Description
A tangy and cheesy chicken dinner combining dill pickles and Parmesan for a flavorful, juicy baked chicken breast.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 oz each)
- 1 cup dill pickle juice (from a jar of dill pickles)
- 4–6 dill pickle slices, chopped (optional, for extra pickle flavor)
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup breadcrumbs (plain or seasoned — optionally gluten‑free)
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt (adjust, since pickles and Parmesan add salt)
- Fresh dill or parsley, chopped — for garnish (optional)
- Cooking spray or 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts in a shallow dish or resealable bag. Pour the dill pickle juice over them, ensuring they are fully submerged. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (up to 4 hours) to let the pickle flavor penetrate the chicken.
- Preheat your oven to 400 °F (200 °C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it with cooking spray or olive oil.
- In a shallow bowl, whisk the egg. In a separate bowl, combine the grated Parmesan, breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and salt.
- Remove the chicken breasts from the pickle juice (discard the juice), pat dry with paper towels, then lightly coat each piece with flour. Dip into the beaten egg, then press into the Parmesan–breadcrumb mixture so each chicken breast is evenly coated.
- If using chopped pickle slices, press a few onto the coated side of each chicken breast before placing them on the prepared baking sheet, coated-side up.
- Spray or lightly drizzle a bit of olive oil over the top of each coated chicken breast — this helps create a golden, crispy crust.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 22–25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165 °F (74 °C). If desired, broil for the last 1–2 minutes to further crisp the crust (watch carefully to avoid burning).
- Remove from the oven, let rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh dill or parsley before serving. Enjoy with a simple salad, roasted vegetables, or your favorite side.
Notes
- If you don’t have pickle juice, you can thinly slice about 6–8 dill pickles and lay them over the chicken during marinating — they will impart flavor similarly, though less intensely.
- Because pickles and Parmesan are salty, consider reducing added salt or serving with low‑salt side dishes.
- Cooking time may vary slightly depending on thickness of the chicken breasts; use a meat thermometer for best results.
- Leftover chicken is great cold or reheated — slice it and serve in sandwiches or wraps with a smear of ranch or mustard.
- To lighten up the dish, you can skip the breadcrumbs and simply bake the pickle‑marinated chicken topped with Parmesan (though crust will be less crunchy).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast (≈6 oz before cooking)
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 950 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 45 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
