Crispy Panko Chicken

This is such a staple in our house. It’s easy and SO delicious. As a personal chef in California, this was a meal that families request all the time. It can easily be modified to be gluten-free or dairy-free, if needed.

What you need:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (this can be modified to gluten-free flour if needed)
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
3 chicken breasts (About 1 1/2 pounds)
2 eggs
Kosher salt to taste
Oil for shallow frying — I use about 3 or 4 tablespoons of either Safflower, grapeseed, or olive oil

Slice chicken breasts lengthwise in half to make skinnier filets. This will give you about six chicken thin/smaller chicken breasts. Sometimes I will even cut one into three skinner breasts if it’s large. This will feed 3-4 people. Sprinkle salt on both sides on each chicken breast.

Set up a breading station— one bowl large plate with the flour, one shallow bowl with the eggs, whisked, and one plate with the panko and parmesan cheese gently mixed together. Take your first chicken breast and place it in the flour and coat both sides, then place it in the egg and coat both sides, finally place the chicken in the panko/parm mixture and cover both sides entirely. Continue with the rest of the chicken.

Now preheat your oven to 350. You’ll finish cooking the chicken in the oven.

Using your largest skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. You’ll need to fry these (more like saute because of the amount of oil) in batches because you don’t want to crowd the pan. I typically do the chicken in two batches and in between the first and second batch, sometimes I add just a drizzle more of oil if the pan is looking dry — this is because the first batch will absorb some of the oil in the panko as it crisps. Have a baking sheet off to the side ready for the crispy chicken. I find that the chicken needs about 4 minutes per side to crisp up. When you go to flip the chicken breasts, they should easily pop up and be ready to flip. If they are sticking, they are not ready to flip. (You can certainly use a nonstick skillet, if you prefer!) Once all the chicken is crisp on both sides and placed on baking sheet, put the chicken in the oven for about 10-12 minutes to finish cooking. I always cut into the biggest piece to make sure the meat looks juicy and white before turning the oven off and serving it. Enjoy!