies or salad too. My kids love turmeric rice or rice pilaf with fruit and nuts along with their chicken schnitzel, breaded chicken, or this parmesan cheese-crusted chicken.
What side dish works best with this chicken?
This is a very versatile dish and can pair with almost any veggies. Try sauteed green beans or asparagus, baked butternut squash, or carrots. You can even try a side of simple salad like celery, carrots, cabbage, etc.
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Printable Recipe
Breaded Chicken Breast Pan-Fried
Print Pin Rate Share by Email Share on FB Save GrowCalories: 378kcal
Adjust Servings Here: 8 servings
Description
This breaded chicken breasts are thin slices of chicken in a yogurt marinade and coated in breadcrumbs before being pan-fried until golden and crisp.
Video
Conversions Used
1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,
Ingredients
Chicken
- 4 (2 lb) Chicken breast (or chicken cutlets, each divided into 2)
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
Marinade
- 1 Egg (large)
- ½ cup (120 ml) Yogurt (plain)
- 4 tablespoon All-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon Mustard (paste)
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon Garlic powder ((optional) )
- ¼ teaspoon Lemon zest ((optional) )
Breadcrumb coating
- 3 cups Breadcrumbs (panko or similar - dry)
- ¼ cup Parsley (finely chopped)
- 2 tablespoon Sesame seeds ((optional))
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
Pan-frying
- 2 tablespoon Oil
- 2 tablespoon Butter ((makes it crispy) )
Instructions
Marinate chicken
- Cut each chicken breast horizontally into two, so you have 8 slices. Use a mallet, meat tenderizer or rolling pin to flatten the pieces.Pro tip - You can also ask your butcher to butterfly and prepare these for you as well.
- Pat dry the chicken pieces, season with salt and pepper. Set aside to marinate for a while.
- Add the chicken pieces to the marinade and let marinate for 15 minutes to an hour.Pro tip - You can leave this to marinate for up to 2 hours.
- In a flat tray or shallow dish or plate, combine the bread crumbs, sesame seeds, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Combine well. Pro tip - Make sure you season well and combine well so you don't have uneven seasoning around the chicken.
- Using a fork, pick a piece of chicken from the marinade and generously coat it with the breadcrumb mixture (see video).Pro tip - I like to use one hand for the wet chicken and the other for the dry breadcrumb mixture. This prevents the breadcrumbs from getting lump.
- Set aside while you do all the rest of the chicken pieces. Pro tip - You can prepare the coated chicken pieces and leave them in the fridge for up to 12 hours.
Panfry
- To a frying pan (preferably non-stick), add 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Place three to four chicken pieces (do not overcrowd the pan).Pro tip - The butter gives the breadcrumbs a nice golden color and makes the chicken crispy.
- Let cook on one side without touching for one minute on medium-high. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the chicken for 2 minutes more.Pro tip - Avoid turning too often as this will prevent you from getting that beautiful golden color.
- Flip the chicken, add another tablespoon of butter or oil as necessary.
- Cook on the second side for one minute on medium-high heat. Then, lower the heat and cook for another minute on medium-low.Pro tip - The one-minute high-heat cooking is what makes the crust crispy. But, be careful not to burn it.
- Remove the chicken on a clean paper hand towel to absorb excess fat.
- Continue with the rest of the chicken pieces. Pro tip - It is best to clean the pan if you have any burnt breadcrumbs. Otherwise, the burnt crumbs will stick to the next batch of chicken and burn some more.
Recipe Notes & Tips
Breaded chicken breast make perfect freezer meals
I usually make more than what I need for one meal, so I can put the extra pieces in the freezer for busy days.- Cook them as we do above. When they are cold just place them in a ziplock bag. These make amazing sandwiches and wraps. If you have teenagers (who are always hungry) these are great to have on hand. Just thaw as many as you need in the microwave.
- Freeze them uncooked as you see in the image below. All you do is place them uncooked in a ziplock bag, remove as much air, and lay them flat in the freezer until frozen. Once they are frozen you can stack them up and store them away in the corner of the freezer until you need them.
To re-use just thaw them in the fridge for a couple of hours and cook them as we do below. My kids love chicken schnitzel so I have these on hand for busy cake days and it's such a blessing.
Baked breaded chicken breast
These can be baked in the oven as well. But, make sure to keep a close eye as overbaking can cause them to be very dry inside.- Prepare the chicken and coat them in breadcrumbs as above.
- Then, lay the chicken on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Give them a generous spray with cooking spray on both sides.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 190C/375F / Gas Mark 5 for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Turning once in between if necessary.
Air fry breaded chicken breast
- Preheat the air fryer at 400F/200C
- Give them a generous spray with cooking spray on both sides.
- Air fry for 20 minutes turning once in between.
- You can also reheat the frozen chicken in the air fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 378- kcalCarbohydrates: 33- gProtein: 31- gFat: 13- gSaturated Fat: 4- gCholesterol: 102- mgSodium: 781- mgPotassium: 539- mgFiber: 2- gSugar: 3- gVitamin A: 325- IUVitamin C: 4- mgCalcium: 104- mgIron: 3- mg
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
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Joanita
Simple and yummy
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Joanita