These Baked Breaded Chicken Cutlets are crisp and flavorful. Moist and tender on the inside, this chicken dish has all the tastiness of fried chicken without any of the greasiness.
If you like these chicken cutlets, you should try these tasty air fryer chicken tenders paired with some 3 ingredient Chick-Fil-A sauce.
Oven baked chicken cutlets
These baked breaded chicken cutlets are so delicious and full of flavor. Dredged in spices and Parmesan for taste and marinaded for moistness, you are going to love how this dish turns out. Because it’s baked in the oven and not fried, you get a healthier version of these chicken cutlets, but without sacrificing any flavor. And the outside is perfectly crispy. You can serve these oven-baked chicken cutlets with some garlic mashed potatoes, cheesy baked orzo, or scalloped potatoes. They also would pair wonderfully with some Air fryer broccoli, Air fryer Brussels sprouts, or garlic asparagus. This chicken recipe goes well with so many side dishes that the variations are endless.
Ingredients for oven baked chicken
For this recipe, you will need ingredients for the marinade and the dredge. The marinade consists of Mayonnaise, Montreal chicken spices, Salt, and Garlic cloves. For the dredge, you will need Grated Parmesan cheese and Plain bread crumbs. And, of course, you’ll need chicken breasts for your cutlets.
Flavor add-ins and substitutions
- Substituting Milk or Eggs for the mayonnaise for a lighter marinade
- Adding Parsley, Cayenne, or Black Pepper to the dredge for added flavor
- Using Gluten-free Panko instead of breadcrumbs for a gluten-free option
How to make breaded chicken in the oven
- Make the marinade. In a large bowl, add the chicken cutlets, salt, Montreal chicken spices, mayonnaise, and pressed garlic cloves.
- Make the dredge. In another bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese.
- Dredge the chicken. Using tongs, dredge the cutlets in the breadcrumb mixture. Place them on a baking sheet lined with foil. Then spray both sides of the chicken cutlets with nonstick cooking spray.
- Bake. Bake the chicken for 15-20 minutes in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Then flip the chicken and bake for 6 more minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through (with an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit). Serve.
Tips to make the chicken extra crispy
- Don’t dredge too early- Make sure that you dredge your chicken cutlets right before you bake them. Otherwise, the breadcrumbs will become soggy as they sit on the moist surface of the chicken, ruining the crispy outer layer.
- Coat well in cooking spray- It’s important to have a good covering of cooking spray because this helps the breaded chicken cutlet become crispy and flaky, in a healthier version of fried chicken.
- Cut the chicken cutlets evenly- To ensure even baking and the chicken cooking at the same rate, cut each cutlet to the same size and thickness. Otherwise, some will be cooked and others will still be raw when you remove them from the oven.
How long to bake chicken cutlets in the oven
Cook time depends on the thickness of your cutlets. If you’ve cut them relatively thin, they will cook much faster than a thicker cut. Tweak your cook time according to the cutlet size you prefer.
Can I make it ahead of time?
Yes, you can make these baked chicken cutlets ahead of time. If you would like to save time before baking, then marinate the chicken cutlets beforehand, even overnight. But save the dredge for right before baking to keep the breading crisp.
How long will it keep?
These baked breaded chicken cutlets will last in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in an airtight container. You can also freeze them for 1-3 months, and then reheat them in the oven when you are ready to serve them.
More chicken recipes to try!
Chicken is so versatile! For some more chicken options for dinner, you could try these healthy air fryer chicken thighs or Air fryer chicken wings. These baked breaded chicken skewers are delicious, as is this flavorful baked lemon chicken.
Baked Breaded Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lb. chicken breast
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tsp salt
- 3 tsp Montreal chicken spices
- 2 cloves grated garlic
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 1 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
Instructions
Marinate the chicken
- In a large bowl combine 2 pounds of chicken breast cutlets, 3/4 cup of mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons of salt, 3 teaspoons of Montreal chicken spices, and 2 pressed garlic cloves.
- In a separate bowl combine 1 1/2 cup of plain breadcrumbs along with 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese. 
Dredge and bake
- No using tongs dredge the chicken in the breadcrumb mixture and place it on a baking sheet lined with foil.
- Spray both sides of the chicken with nonstick spray and bake in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes. Then flip the chicken over and bake for an additional six minutes or until golden and cooked through. If you’re ever unsure if your chicken is cooked through, make sure the internal temperature of the chicken is at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit. 
Notes
- Don’t dredge too early- Make sure that you dredge your chicken cutlets right before you bake them. Otherwise, the breadcrumbs will become soggy as they sit on the moist surface of the chicken, ruining the crispy outer layer.
- Coat well in cooking spray- It's important to have a good covering of cooking spray because this helps the breaded chicken cutlet become crispy and flaky, in a healthier version of fried chicken.
- Cut the chicken cutlets evenly- To ensure even baking and the chicken cooking at the same rate, cut each cutlet to the same size and thickness. Otherwise, some will be cooked and others will still be raw when you remove them from the oven.
Nutrition
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Mark says
Tried the recipe tonight and was hopeful but it just didn’t work out for me.
It seemed to me the oil in the mayo then the cooking spray just soaks the bread crumbs to a point they didn’t crisp.
I dredged at the last minute and really pressed the crumbs to get good adhesion.
I think less mayo might be a solution I might try – maybe 1/3 cup.
I did save things somewhat by broiling the cutlets a few minutes on each side but by then the chicken was already cooked so they turned out tougher than I wanted.
The search continues for the perfect crispy cutlet with tender chicken inside.
Dina says
Hi Mark, I am sorry to hear that this chicken wasn’t a winner in your books. Every oven cooks a little differently. Maye mine runs a little higher? Did you try to do a quick broil to crisp up the outside of the chicken toward the end of cooking?
Kellie says
Would it turn out okay if I used half Panko and half bread crumbs?
Dina says
Hi Kellie 🙂 Yes, you can use half panko and half bread crumbs for this recipe. I hope you love these chicken cutlets!
Lynn says
I have to make these cutlets ahead fior Easter. What is the best way to reheat them once they are cooked and have been stored in the refrigerator?
Dina says
Hi Lynn 🙂 I would recommend reheating them in the oven or air fryer. I hope you love these chicken cutlets!
Melissa says
This recipe is a keeper!! My family loved it – my son gave it 10/10!!
Dina says
Yay! That is so awesome to hear Melissa! 🙂 Happy that your son loved these chicken cutlets so much! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your feedback and I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my blog 🙂
Matcg says
I followed all the instructions to the letter and even abided by all the tips and this didn’t turn out for me. The breading just sloughed off when I turned the chicken and it was a mess. I’m not going to rate it low since maybe it was my fault or my oven or something else but sadly this wasn’t a win for me
Dina says
Hi, I am so sorry to hear that the breading kept coming off. There are actually a few reasons why this might have happened. If the chicken was too wet before you dredged it in the mayonnaise, there is a chance that the extra moisture could have thinned out the mayo and caused the breading to become soggy and not adhere properly. Another reason it might have come off is that you might have not patted the breadcrumbs into the chicken well enough. So they might have been loose even before baking. I hope this helps answer your question.
Carissa Chatterton says
So good and tasty and so easy to prepare! We definitely will be making this again! *I did not have plain bread crumbs, only Italian bread crumbs so I just used those and didn’t add extra spice, and it still turned out beautifully.
Dina says
Yay! Happy to hear you loved this chicken cutlets recipe! Always ok to substitute with either of those bread crumbs 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your feedback, I really appreciate it! 🙂
Kay says
This chicken was so good! I was skeptical because of the mayo but you don’t taste it at all. I am very particular about my chicken cutlets having grown up in a traditional Italian household. The only differences I made based on what I had in the house was that I used chicken tenderloin and pecorino Romano cheese instead of Parmesan. I served it with roasted brussels sprouts with a little maple syrup drizzled on top of everything. It was so good, restaurant quality. Will absolutely make again!
Dina says
Wow Kay, thank you so much for the awesome recipe review! I really appreciate your feedback 🙂
Adele says
Best chicken breast recipe I have ever tried!
Didn’t have the correct seasoning, but made something similar. It’s the Mayo that keeps it moist!
simplyhomecooked says
Wow! You are too kind Adele! I am so happy that you loved these chicken cutlets so much 🙂 That mayo really helps 😉 Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your awesome feedback! I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my blog 🙂
Crissy says
This was delicious and we loved the seasoning on the chicken! It was soggy on the bottom when we served it so I think I need to buy an oven safe metal rack to cook on! Very good recipe!
simplyhomecooked says
So happy you loved these breaded chicken cutlets Crissy! Yes, an oven-safe metal rack would definitely help with that 🙂 Thank you for your feedback and I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my blog 🙂
Darlene Thomas says
I made this for supper last night and hubby loved it. The chicken was tender and moist, very tasty!
Hubby swears he will never eat Mayonnaise, Sour Cream, or Yogurt. So far he’s had all 3 this week and loved every meal. Should I tell him? LOL.
I’m looking forward to trying more of your recipes, thank you much!
simplyhomecooked says
Haha Darlene, that’s hilarious! 😆 I am so happy that you all enjoyed this breaded chicken recipe! I can’t wait for you to discover more recipes from my blog 🙂