This Parmesan Crusted Chicken Recipe is a beloved main dish in our house. Really, what’s not to love? Italian dressing? Good! Ranch dressing? Yum! Parmesan cheese with breadcrumbs and butter? Oh, yes! These are all things that my children and husband consider to be delicious.
What you’ll need first are some chicken breasts. I normally use two breasts and cut them in half. They cook faster when in a chicken strip form instead of a breast. I then wash them, put them in a plastic bag, and pour Italian dressing on them. They usually sit for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator to marinate.
Do I Have to Let the Chicken Breast Marinate?
The short answer: absolutely not. There are times that I’ve thrown them in the pan and threw the Italian dressing on over them. They cooked up just fine!
As I put the chicken in the pan, I go ahead and preheat my oven to 350 degrees so it’ll be ready when the chicken is ready to go in.
I usually cook the chicken in my copper skillet so that it can go directly into the oven (it also cleans up easy too). I put oil on the skillet because it seems to help the chicken not get too dry while cooking. You want to cook it on a medium heat so that it can get a golden color to it.
Once one side is ready, flip that chicken!
Parmesan Crust
This is where all the good stuff happens: the magic is in the crust! You’ll want to melt half a stick of butter in the microwave first. Next, you’ll want to add 3-4 tablespoons of breadcrumbs to the butter, and then add 3 tablespoons of parmesan cheese. I use the organic one, but the other brands do just as well. Lastly, I generously sprinkle some Ranch seasoning in it and give it a stir.
Once the chicken is finished cooking, I leave it in the pan and pour Ranch dressing on it. I don’t want to cover the entire chicken; I just want to make sure there is enough for the crust to stick to. Without the Ranch dressing, the crust will fall off the chicken.
Next, take the bread crumb mixture and spoon it over the chicken. I usually press the crust to the chicken for good measure to make sure it sticks! Finally, I sprinkle a little more parmesan on top. I think this helps it brown more in the oven.
Once it’s in the oven, you’ll want to let it bake for 20-25 minutes (I usually check mine and take it out once the crust browns). At last, take it out of the oven, let it cook a moment, and start serving it! Enjoy your delicious Parmesan Crusted Chicken recipe!
If you would like to watch me make this chicken, please watch my Reel on Instagram!
If you’d like to check out more recipes, keep an eye on my Mama’s Kitchen Recipes!
Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Equipment
- 1 Copper skillet You can use a cast iron skillet instead
- 1 Oven mit
Ingredients
- 2 Chicken Breasts
- 4-5 tbsp Bread Crumbs plain or seasoned
- 3-4 tbsp Parmesan Cheese
- 1 tsp Ranch Seasoning
- 1/2 stick Salted Butter
- 3 tbsp Ranch Dressing
- 2 tbsp Vegetable oil olive oil or canola oil would work also
- 3 tbsp Italian Dressing Zesty Italian is best for flavoring
Instructions
- Clean chicken breasts and place them inside a plastic Ziplock bag with Italian dressing on them. Leave in the fridge to marinate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees..
- Remove chicken from bag and place in copper skillet over medium heat.
- While chicken cooks, prepare the crust by melting 1/2 stick of butter. Next, combine the bread crumbs, parmesan, and Ranch seasoning with the butter.
- Once chicken is finished cooking, put Ranch dressing over the chicken. Do not completely cover the chicken; they just need enough on top to help the crust stick to the chicken.
- Next, spoon the bread crumb mixture over the Ranch and press the back of the spoon to it so that it sticks.
- Place chicken in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until crust is a golden brown.
- Remove from oven. Serve and enjoy!