Cheesy Baked Chicken Breast (Printable Version)

Tender baked chicken topped with melted cheese and crispy breadcrumbs for a flavorful main dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 5.3 oz each)

→ Seasonings

02 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
03 - 1 teaspoon onion powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon paprika
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Topping

07 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
08 - 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
09 - 1/2 cup panko or regular breadcrumbs
10 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
11 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

→ Greasing

12 - 1 tablespoon olive oil or nonstick spray

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a baking dish with olive oil or nonstick spray.
02 - Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels and arrange them evenly in the greased baking dish.
03 - Combine garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Evenly sprinkle the seasoning mix over both sides of the chicken breasts.
04 - In a separate bowl, mix shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. Spread the cheese mixture evenly over the seasoned chicken breasts.
05 - Mix melted butter with breadcrumbs in a small bowl. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the cheese layer on the chicken.
06 - Bake in the preheated oven for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and the topping is golden and bubbly.
07 - Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The chicken stays impossibly tender while the topping gets genuinely crispy and golden, somehow both at once.
  • Four ingredients do the heavy lifting for flavor, so you're not hunting down anything obscure or complicated.
  • It's flexible enough to serve alongside a salad, some roasted vegetables, or even just on its own when you're tired.
02 -
  • Patting the chicken dry before seasoning changes everything—wet chicken steams instead of cooking evenly, and the seasoning doesn't stick the way it should.
  • That five-minute rest is not fancy—it's the difference between chicken that tears apart and chicken that stays tender and juicy all the way through.
03 -
  • If your chicken breasts are very thick, gently pound them to an even thickness before seasoning—it helps everything cook at the same rate.
  • Don't skip the melted butter on the breadcrumbs; it's what actually makes them crispy and golden instead of staying dense and pale.
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