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What is the best way to bread chicken? Here, you'll see a breakdown of the most effective method to turn those ubiquitous boneless skinless thighs or breasts into beautiful breaded patties for chicken fingers, chicken parmesan, and fried chicken sandwiches.

Breaded chicken on plate with parsley and lemon slices

Yes, you can buy chicken nuggets or pre-breaded chicken but have you ever read the list of ingredients? Breading is easy once you get the hang of it. It is all about making those nice crunchy breadcrumbs to stick to the chicken!

How to make breaded chicken

Prepare the ingredients

  • Gently pound out your chicken until it is of even thickness. You can use a meat mallet, or if you don't have one try the wide blade of a knife or even a small skillet or large metal measuring cup.
preparing chicken by using a mallet to pound it
  • Place flour seasoned with salt, bread crumbs, and beaten egg in separate bowls.
Dredging bowls for breading chicken

Bread the chicken

  • Season the chicken with salt and dredge it in the flour until well coated. Always, shake off excess flour.
  • Place the chicken in the eggs. Lift the chicken out and let the excess egg drip off,
  • Put the chicken in the breadcrumbs. Cover all the chicken 's surface in the breadcrumbs and press firmly to help the breadcrumbs adhere.
  • Lay the chicken out for 15-20 minutes to allow the breadcrumbs to absorb the moisture. This will allow for more even cooking.
4 image collage to show how to bread the chicken
  • Cook the chicken following your preferred method of baking, frying, or air frying.
Breaded chicken on pan

Tips for breading chicken

  1. Start on the stovetop and finish in the oven. To cook the chicken evenly without any burnt spots, pan fry the chicken breast first to get a crisp outside and then finish in the oven.
  2. Arrange your ingredients assembly-line style in order of use ending with the cooking pan. It helps to set things up in straight line: raw chicken, a plate with flour, a plate with egg, a plate with breadcrumbs, then the cooking pan. Breading chicken is always a little messy, but this helps.
  3. Pat the chicken dry. Before dipping in the flour, blot the chicken with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
  4. Use homemade breadcrumbs. It might be an extra step in making your own breadcrumbs but they are literally made with just one ingredients without added fillers, which makes the recipe more wholesome. Check out the tutorial for how to make breadcrumbs.

Recipes with breaded chicken

  • Breaded Air Fryer Chicken
  • Pickle Brined Chicken Tenders
  • Oven Fried Chicken Tenders
  • Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken
  • Crispy Parmesan Crusted Chicken (Baked)
  • Crispy Chicken Salad with Sriracha Honey BBQ Dressing
  • Crispy Chicken Parmesan
  • The Best Crispy Baked Chicken Nuggets
  • Crispy Baked Honey Mustard Chicken
  • Lemon Chicken Piccata

Frequently asked questions

Can chicken be breaded ahead of time and cooked later?

Yes, you can bread chicken and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before cooking.

Is freezing raw, breaded chicken pieces advisable?

No. It doesn't really work. A much commoner practice is to freeze the cooked chicken.

Why does the breading fall off my chicken?

Build the thin but important flour, egg, breadcrumb layers carefully. Start with the driest chicken you can, shake off excess flour before the chicken dipping into the egg, and then let excess egg drip off, also. Pat the crumbs on and let everything sit. Pan-frying? Don't poke and prod. Let the chicken sit in the oil and then flip.

Close up of breaded chicken on a plate

Breaded chicken is the basis for so many yummy meals and in general, kids, of of all ages love it. Plus, you can make it plain or add lots of spices to your bread crumbs or mix it up with dipping sauces. Have fun!

For more cooking tutorials, check out:

  • How to Cook Quinoa
  • How to Cook Rice
  • How to Cook Pasta Perfectly
  • How to Make Chicken Stock
  • How to Make Oatmeal
  • How to Poach an Egg
  • How to Make Aioli
  • How to Make Homemade Salad Dressing
  • How to Make Pesto
  • How to Make Marinara Sauce

If you've tried this healthy-ish feel goodHow to Bread Chickenrecipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don't forget torate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!

Prep Time 5 mins

Total Time 20 mins

  • 2 Chicken breasts or 4 chicken thighs
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 cups breadcrumbs

  • Using a meat mallet, gently pound out the chicken so that it is even, season with salt.

  • Place flour and remaining salt in a bowl, place eggs in a bowl, place breadcrumbs in a bowl.

  • Dredge the chicken in the flour until well coated, shake off excess flour, then place the chicken in the eggs. Lift the chicken out and let the excess egg drip off, place in the breadcrumbs.

  • Cover the chicken in the breadcrumbs and press firmly to help the breadcrumbs adhere.

  • Lay the chicken out for 15-20 minutes to allow the breadcrumbs to absorb the moisture. This will allow more even cooking.

  • Cook the chicken following your preferred method of baking, frying or air frying.

Storage: The chicken can be breaded up to a day ahead and kept in the refrigerator.

Nutrition: Please note that the nutrition label provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients you use.

Photo Credit: Erin Jensen

Calories: 601 kcal , Carbohydrates: 87 g , Protein: 40 g , Fat: 8 g , Saturated Fat: 2 g , Cholesterol: 154 mg , Sodium: 850 mg , Potassium: 621 mg , Fiber: 4 g , Sugar: 4 g , Vitamin A: 153 IU , Vitamin C: 1 mg , Calcium: 126 mg , Iron: 6 mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.