Crispy Panko Chicken Recipe
If you love breaded chicken that is juicy and tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside you need to try this panko chicken recipe! Panko bread crumbs make these chicken tenders nice and crispy and full of flavor!
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My family has always love breaded chicken in any form, we’ve gone through our fair share of frozen chicken patties, chicken tenders and chicken nuggets over the years. For a long time I was intimidated by making my own breaded chicken, I was afraid it would be messy or end up soggy. Once I learned about how delicious and easy it is to make a panko coating for chicken I started making my own all the time and I love this recipe! Since this is a baked panko chicken recipe it is very easy to make, no oil or frying required, but the result is nice crunchy-coated chicken that everyone loves.
The panko bread crumbs are so tasty and crunchy, and they are versatile. You can use different cuts of chicken and season them with your favorite seasoning blends to create tender juicy chicken that your family loves! Serve this chicken up with your favorite side dish for an easy weeknight dinner, or enjoy it as a quick lunch or protein packed snack!
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FAQ & Recipe Tips For This Panko Crusted Chicken Recipe
How to serve this panko breaded chicken-
These chicken tenders are great served with your favorite dipping sauce, we love them with ranch dressing or barbeque sauce. You can serve it with your favorite side and veggie for a quick dinner. We love it with macaroni and cheese, French fries or onion rings. It goes well with simple veggies like green beans or broccoli.
You can also use this easy breaded chicken to make a delicious crispy chicken sandwich. We love it on a bun with pickles and mayonnaise just like your favorite take out! You can even serve it over pasta and top it with marinara and parmesan cheese for a quick and easy chicken parmesan!
How to store and reheat this baked panko chicken-
If you have leftover panko chicken or want to have this panko chicken ready to cook any time you can make it according to the recipe, allow it to cool and then refrigerate or freeze it.
To Freeze– Allow the chicken to cool completely then place it on a parchment lined baking sheet in the freezer and allow to freeze completely. This freezes each piece individually so they don’t stick together once they are frozen move them to a freezer bag or other air tight container. They will keep well frozen for about 2 months. To cook them from frozen place them on a baking sheet in a preheated 425 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes or until heated through. You can also heat them in the air fryer at 370 for about 10 minutes.
To Refrigerate– Place cooled chicken tenders in an airtight container and refrigerate. To reheat you can microwave them for 1-2 minutes, depending on how many you are heating, place in a 400 degree oven for about 5 minutes, or in the air fryer at 370 for 5 minutes.
Recipe Variations for this Crispy Baked Panko Chicken –
You can create a ton of different flavor combinations with this panko topping. I love the simple seasonings in this recipe but you can use other spices if you’d like. You can add Italian seasoning and 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese for some Italian flavor. You can add taco seasoning or a blend of chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika for a Mexican flair. Another great idea is ranch dressing mix for a tasty ranch flavor!
Toast the Panko Bread Crumbs
If you want extra crispy chicken you can toast the panko crumbs. This gives them a nice rich taste and makes them crispier. To toast panko bread crumbs, preheat your oven to 350°F, then spread the crumbs on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they turn golden brown and crisp. Once toasted, let them cool before using.
Ingredients to Make Panko Chicken
Chicken Tenderloins– Chicken tenderloins are one of my favorite cuts of meat to cook because they cook quickly and they are nice and tender. This panko breaded chicken recipe can be made with other cuts of chicken too, you can use boneless skinless chicken breasts, boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken cutlets. This is also great for making chicken nuggets! If you use chicken breasts you’ll want to butterfly them or pound the chicken breasts flat so that they nice and thin. This will help them cook evenly and turn out perfectly crispy. The cooking time may vary depending on the thickness and cut of your chicken.
Panko Bread Crumbs– Panko breadcrumbs are super crunchy and give this panko crusted chicken recipe a great texture! You can use plain or seasoned panko for this recipe. You can also use my homemade panko bread crumb recipe to make your own!
Dried Oregano– This gives this chicken a nice flavor, if you use Italian seasoned bread crumbs you can skip adding the oregano. Make sure your oregano is fresh for the best flavor.
Onion Powder– Onion powder ads a nice mild onion flavor to these panko crusted chicken.
Garlic Powder– I love garlic so it is one of my go-to seasonings for almost everything so of course I used it on this chicken
Salt and Black Pepper– You can use salt and black pepper to your taste for this recipe. If you don’t like pepper you can skip it but don’t skip the salt! I like to use Himalayan pink salt but you can use your favorite salt.
Egg– The egg is what helps the panko mixture adhere to the chicken. If you are doing larger cuts of chicken you’ll need more eggs.
Cooking Spray– You can use your favorite cooking spray for this recipe. I like to use olive oil or avocado oil spray because they have the best flavor. You can also use an oil sprayer and fill it with your favorite cooking oil.
How to Make This Crispy Panko Chicken
First preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Place an oven safe wire rack on a baking sheet. If desired place parchment paper under the rack. Spray the rack with cooking spray.
In a shallow dish combine the panko, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and oregano, stir to combine.
In another bowl or shallow dish whisk together the egg and water until they are well mixed.
Working with one piece at a time place the chicken in the egg wash and turn to coat. Then transfer it to the panko bread crumb mixture and turn to coat both sides of the chicken. Press the chicken lightly to help the panko adhere onto the chicken.
Place the chicken onto the prepared baking sheet.
Repeat with remaining chicken pieces until all of them are coated and on the baking sheet
Spray the breaded chicken with oil spray.
Place the chicken in the oven and cook for 12-14 minutes turning half way through the cooking time and spraying the second side with oil. Cook until the chicken is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165 when taken with a meat thermometer.
Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauces.
Crispy Panko Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Chicken Tenders
- 1 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
- 1 tsp Dried Oregano
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbsp water
- Olive Oil Cooking Spray
Instructions
- First preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Place an oven safe wire rack on a baking sheet. If desired place parchment paper under the rack. Spray the rack with cooking spray.Olive Oil Cooking Spray
- In a shallow dish combine the panko, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and oregano, stir to combine.1 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs, 1 tsp Dried Oregano, 1 tsp Onion Powder, ½ tsp Garlic Powder, Salt and black pepper
- In another bowl or shallow dish whisk together the egg and water until they are well mixed.1 egg, 2 Tbsp water
- Working with one piece at a time place the chicken in the egg wash and turn to coat. Then transfer it to the panko bread crumb mixture and turn to coat both sides of the chicken. Press the chicken lightly to help the panko adhere onto the chicken.2 lbs Chicken Tenders
- Place the chicken onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Repeat with remaining chicken pieces until all of them are coated and on the baking sheet
- Spray the breaded chicken with oil spray.
- Place the chicken in the oven and cook for 12-14 minutes turning half way through the cooking time and spraying the second side with oil. Cook until the chicken is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165 when taken with a meat thermometer.Olive Oil Cooking Spray
- Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce
