What Is Panko?
Panko breadcrumbs are Japanese style breadcrumbs that are really just made from bread without crust. That’s why they’re so light and airy – it’s all the inside goodness of bread, with none of the dry crust included in the crumb.
It’s popular to use in place of regular breadcrumbs when frying food because of the texture it gets when it hits the oil and has a chance to crisp up. Because panko is so light and airy, it gets a ridiculous amount of crunch which is the key to all good fried food.
Making Panko Fried Chicken
We happen to think that Panko Fried Chicken is one of the best variations of fried chicken out there. All it takes is a simple egg wash to coat the chicken and bind the breadcrumbs seasoned with garlic powder and paprika to it.
Once the oil in a large frying pan or pot is hot, add the chicken and you let it bubble until the panko is a deep golden color and the chicken is cooked through. Are you ready for this juicy, crispy, fried bite of heaven?
Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. Do you like ketchup, honey mustard, BBQ sauce, or something else?
More Fried Chicken Recipes
Podcast Episode About Making Panko Fried Chicken
Listen to me explain briefly about how to make this recipe, with some great tips along the way, by clicking the play button below:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
Print
Panko Breaded Fried Chicken Recipe
Panko bread crumbs are the perfect thing to coat chicken in for frying because they crisp up so beautifully without adding too much bready flavoring. A simple egg wash binds it all together for the crispiest fried chicken ever.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 cups vegetable oil
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup unseasoned panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet or a stock pot to 300°F. Use a thermometer like this one to keep your oil at the right temperature.
- Meanwhile, butterfly the chicken breasts by slicing them in half lengthwise.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the panko, salt, garlic powder, paprika and pepper.
- Crack the egg into a small bowl and beat it until it’s an even color.
- Dip each piece of chicken in the beaten egg and allow any excess to drain off back into the bowl. Then dip the chicken in the panko mixture, covering completely. Repeat until all the chicken is coated.
- When the oil is hot, add a few pieces of the chicken to the pan, being sure to not crowd them. They shouldn’t touch.
- Fry for about 4-5 minutes per side, or until the chicken is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a wire rack with a paper towel underneath to drain the oil. Serve while warm.
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This post originally appeared in April 2019 and was revised and republished in June 2022.
GREAT recipe!!! I’ll be back!
Thank you so much, Bill! I’m glad you loved it.
Worked like a charm, ONLY, I used boneless thighs and made a large Sammie using Brioche bread..Mayo, SW Chipotle, Pickled Jalapenos and flat-leaf spinach. Mouth watering yet ?? Don`t lie !!!!
Wow! That sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing a great idea, and I’m so happy you liked the chicken too!
It’s so crispy. Love it
Thanks, Camilla! Glad you loved it.
Very good recipe and easy to make.
Thank you so much, Tracey!
Everybody loved it!
That’s wonderful, Virginia! Thanks for coming back to comment.
Than you for the recipe
You’re welcome, Deborah! 🙂
Great recipe, my wife loved it 👍
Glad to hear it, Mike! Thanks for coming back to rate the recipe.
I tried this batter on gizards and hearts and it worked and tasted great. Everyone at the dinner table wanted more!
Thanks for letting us know, Vince!
I recently tried the Chicken recipe, and it was a huge hit with my family!
I’m so glad to hear that, Shaheen! Thank you for commenting.
I have been fixing chicken with panko for 40years and my family loves it …my question is I seen a recipe with soy sauce and corn starch then roll in panko have u ever heard of that can’t find the recipe anymore can u advise
I am not familiar with a recipe like that, but I’ll keep my eye out, Rita!
Can I use avacado oil instead? I can’t use vegetable oil due to my health
I have not tried that, Raven, but avocado oil has a high smoke point and should work great here. Enjoy!
My husband made these tonight they were awesome.
So glad to hear that, Robert! Thanks for commenting.
Southern style fried chicken:
marinate the skinless chicken in buttermilk overnight
roll in seasoned self rising flour
dip in buttermilk agin
roll in Panko
fry it up
Can this be done with bone-in drumsticks? If so, are there any changes in cooking time?
Cynthia, bone-in drumsticks take longer to cook through than the butterflied boneless chicken breasts used here. If you want dark meat, I think that boneless skinless chicken thighs would work well. You’d want to unroll them so that they are flat and not in bundles before you bread them. They will take about the same amount of time as the butterflied breasts.
If you really want to do chicken drumsticks like this, I’m a bit worried that the breading will get too dark or burnt before the chicken is cooked through. But you can try it. It will be more like 8-10 minutes per side instead of 4-5. Use an instant-read thermometer to check that the internal temperature of the chicken at its thickest part is at least 160F, don’t let the thermometer touch bone though. If you try it with thighs or drumsticks, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Can i use this recipe in a deep fryer since i rarely own pan cutlery? And how long should i cook them for if there devided into smaller square pieces at 170°?
Amber, It would probably be better if you follow a recipe for oven-fried chicken instead. I have one that uses panko breadcrumbs. Here is the link https://thecookful.com/oven-fried-chicken/ That one calls for full chicken breasts though. If you want to cut the chicken breasts into smaller pieces, they could be overcooked and dry by the time the bread crumbs brown. I therefore would recommend using boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into smaller pieces because they don’t dry out as much as breast meat does. I hope that helps!
It was absolutely scrumptious! The chicken tender, juicy and super crispy. This recipe is a keeper, for me.
That’s wonderful to hear, Robijn!
It turned out soggy– not crispy at all!! I’m happy I marinated the chicken because I scraped off the batter and we ate it!! Still looking forward to trying another recipe of yours!! Thank you!!
Angela, I’m so sorry the recipe didn’t turn out for you. I’m not positive but it could have been the marinade. It is possible that the chicken absorbed some of the liquid and then released it when it was heating, making the breading soggy. I do hope you come back and try another recipe soon. Thanks for the comment!
Delicious! I put chicken in flour before eggs, though!
So happy you enjoyed, Melissa!
This panko-crusted chicken recipe was awesome! I thought it would be only fair to leave a review and let others know. It was so simple to follow, easy to put together, and the chicken turned out amazing! Crispy on the outside and still juicy on the inside.
Thanks, Kiley. So happy you enjoyed!