Cheesy Baked Chicken Breast (Printable)

Tender chicken breasts topped with melted cheese and crispy breadcrumbs, baked to a golden finish.

# 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 (about 3.5 oz)
08 - 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (about 1.75 oz)
09 - 1/2 cup panko or regular breadcrumbs (about 1.6 oz)
10 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
11 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

→ For greasing

12 - 1 tablespoon olive oil or nonstick cooking 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 prepared baking dish.
03 - Combine garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle this seasoning blend evenly over both sides of each chicken breast.
04 - Mix shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheeses together, then evenly distribute over the seasoned chicken breasts.
05 - Combine melted butter with breadcrumbs. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the cheese-covered 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. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The chicken stays impossibly moist while the topping turns crispy and golden, like two textures decided to be best friends.
  • It comes together faster than ordering takeout, but tastes like you actually planned something.
  • You can throw this on the table for weeknight dinner or dress it up for company without changing a thing.
02 -
  • Skipping the drying step ruins everything—wet chicken steams instead of bakes, and your beautiful crispy top becomes sad and soggy.
  • Use an instant-read thermometer to check doneness because overcooked chicken is dry chicken, and that defeats the whole purpose.
  • Don't skip letting it rest those five minutes or your cheese will run all over the place and your hands will burn.
03 -
  • An instant-read thermometer is genuinely worth having—it removes all the guesswork and guarantees perfectly cooked chicken every time.
  • Make sure your oven rack is positioned in the middle so the top browns without the bottom burning, and if your topping browns too fast, loosely tent it with foil for the last few minutes.
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