Name: Baked Chicken Breasts with Parmesan-Garlic Crust
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs; 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan cheese; 3 cloves garlic cloves, minced; 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon table salt; Pepper; 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 to 7 ounces each), trimmed; 1/4 cup minced fresh basil; 1/4 cup mayonnaise; Lemon wedges for serving

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted a quick and tasty recipe for baked chicken breasts that would be a welcome weeknight addition to any cook’s repertoire. For the freshest flavor, we made our own bread crumbs from hearty white sandwich bread. We found that this chicken breasts recipe can also be pan-fried instead of baked by simply cooking the chicken in oil on the stovetop over medium to medium-high heat. This method also produced moist chicken with a crunchy brown crust.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan, garlic, oil, salt, and pepper to taste in bowl.

Pat chicken dry with paper towels and transfer to 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Combine basil and mayonnaise in small bowl and spread mixture evenly over chicken. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over mayonnaise, pressing lightly to adhere.

Bake until crumbs are golden brown and instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of chicken registers 160 degrees, 18 to 22 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.