Description
A copycat recipe of the famous Longhorn Steakhouse Parmesan Crusted Chicken featuring boneless chicken breasts browned to perfection, topped with optional melty mozzarella and provolone, then finished with a crispy Parmesan-breadcrumb-garlic crust. This easy dinner recipe takes just 40 minutes and uses simple ingredients for an impressive meal the whole family will love.
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
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4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
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2 tablespoons olive oil
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Salt and black pepper, to taste
For the Parmesan Crust:
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1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
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½ cup breadcrumbs (or panko)
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¼ cup melted butter
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3 cloves garlic, minced
Optional Cheese Topping:
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½ cup shredded mozzarella
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¼ cup provolone
For Garnish:
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Fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
Get your oven going at 375°F. I always forget to do this first and end up standing around waiting for the oven, so learn from my mistakes. Spray down a baking dish with that cooking spray. If you’ve got one of those oven-safe skillets, even better—you can use it for the whole thing and have one less dish. My mother-in-law got me one for Christmas two years ago and I use it constantly now.
Pat your chicken dry with paper towels. I know, I know, it seems extra. But I watched some cooking show once where they explained that wet chicken doesn’t brown, it just steams and gets weird. So now I always do it. Hit both sides with salt and pepper—like, more than you think. My grandmother always said you can’t undersalt chicken, and she made the best chicken I’ve ever had, so I listen to her even though she’s been gone five years.
Heat up your olive oil in the skillet on medium-high. You want it hot—like, shimmering but not smoking. I used to crank it to high and just burn everything, so medium-high is the sweet spot. Put your chicken in there carefully because that oil will absolutely spit at you if you’re not careful. Ask me how I know. Then—and this is the hard part—leave it alone. Don’t poke it, don’t lift the corner to peek, just let it be for 3-4 minutes. It’ll get this gorgeous golden color on the bottom. Flip it, do the same to the other side. It’s not gonna be cooked through and that’s fine—we’re finishing it in the oven.
Move your chicken to that baking dish you prepped, or if you’re using the oven-safe skillet, congrats, you’re already done with this step. Make sure the pieces aren’t smooshed together. They need room to breathe so the crust gets crispy all over instead of steamy where they touch.
Dump your Parmesan, breadcrumbs, melted butter, and minced garlic into a bowl. Mix it up with a fork until it looks like that kinetic sand stuff my kids have—wet but crumbly. If it’s not holding together at all, add a tiny bit more butter. Not too much though or it gets greasy.
Sprinkle that mozzarella and provolone over each chicken breast. I put “optional” in the ingredient list but between you and me, it’s not really optional if you want it to taste like Longhorn’s. This is the layer that makes people go “wait, you made this at home?” My dad straight up didn’t believe me the first time.
Divide up that Parmesan mixture between your four pieces of chicken. Get in there with your hands and really press it onto the top. Pack it down like you’re making a snowball. The first time I made this, I barely sprinkled it on top and half of it fell off in the oven. Don’t be gentle—pile it on thick and press it down.
Stick it in the oven and set your timer for 20 minutes. Then check it. My oven’s a little wonky—it runs hot on the left side for some reason—so I usually rotate the pan halfway through. You want the chicken at 165°F internal temp and the crust all golden and crispy looking. Mine’s usually done at 23 minutes but give yourself up to 25 depending on your oven.
If you want to get fancy, flip the broiler on high and give it another minute or two. But I’m serious—stand there and watch it. I was loading the dishwasher once and came back to find a burned crust. I almost cried. It only takes like 90 seconds under the broiler to go from perfect to ruined.
This is where you practice patience, which I’m terrible at. Let it sit for 5 minutes before you cut into it. I know it smells amazing and everyone’s hungry but those juices need to settle back into the meat. Otherwise it all runs out onto your cutting board and you end up with dry chicken. Chop up some parsley and sprinkle it on top. Makes it look like you know what you’re doing.
Notes
Use freshly grated Parmesan instead of the pre-grated stuff in the green can. Fresh Parmesan melts better, tastes sharper, and creates a more cohesive crust. It’s worth the extra three minutes of grating.
Don’t overcrowd your skillet when browning. If your chicken breasts are touching, they’ll steam instead of sear. Work in batches if needed.
Room temperature chicken cooks more evenly than cold chicken straight from the fridge. Take it out 20 minutes before you start cooking.
If your crust starts browning too quickly, tent the dish loosely with aluminum foil and continue baking until the chicken reaches temperature.
Panko breadcrumbs create an even crispier crust than regular breadcrumbs because of their larger, flakier texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Searing and Baking
- Cuisine: American