Ridiculously excited for the crispiest, crunchiest baked parmesan chicken today!
aka, the best weeknight meal that we can’t stop eating. It’s so easy. It’s one of those embarrassingly easy flavor combinations that will make you wonder why you haven’t been eating it all along.
Maybe you have! This is how we love it and I’m going to ramble all about it.
I don’t know what it is about this super simple meal. I think I saw Ina Garten make something similar a few years ago and it’s always on rotation. It’s refreshing and crisp and satisfying and so so good.
It’s one of those meals that feels hearty enough if you’re hungry, but it’s still simple and well, green. Lots of greenery! Makes me feel better about life.
It’s fantastic!
I bake the chicken and once you get the hang of it, it’s so easy. I’ve been making chicken like this for years. You may remember – all my chicken strip recipes way back in the day? Definitely an Eddie favorite.
It’s especially good if you use a meat tenderizer on the chicken first and season it super well. Crispy crunchy bread crumbs and a bit of olive oil spray make the outsides have the best texture EVER.
And of course, parm! Can’t leave that out. I like to add it in with the bread crumbs and of course, it takes the flavor to another level.
Chicken isn’t even “my thing” but when it’s made like this? I can’t stop eating it.
Now let’s get to the arugula! I loooove me some arugula. I’ve been getting some arugula from a local farm each week and it’s so good. It’s so peppery and has that lovely bite. I find that all it needs is salt, pepper, lemon juice and parmesan! You can always do a lemon vinaigrette, but it’s not even necessary. The simplicity of the lemon, salt, pepper and parm is super delish with the arugula. Add a drizzle of olive oil if you’d like.
Be the happiest ever.
Baked Parmesan Chicken with Lemon Arugula
Yield: 4 people
Crispy baked parmesan chicken is super easy to make and so delicious! Served with a simple arugula salad – you will crave this dinner!
parmesan chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup seasoned panko bread crumbs
- 1 cup seasoning fine bread crumbs
- 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
lemon arugula
- 6 to 8 cups arugula greens
- pinch of salt
- pinch of pepper
- 1 to 2 lemons, juiced
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup freshly shaved parmesan
parmesan chicken
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top. Spray the rack with nonstick spray and set aside.
Pound the chicken with a meat tenderizer until it is about ¼ to ½ inch in thickness. Season the chicken well on both sides with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs. In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese. Dip each piece of chicken in the beaten egg and then dredge it through the bread crumbs, pressing lightly to adhere.
Place the chicken pieces on the wire rack. Spray each with a mist of olive oil/grapeseed oil/coconut oil (a high-heat oil is best!). Bake the chicken for 10 to 12 minutes, remove it from the oven, gently flip each pieces and mist with spray, then bake for 10 to 12 minutes more.
Note: The key to crunchy chicken fingers and keeping the breading on the chicken is the wire rack AND the misting spray!
lemon arugula
Place the arugula in a bowl and toss it well with salt and pepper. Squeeze on the juice of 1 lemon and drizzle on 1 tablespoons of olive oil and toss well. You can add more lemon juice/oil if you wish – go by your preference!
Add in the shaved parmesan and toss well. Serve immediately with the chicken.
Definitely wish I was eating that right this instant.
