Italian Breaded Chicken

Italian Panko Breaded Chicken.

My friend Julie has New Recipe nights frequently. On these nights, every recipe is new and exciting. It's a great idea and many awesome discoveries have been made at these dinners. This recipe came from one of the new recipe nights this past winter and I fell in love with it. Super simple, super delicious.

- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or breasts, depending upon your preference)

- 1 box Plain Panko bread crumbs

- 1 cup Italian dressing

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

Who can go wrong with 4 ingredients?

First of all: I love Panko bread crumbs. Panko is a variety of bread crumb usually used in Japanese cooking. Sounds a little bit intimidating, but don't be afraid. Panko bread crumbs are sold at most regular grocery stores and are crazy good. They stay crisp and make for a great texture in breading!

Second of all: I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I've been raised as a dark meat girl and I love the fact that chicken is a little bit juicier from this part of the chicken. Using boneless makes eating it a lot easier. And skinless keeps the fat content lower. I did add some Italian seasoning to the mix that isn't included in the picture. But everything else is simple: salt and Italian dressing.

Step 1: Marinade.

Let the chicken thighs marinade in the Italian dressing for 15-20 minutes.

Just let the chicken chill out in the dressing for a short time, no extended vacations here. 

Step 2: Bread the Chicken.

I poured the bread crumbs in a separate bowl and then breaded the chicken. I pulled the thigh apart to thin it out and breaded all of it. This helps with the cooking process as well. One thing that I would change from the way I prepared it is to only bread one side at a time. If not, the bottom of the chicken will get soggy before being turned while baking. 

Contrary to the picture, only bread one side before cooking.

Step 3: Cook.

I lined the pan with foil to help with cleanup. Just lay the chicken down flat with the breaded side up. 

With the thighs laid out, the pieces will be much bigger. 

Bake at 425 degrees for 9-11 minutes.

Step 4: Turn and bread the chicken. 

To get the chicken to cook in the best way (and more importantly- to get the breading to be it's crispiest) I turned the chicken half way through cooking. Because I changed the breading directions after I made it, I don't have a picture of the breading the bottom side.  I would suggest patting as much of the breading that will stick onto the newly "top" side after being flipped as possible onto the chicken.  Bake for another 9-11 minutes after flipping. 

Flip the chicken and add more bread crumbs for added crispness. Back in the oven for another 9-11 minutes! 

Step 5: Time to eat!! 

How great is a recipe with 5 steps (one of which is eating)?! The bread crumbs will be golden when the chicken is finished. I served my dinner with a simple Caesar salad. De-lish. 

Done-zo! 

I hope you enjoy this recipe! Let me know any suggestions or comments you have! 

Happy eating! Share the love!