We’d like to give chicken a huge shoutout! Because without it, what else would we eat for all our basic, non-special dinners?! Well, these Breaded Chicken Breasts would like to celebrate and also bring a little more flavor to those bland, forgettable meals we were referring to. These big hunks of meat are heavily coated in savory, zesty breadcrumbs, pan-fried, and then roasted to make sure every slice is as crispy, juicy, and flavorful as the next. Sounds like a pretty delicious way to celebrate, eh? Breaded Chicken Breasts are here to bring new life to poultry for dinner!
Ingredients
- 10 slices white bread, crusts discarded and slices torn into pieces
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, finely grated
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 4 (6-ounce) chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, pounded to equal thickness
- 1/3-1/2 cup oil, for shallow frying
- lemon wedges, to taste, for serving
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Place the bread pieces on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high heat until they are dried out, about 1 minute.
Step 3 –Place the bread pieces, the thyme, the lemon zest, the salt, and the pepper in a food processor and pulse until crumbs form.
Step 4 –Separately place the flour, the eggs, and the breadcrumbs into three shallow dishes.
Step 5 –Pat the chicken breasts dry and season both sides with the salt and the pepper.
Step 6 –Dip the breasts into the flour and shake off the excess.
Step 7 –Run the breasts through the beaten eggs to lightly coat them, and then hold them over the liquid, letting any excess fall back into the bowl.
Step 8 –Lay the breasts in the breadcrumbs, turn them over, and press them into the breading to coat.
Step 9 –Lay the chicken breasts on a piece of wax paper.
Step 10 –Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the oil.
Step 11 –Lay 2 of the chicken breasts into the oil, smooth-side down, and cook, without turning, until the bottom is beginning to brown, about 2 minutes.
Step 12 –Flip the breasts and cook until they are equally brown on the other side, about 2 minutes. Transfer the breasts to a paper-towel-lined plate.
Step 13 –Repeat the cooking process with the remaining chicken breasts.
Step 14 –Place the browned chicken breasts on a rack over a baking pan and bake until their internal temperature reaches at least 165 degrees F, about 6-8 minutes.
Step 15 –Squeeze the lemon wedges over the chicken breasts.
Step 16 –Serve.
