Dijon-Garlic-Herb Panko Crusted Chicken

A few years ago I started using Panko breadcrumbs when making breaded chicken, veggies, etc. It's a Japanese breadcrumb, and each crumb is larger in size than traditional store-bought breadcrumbs, and they add a ton of crunch, even when baked.

The other night I used Panko breadcrumbs to make a variation of this recipe for Mustard-Herb-Panko Crusted Chicken from the blog For the Love of Cooking. The original recipe called for Italian Style Panko Breadcrumbs, however, whenever you buy something already seasoned (marinated meats, breadcrumbs, bottled marinades, etc) it usually comes with a lot of extra sodium (the brand I looked at had 450 mg per serving compared to 50 mg per serving in plain Panko). Therefore, I seasoned my own breadcrumbs. My version of the recipe is below; amounts are approximate.

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 c Panko breadcrumbs mixed with 1 tbsp Italian herbs (I like McCormick's Perfect Pinch, Italian), 1 tbsp dried parsley, and a bit of extra dried basil and dried thyme
• Cooking spray
• 1 tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese (optional, I threw it on at the end)

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray it with cooking spray.
• Mix the Dijon mustard and garlic
• Season chicken with salt and pepper, and then coat it with the Dijon-garlic mixture. Dip in breadcrumb mixture and then place on the cookie sheet.
• Bake on 450 approximately 25 minutes, or until the chicken's internal temperature has reached 170 degrees. When there are just 2-3 minutes left, sprinkle them with the cheese and turn the broiler on. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Look how crispy! They were so moist and flavorful, too.

I served them with roasted broccoli and a simple Garlic Parmesan Risotto.