Description
How to make tender baked Caesar chicken with creamy parmesan sauce that brings restaurant flavors to your dinner table in just 45 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Coating
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Creamy Parmesan Sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Prep Chicken: Preheat oven to 425°F and pound chicken breasts to even 3/4-inch thickness. Season both sides with salt and pepper, then let rest while preparing coating mixture.
- Make Coating: Combine panko, parmesan, garlic powder, and pepper in a shallow dish. Drizzle with olive oil and mix until evenly moistened – this creates the golden crust.
- Coat Chicken: Press each chicken breast firmly into coating mixture, turning to coat both sides completely. Place on greased baking sheet with space between pieces for even browning.
- Bake Chicken: Bake for 22-25 minutes until internal temperature reaches 165°F and coating is golden brown. Rest chicken for 5 minutes while making the sauce.
- Start Sauce: Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute.
- Finish Sauce: Gradually whisk in milk, cooking until thickened, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in parmesan, lemon juice, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Serve Together: Slice chicken and arrange on plates. Spoon warm creamy parmesan sauce over top and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve immediately while everything is hot and perfect.
Notes
- Don’t skip pounding chicken to even thickness for uniform cooking.
- Store leftover chicken and sauce separately to maintain coating crispness.
- Gradually add milk while whisking to prevent sauce from curdling.
- Fresh parmesan melts much better than pre-grated varieties.
- Sauce can be made ahead and reheated with extra milk if needed.
- Double the sauce recipe – it’s amazing over pasta and vegetables too.
Allergy Information: Dairy, Gluten
Nutrition
- Calories: 385 calories
- Fat: 18g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Protein: 42g