January 26, 2022
updated
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This panéed chicken is a simple recipe made with thinly sliced, butterflied chicken breasts breaded and pan-fried to perfection in ten minutes!
Each bite of chicken is crispy, delicious, and it’s one recipe you’ll make on repeat. The best part is that you don’t need a deep fryer, all you need is a pan!
What is Panéed Chicken
Panéed chicken is a delicious creation made by pounding or butterflying chicken breasts into thin fillets, coating them with seasoned breadcrumbs, and lightly pan-frying in a little oil until golden and crisp.
I grew up eating panéed chicken in Spain and it wasn’t until years later that I fell in love with it again after eating it from a booth in New Orleans’ Jazz Fest. It was crispy, hot, and pure bliss with a cup of ice-cold strawberry lemonade.
Jazzfest is a major New Orleans event with lots of good music, including jazz, gospel, Latin music, rock, big bands, brass bands, and huge ticket artists. All of that’s great, but the real reason I go? The food!
There are a TON of incredible New Orleans dishes to enjoy and you can find many of them on my website like:
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Blackened Fish Tacos
Jambalaya
Crawfish Pies
Crawfish Bread
Cochon de Lait
and even Café au Lait
Panéed Chicken Ingredients
Here’s a list of everything you need to make perfect panéed chicken:
- butterflied chicken breasts: you want each chicken fillet to be thin. This helps it cook fast and in time with the breadcrumb coating, so you don’t get a burnt crust.
- all-purpose flour: used in the first layer of the crispy coating.
- salt & pepper: to season the flour.
- egg: mixed with water. The flour and egg mixture creates a glue that helps the breadcrumbs adhere to each fillet.
- breadcrumbs: regular breadcrumbs or Panko breadcrumbs will work.
- seasonings: Italian seasoning and garlic powder are mixed with breadcrumbs, so each bite is flavorful.
- Parmesan cheese: this ingredient is optional, but it adds that sharp, cheesy flavor to the coating. You’ll want to use grated Parmesan.
- oil: for frying. I recommend a neutral oil such as olive or vegetable.
If you’d like to make this recipe gluten-free, use a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour and gluten-free breadcrumbs.
How to Make Panéed Chicken
Making panéed chicken is a process, but don’t be intimidated; it’s simple. A helpful note to make dredging the chicken easier is to place the flour, egg wash, and breadcrumbs in separate shallow pie dishes. This way, each fillet has enough space to get evenly coated.
Another tip: keep a dry hand and a wet working hand.
- Butterfly the chicken
Pat dry each chicken breast and place it on a cutting board. With a sharp knife, butterfly each fillet. - Prep your station
In a shallow dish, combine the flour, salt, and pepper. In another dish, whisk the eggs and water. In a third dish, combine the breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and Parmesan cheese, if using. - Time to dredge
Dip the chicken pieces in the flour mixture. Then, coat both sides with the egg mixture, letting any excess egg drip back into the dish. - Coat with breadcrumbs
Transfer the coated chicken into the breadcrumbs dish, making sure to press down to coat the surface of the chicken on both sides. - Cook
In a large cast-iron skillet or pan, heat enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan over medium-high heat. Add the breaded chicken breasts, two at a time, and cook until the crust is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165F. - Serve
Remove the chicken from the pan and let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Watch this video to see it come together in a quick video!
What to Serve with Panéed Chicken
All that’s left is choosing what to serve with our panéed chicken. I’ve got a few ideas that will make this a complete meal and feed the soul:
- Southern Mashed Potatoes
- Creole Coleslaw
- Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
- Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
- Sweet Potato Salad
Panéed Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts, boneless skinless
- ½ cup flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, optional
- Oil, for frying
Instructions
- Pat dry each chicken breast and place it on a cutting board. With a sharp knife, butterfly each piece into two halves, beginning from one end to the other.
- In a shallow dish, combine the flour, salt, and pepper. In another shallow dish, whisk the eggs and water. In a third dish, combine the breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and Parmesan cheese if using.
- Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture making sure to shake off excess flour from both sides back into the dish. Then, coat both sides with the egg mixture, letting any excess egg drip back into the dish. Transfer the coated chicken into the breadcrumbs dish, making sure to press down to coat the surface of the chicken on both sides.
- In a large cast-iron skillet or pan with high sides, heat enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan over medium-high heat. Add the breaded chicken breasts, two at a time, and cook for 3 minutes per side or until the crust is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165F.
- Repeat the process with the remaining chicken breasts, removing any burnt tidbits from the pan if necessary and adding a little more oil to the grease the pan, as needed.
Cam
I loved panéed chicken and this recipe looks amazing! I can’t wait to try the crispy crust.
mum of all trades
This looks like my idea of heaven! Great photos, I can tell you’re enjoying every morsel.
Laura Fuentes
yes… I do love Jazz Fest food 🙂
BusyDad
Music, food, AND you got to hang with team Z? Lucky.
Laura Fuentes
I’d say it was a pretty good (great) day!