A cutting board with breaded panko chicken, lemon, and parsley on it.

Crispy Herbed Panko Chicken: crispy, juicy, and ultra-flavorful chicken that's ready in just 30 minutes!

This recipe was originally published on May 19, 2021. It was updated on May 18, 2022.

More about this baked panko chicken recipe:

Baked panko chicken breasts with lemon and parsley.

Given that chicken is such a popular protein, I'm on a mission this summer to provide you with more easy, impressive, juicy, and all-around DELISH chicken recipes!

The kind of no-fail chicken recipes that you feel confident about making for company but are also quick enough to whip up after a long day.

This crispy baked panko chicken is one of my favorite new recipes. It's juicy, flavorful, crispy, and so easy (no, really!) to make.

Instead of dredging the chicken in eggs and bread crumbs (so messy!) we'll be whipping up a seasoned mayonnaise mixture and then sprinkling herbed panko bread crumbs on top.

While baking, the panko gets nice and crispy while simultaneously sealing all the juices into the chicken. The result: tender and flavorful chicken breast every time!

But enough talking about this chicken. Let's get cooking!

More about this baked panko chicken recipe:

All of the ingredients for herbed panko chicken.

Panko chicken breast ingredients:

Chicken cutlets - or, boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half horizontally
Light mayonnaise - or reduced-fat mayo like Best Foods Olive Oil or Avocado Oil Mayonnaise
Minced garlic
Smooth Dijon mustard
Panko bread crumbs - Japanese-style bread crumbs that are light and airy.
Olive oil - extra virgin will provide the best flavor
Dried thyme - the full dried leaves (not ground), are best

Herbed panko chicken breasts on a baking sheet with parsley and lemon.

Ingredient substitutions:

Chicken - chicken tenders and boneless skinless chicken thighs can work in place of the chicken cutlets. If making panko chicken tenders, reduce the cooking time to 15-18 minutes, or until cooked through to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mayonnaise - traditional or full-fat mayonnaise can substitute for the reduced-fat mayo. The nutritional count of the recipe will be affected, however.
Mustard - whole-grain Dijon mustard can replace the smooth mustard
Herbs - dried poultry seasoning or rubbed sage can substitute for the dried thyme

How to make panko baked chicken:

Make the mayonnaise mixture and panko breading:

Preheat the oven and spray a large baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
Stir together the mayonnaise, minced garlic, salt, and Dijon mustard until combined in a small mixing bowl.
In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the panko bread crumbs, salt, dried thyme, and olive oil together with a fork until the olive oil is evenly mixed into the bread crumbs.

An overhead shot of a bowl of the mayonnaise mixture.

Prepare the chicken:

Place the chicken cutlets on the prepared baking sheet.
Spread the mayonnaise mixture on the chicken until covered.

Chicken cutlets on a greased baking pan.

Chicken cutlets spread with a mayonnaise mixture.

Crust the chicken with panko & bake:

Sprinkle the panko bread crumb mixture evenly over the chicken.
Bake the chicken until the chicken is cooked through and the bread crumbs are golden and crispy.
Serve the chicken hot with optional lemon slices to garnish.

Chickden cutlets sprinkled with mayonnaise and panko.

Recipe pro-tips:

Pre-heat the oven. This ensures that the oven is nice and hot. The chicken will cook the most evenly and the bread crumbs will crisp up the best in a preheated oven
Use a baking sheet, not a dish. The chicken needs to be spread out on a large baking or cookie sheet for it to crisp up evenly, so don't use a baking dish and don't cover the baking sheet while baking
Use panko breadcrumbs (not regular breadcrumbs). Panko bread crumbs are light and fluffy, so they crisp up beautifully for this recipe. Classic bread crumbs are heavier and don't crisp in the same way so we need to avoid them for the best results
Don't skimp on the mayo. It adds loads of flavor as well as binds the bread crumbs to the chicken and is a very important ingredient for this recipe!

Save this Pinterest pin for later on Pinterest:

A pinterest pin for breaded panko chicken breast. On the top is an image of a sliced chicken breast. On the bottom is an up-close photo of baked chicken.

Recipe FAQs:

Where do you buy panko bread crumbs?

You can buy panko bread crumbs at most major grocery store chains here in the States. They also can usually be found at Whole Foods, Wal-Mart, or on Amazon.

How do you get panko to stick to chicken?

There are different ways to get panko to stick to chicken. Some recipes dredge the chicken in flour and eggs first. In this recipe, however, we will get it to stick to the chicken by first brushing the chicken with a mayonnaise mixture.

How do you know chicken breast is cooked through or done?

You know that the chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit and the bread crumbs are golden and crispy.

Serving suggestions:

Serve this panko breaded chicken breast with any of your favorite side dishes, like:

An up-close overhead shot of a panko crusted chicken breast on a baking sheet with parlsey and lemon.

Making this chicken ahead of time:

To make this recipe ahead of time, prep the chicken, whisk together the mayonnaise mixture, and stir together all of the bread crumb mixture except for the olive oil. Cover and refrigerate the mayo and chicken (the bread crumbs are fine at room temperature) for up to 24 hours.

Right before baking spread the mayonnaise on the chicken and toss the olive oil with the breadcrumbs. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top of the mayonnaise and bake the chicken as directed.

Recipe variations:

Lemon panko chicken: add in 1 teaspoon lemon zest along with the dried thyme and serve the chicken with lemon slices
Italian panko chicken: substitute ¾ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning for the dried thyme, stir ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese in with the panko mixture, and serve the chicken with warmed marinara sauce to dip

Dietary adaptations:

Gluten-free: to make this recipe gluten-free, substitute rice panko or gluten-free panko bread crumbs

Storage directions:

Refrigeration: leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Freezing: leftovers do not freeze well

Reheating directions:

For best results, reheat the leftover panko crusted chicken breast in a toaster oven over medium-low heat or an oven at 300 degrees for 4-6 minutes, or until the bread crumbs have crisped and the chicken is heated through.

You can also reheat the chicken in a microwave over medium heat in 30-45 second intervals, or until heated through, but the bread crumbs will not re-crisp this way.

Tools needed to make this recipe:

An up-close shot of a sliced panko chicken breast with parlsey.

More easy chicken recipes:

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5-6 Servings

Crispy Herbed Panko Chicken

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Crispy Herbed Panko Chicken: crispy, juicy, and ultra-flavorful chicken that couldn't be easier to make! This chicken is easy enough for a weeknight but impressive and delicious enough for a dinner party. Add it to your menu tonight!

Ingredients

⅓ cup light mayonnaise (I love Best Foods Olive Oil Mayonnaise)
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon salt, DIVIDED
1 ½ teaspoon smooth Dijon mustard
1 cup panko bread crumbs
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
1 ½ lbs. chicken cutlets (or boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half horizontally)
Lemon slices to garnish, optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, minced garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, and Dijon mustard until combined.
In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the panko bread crumbs, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, dried thyme, and olive oil together with a fork until the olive oil is evenly mixed into the bread crumbs.
Place the chicken cutlets 1-2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Divide the mayonnaise mixture evenly between the chicken (or about 1 heaping tablespoon mayonnaise per cutlet) and spread evenly onto each cutlet.
Divide the prepared bread crumbs evenly between the chicken cutlets (or about 3 tablespoons bread crumbs per cutlet), sprinkling them evenly onto the mayonnaise mixture.
Bake the chicken in the preheated oven for 23-25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit and the bread crumbs are golden and crispy.
Serve the chicken hot with optional lemon slices to garnish.

Notes

Leftover chicken lasts covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. For best results, reheat it in a toaster oven over medium-low heat or an oven at 300 degrees for 4-6 minutes, or until the bread crumbs have crisped and the chicken is heated through.
This recipe can be made gluten-free by using rice panko bread crumbs.

Nutrition Information

Yield

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 377Total Fat 15gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 134mgSodium 621mgCarbohydrates 29gFiber 2gSugar 2gProtein 30g

This nutrition breakdown is just an estimate of the nutritional value of this recipe and cannot be taken as facts. The owners of Mae's Menu are not nutritionists or dietitians and therefore cannot be held accountable for this nutrition estimate. Please contact your nutritionist or medical professional for a nutritional breakdown of this food. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.