Panko and Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Panko is a type of breadcrumb used in Japanese cooking. Panko is different from traditional American bread crumbs in that it is lighter and ends up with a crispier texture after baking.
I wanted to experiment with it and I found this brand at the grocery store:

I decided to try combining the panko with parmesan cheese to create an oven baked chicken dish and this is the result.

Panko and Parmesan Crusted Chicken

chicken breasts
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
2 cups parmesan cheese (the dry Kraft kind- not freshly grated)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp paprika

Pound the chicken with a mallet to tenderize, if desired. Place in a baking dish and pour buttermilk over the chicken for at least 30 minutes.

In a large shallow dish, stir together the dry ingredients. (Exact portions are not necessary, and basil, thyme, or rosemary could be substituted for or added to the oregano). Sprinkle each chicken breast with salt and pepper, and dredge into the dry mixture, using your hands to thoroughly coat both sides.

Bake in a greased baking dish at 400 for about 45 minutes, or until golden brown.


Soak the chicken in buttermilk:

Prepare the dry mixture on a large shallow dish:

Dredge the chicken in the mixture:

Bake until golden brown:

It was absolutely delicious. And really simple to do. The combination of the panko and parmesan was unbeatable. I served it with steamed baby green beans and new potatoes with butter and dill.

Next time I will use smaller pieces of chicken so that we can have more crust, because that was our favorite part.