Crispy Parmesan Chicken with Creamy Lemon Pasta Recipe

Introduction: The Combination of My Dreams

Every time dinner gets boring, the answer is crispy chicken. This version — Crispy Parmesan Chicken with Creamy Lemon Pasta — might be the most delicious crispy chicken ever made. The flavor is locked in thanks to Parmesan and, don’t be mad, mayo. One bite and it’s just… yeah. There it is. That juicy, umami, crispy golden flavor.

The mayo coating is easiest to work with if you brush it on, then spoon the crumbles on top, all right on the sheet pan. Low lift, high reward. The combination of golden crispy chicken with creamy, luscious lemony pasta is glorious. Fresh basil and lemon zest on top? Served with green beans or salad? 10/10! All family members completely devoured this and went back for seconds. Even the pickiest eater — who is five and decided to dip it in soy sauce — was singing its praises.

The Recipe: Crispy Parmesan Chicken with Creamy Lemon Pasta

This recipe earns 4.5 stars from 15 reviews. Total time is 40 minutes: 20 minutes prep and 20 minutes cook time. It yields 4 servings and is categorized as Dinner with an Italian cuisine. Cooking methods include boiling and frying. The recipe card includes US units, scale options of 1/2x, 1x, and 2x, and Cook Mode to prevent your screen from going dark. Keywords include lemon pasta, creamy pasta, pasta dinner, chicken cutlets, crispy chicken.

Crispy Parmesan Chicken Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup mayo
Avocado oil spray

Creamy Lemon Pasta Ingredients

8 ounces pasta (mafalda is recommended, about half the box)
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon chicken base
1 cup heavy cream
Zest of half a lemon
1 tablespoon lemon juice (half a lemon)

Garnish

A handful of fresh basil leaves, cut into fine ribbons
A lemon wedge for serving

Step-by-Step Instructions

Prepare and Coat the Chicken

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment. Cut each chicken breast into thin, flat pieces — not bite-sized, but something that looks like a thin chicken breast. For example, if a one-pound package gives two chicken breasts, often cut into 3-4 thin pieces per breast. Thin chicken is essential! Pat the chicken dry if it has a lot of moisture.
Mix the Parmesan, panko, Italian seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, and salt in a bowl.
Place mayo in a bowl. Brush each chicken piece to coat with a thin layer of mayo. Spoon the panko mixture evenly over each piece. Press firmly to adhere the crumbs, getting it as well-coated as possible. Carefully flip chicken pieces and repeat on the other side. Finally, spray the top side with avocado oil spray until coated. Some crumbles will remain on the baking sheet — that’s fine.
Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until the chicken looks golden. Turn on the broiler; broil for 1-2 minutes. Grab each piece along the sides with tongs, flip, and broil the back side so it becomes very golden and crispy all around and reaches an internal temperature of 165.

Make the Creamy Lemon Sauce and Pasta

Melt butter over medium low heat. Add garlic; sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add flour; sauté for another 2-3 minutes. It will bubble and get a bit foamy.
Add cream, water, and Better Than Bouillon. Simmer for about 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened and clings to the back of a spoon. Remove from heat to cool slightly. Stir in lemon zest and lemon juice.
Cook pasta according to package directions. When draining, reserve a bit of pasta water. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to combine. Add reserved pasta water as needed.
Serve: Slice the crispy chicken into strips. Scoop the hot, saucy pasta into shallow bowls, place the chicken slices on top, and finish with basil ribbons. Sometimes grab the extra crumbles from the sheet pan and sprinkle them on top, and serve with a lemon wedge. OOOOH BABY!

Tips and Substitutions from the Community

Readers have shared multiple ways to lighten or adapt this dish. For heavy cream, commenters suggest evaporated milk, cashew cream, unsweetened soy milk, or reduced-fat milk. One reader successfully used light mayo and unsweetened soy milk, adding cornstarch to the sauce before the lemon juice. Another made a gluten-free version with great success. Several asked about air fryer methods, with mixed results. To keep the underside crispy, one commenter noted that chicken juices can make the coating moist; the chicken is still tasty. If crumbs stick to parchment, pressing them on more firmly can help. A reader who struggled to thicken the sauce added a little cornstarch. And if you love the sauce, one reviewer recommends doubling it.

What Readers Are Saying

With 4.5 stars from 15 reviews, the feedback is overwhelmingly positive, with a few helpful tips.

Donna: What can I substitute for the heavy cream?
Jill Curry: Evaporated milk is often a go-to heavy cream substitute, though the recipe creator may have a better idea.
Gretchen Garnett: Wondering too, might try cashew cream, which has worked in other recipes.
Rebecca: Loves the recipes and can’t wait to try this one.
Cheryl: Where can I find the video to see exactly how to cut the chicken?
Linda: Wegmans and other grocery chains sell thinly sliced chicken breast, much easier than slicing yourself.
Liza M: A dish just like this is served at Bar Italia in Lakewood, Ohio (malfadine and all!), and she was looking to recreate it.
Sarah: Can’t find the video on how to cut the chicken, would love to see it.
Joaney: Modified the recipe to be gluten free; family LOVED everything. 5 STARS.
Allison Nelson: Made tonight and it was a HIT with the whole family; pickiest eater declared it delicious.
Yolanda Chang: Miss for me; mayo breaded & baked method didn’t yield crispy chicken and crumbs slid off, but the pasta part is really good.
Becca: DIVINE! Whole family devoured it exactly as written.
Cara: So good; breadcrumbs started to burn on 2nd broil, oven might be the culprit; curious about heavy cream alternatives.
Wensy: Have you tried doing this chicken in the air fryer?
Terry G: Can I make this in the air fryer? Another similar chicken recipe didn’t get crispy enough.
Liz: Just made for dinner — so good. We loved it.
Lisa: Can the chicken be made in an air fryer?
Haley: Delicious; added parmesan to the sauce as well; family loved it; easy and quick for weeknight rotation while feeling fancy.
Alicia: So yum; family gobbled it up; used reduced-fat milk instead of cream; turned out great.
Sarah: Really good; will make again.
Andi Guy: SO good; chicken especially amazing; struggled to thicken sauce and added cornstarch; once fixed, yummy.
Jill: Good flavor, but chicken never got crispy; tried air fryer afterwards without quite working.
Karen: Dang amazing; too hot outside, had saved it; super easy and full of flavor; going on high rotation.
Theresa Jensen: Kids and family LOVED; how to keep underside crispy? Coating was moist from juices, but still TASTY.
Sarah: SO GOOD; lightened with light mayo and unsweetened soy milk; kids loved it even though they usually only eat factory nuggets.
Anne: Fabulous; recommend doubling the sauce; made with tenders; amazing.
Annie Charters: Huge hit; 17yo had 4 pieces of chicken.
Dee: Soooo delicious; help panko crumbs stick to parchment paper and pull off when turning.

About the Author

Lindsay is the creator behind Pinch of Yum. A former 4th grade teacher, she is now a full-time blogger. She lives in Minnesota with her husband Bjork, and her favorite things include her camera, lake days, and dark chocolate. Pinch of Yum offers a free eCookbook featuring the site’s top 25 recipes, and it is a Raptive Partner Site. Published July 22, 2026. Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment or rating below!