There are several ways to bread chicken. Your basic store bought breadcrumbs, Japanese panko breadcrumbs, a simple flour dredge and homemade breadcrumbs are all solid choices, but there are so many other options…
We can bread chicken with crushed pretzels, chicharrones or even ranch doritos, but as wonderfully flavorful as those all are I would say that crushed butter crackers are my favorite.
Juicy chicken crusted in seasoned butter crackers and baked in butter. I mean c’mon.
Let’s get started…
To begin, gather 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, 2 eggs, 1 cup of crushed butter crackers, some garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper, 1/2 cup of butter and fresh parsley.
I also love garnishing this chicken with some finely shredded parmesan before serving, but this is totally optional.
In a shallow dish, combine a cup of crushed butter crackers with a teaspoon of garlic powder, a teaspoon of onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper.
In a second shallow dish, whisk 2 eggs and season generously with a pinch of salt and black pepper.
To prepare the chicken, dip each piece into the seasoned eggs and allow the excess to drip off before transferring the chicken into the crushed butter crackers. Ensure the chicken is well coated in cracker crumbs and then transfer the coated chicken into a shallow baking dish.
Now that the chicken is coated, cut 1/2 cup of butter into cubes and arrange the cubes over and around breaded chicken breasts.
Bake the chicken, uncovered, in a 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes. Around 35 minutes into the bake, carefully baste the tops of each chicken breast with the melted butter. This will help to not only add more of that beautiful buttery goodness to the tops of each chicken breast, but it will also help the cracker crumbs develop a golden brown, crispy texture, as well. You can do this with an actual baster or using a large spoon.
Once the chicken is cooked through with an internal temperature of 165 degrees, carefully transfer the baking dish onto a heat proof surface.
While the chicken is still sizzling hot, sprinkle some extra sea salt, some finely chopped fresh parsley and finely shredded parmesan over the entire dish.
This chicken is so juicy and tender. The breading helps to lock in moisture and adds a fabulously crispy coating that soaks up the butter perfectly.
This chicken is super versatile. I love serving it over a fresh green salad, but I also love pairing it with some creamy mashed potatoes , parmesan toasted orzo or a bowl of buttery spaghetti. Whether you want to go in a lighter direction or something a bit more rich, this garlic butter bakes chicken is a delicious dish that everyone will love.
Butter Cracker Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup of crushed butter crackers
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1/2 cup of butter, cubed
- fresh parsley, finely chopped
- parmesan, finely shredded
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
- Whisk 2 eggs in a shallow dish and season generously with salt and black pepper
- Combine 1 cup of crushed butter crackers with 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper in a second shallow bowl
- Dip each chicken breast in the seasoned eggs and then into the seasoned cracker crumbs
- Transfer the breaded chicken breasts into a baking dish
- Arrange 1/2 cup of butter cubes over and around the breaded chicken breasts
- Bake, uncovered, in a 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees
- Baste the chicken with the melted butter towards the end of the baking time
- Once the chicken is cooked through, transfer the baking dish onto a heat proof surface
- Garnish with some additional sea salt, finely chopped parsley and finely shredded parmesan before serving
