Baked Italian Chicken

Baked Italian Chicken is juicy and flavorful with a crunchy coating of homemade seasoned breadcrumbs for a dinner that’s oven-ready in minutes!

There's just something so classic and comforting about a baked chicken dinner, wouldn't you agree? When I was a child, such a dinner was typically attributable to Shake 'n Bake...and while undeniably tasty, we didn't really pay too much attention to ingredient lists back in the 80s. 😉 But these days, I do tend to stick with ingredients that I can pronounce, and I'm not crazy about feeding preservatives and additives to my family when I can avoid it.

So what's a baked chicken lovin' gal to do? Well, make your own seasoned breadcrumb coating, of course! Now this Baked Italian Chicken recipe is not intended to replicate Shake n' Bake. However, much like that fine culinary experience of my childhood, this chicken boasts a flavorful, crunchy coating that keeps the meat nice and juicy.

This Baked Italian Chicken was inspired by a lunch that I ate at a kiddie birthday party a few years ago. At the time, I was pregnant with my daughter...and I don't know about you other mamas out there, but for me, nothing in the world ever tastes as good as when I'm pregnant and hungry. So I may have ingested multiple pieces of chicken at that party. And then I possibly fantasized about the chicken once I got home. I finally broke down and e-mailed my friend to ask if her sweet Italian mom (who had baked the chicken) might have pity on a ravenous pregnant woman and share the recipe with me.

She did! So I baked it, and it was just as good as I remembered. And in the years to follow, I have made this Baked Italian Chicken countless more times, and guess what? It has been equally delicious every time since...no pregnancy hormones required!

Ingredients

Like most good cooks who work from memory rather than a recipe, my friend's mom shared a list of ingredients and somewhat vague directions with me. I've since quantified ingredient amounts and refined the prep process, making it easy for me to share this Baked Italian Chicken recipe today, inspired by that memorable birthday party meal.

• Chicken pieces. I definitely recommend using bone-in chicken for this recipe, because it retains more moisture and flavor as compared to boneless. My favorite cut would be chicken thighs, but my kids love drumsticks, so I usually do a combo of both. If you're a white meat fan, feel free to go for chicken breasts, but keep an eye on the cooking time...chicken is done when its internal temp hits 165°F, which may happen closer to 45 minutes than an hour with bone-in breasts.
• Italian breadcrumbs. Store-bought breadcrumbs works great for this Baked Italian Chicken. Or you can use Homemade Italian Breadcrumbs, which give you control over the ingredients, sodium, and ultimate flavor without having to worry about icky preservatives or artificial additives.
• Seasonings. To stir into the breadcrumbs. Specifically, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
• Extra-virgin olive oil. EVOO seals in the moisture and allows the breadcrumbs to stick to the chicken.

Prepping the Chicken

Whether you leave on the skin is up to you.

It sure is tasty when it crisps up underneath that crunchy breadcrumb coating, but I typically go the healthier route and remove it. 😉

Since it's rare for me to find bone-in, skinless chicken at the grocery store, I usually buy it with skin and just pull off the skin myself before breading the chicken. Kitchen shears are a girl's (or guy's) best friend in this process!

How to Make Baked Italian Chicken

(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)

Making this recipe is super simple!

1. Preheat the oven, line a sheet pan, and remove the skin from the chicken, should you so wish.
2. Measure the olive oil into a shallow dish and mix in the seasonings.
3. Pour the breadcrumbs into another dish.

4. Bread the chicken pieces by dipping each one into the oil and then pressing into the breadcrumbs.

4. Arrange breaded chicken on your pan and pop in the oven.

4. Bake until golden brown, flipping one time.

And that's all, folks...you're ready to enjoy a Baked Italian Chicken FEAST!

Side Dishes for Baked Italian Chicken

Not sure what to serve with your Baked Italian Chicken? Allow me to suggest a few ideas...

• Zucchini Marinara
• Five Cheese Ziti al Forno
• Parmesan Baked Veggies
• Cheesy Garlic Roasted Potatoes & Asparagus
• Parmesan Orzo with Lemon + Thyme
• Mashed Potatos + Peas

Baked Italian Chicken is a simple, scrumptious, classic dinner that your whole family will love.

But don't take my word for it...try it!

You'll quickly determine that it's the stuff of happy, chicken-eating dreams...preggo or not. 😉

More Easy Baked Chicken Dinners

• Copycat Shake 'n Bake Chicken Nuggets
• Sheet Pan Pesto Chicken + Veggies
• Crunchy Baked Chicken Tenders
• Taco Baked Chicken

Baked Italian Chicken

Baked Italian Chicken is juicy and flavorful with a crunchy coating of homemade seasoned breadcrumbs for a dinner that’s oven-ready in minutes!

By Samantha Skaggs

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 563kcal

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Ingredients

• 3 to 3 ½ pounds bone-in chicken thighs & drumsticks, approx. 8 to 9 pieces
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 to 2 ½ cups Homemade Italian Breadcrumbs, or store-bought

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Prepare chicken by removing skin, if desired.
• In a medium bowl, combine olive oil, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. In another bowl or shallow dish (like a pie plate), measure out 2 cups of Italian breadcrumbs. (Measure an additional ½ cup of breadcrumbs and leave them in the measuring cup so that you can easily add them to the bowl if additional crumbs are necessary, but they don't get contaminated with raw chicken juice in case you don't need them.)
• Dip a piece of chicken in the olive oil mixture, coating it on all sides. Place chicken in breadcrumbs and turn and press it into crumbs until evenly breaded. Place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces.
• Bake for 40 minutes. Using a metal spatula and/or tongs, carefully turn each piece of chicken over and bake for an additional 10 to 20 minutes, or until chicken is done (reaching an internal temperature of 165°F).

Notes

• Bone-in chicken breasts may be used as well, but since white meat cooks faster than dark, check for doneness sooner.
• Similarly, if you choose to use boneless chicken pieces (such as breasts and/or thighs), you'll need to reduce the cooking time.
• If you opt to remove the skin from your chicken pieces, kitchen shears make this job easier.

Nutrition

Calories: 563kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 989mg | Potassium: 422mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 235IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 4mg

Made this recipe? I'd love to see on IG!Mention @FiveHeartHome or tag #FiveHeartHome!

Post originally published on July 7, 2014 and updated on September 24, 2021, and September 4, 2024.