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Oven Fried Chicken Breast cut on pan with bacon in background. The chicken is coated with Bacon Crumbs and Honey and it's healthier because it's baked, not fried, but still gives you all of the crispy, crunchy goodness!  It also gives you sweet and salty crunch with the addition of honey and bacon!

Crispy Baked Chicken Breast Cutlets with Bacon Crumbs and Honey

This is the ULTIMATE Family dinner that turns an ordinary chicken breast into an AWESOME treat!  Easy to make and amazingly delicious, it's my Crispy Baked Chicken Breast Cutlets with Bacon Crumbs and Honey! It's healthier because it's baked, not fried, but still gives you all of the crispy, crunchy goodness!  It starts with healthy, lean skinless and boneless chicken that is coated with sweet honey and then crispy bacon crumbs and garlic seasoned panko breadcrumbs.  Each bite delivers salty and smoky crunch with a sweet honey chicken inside.

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword Bacon, Baked chicken, chicken, chicken dinner, easy chicken dinner
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 208 kcal
Author Carrie Tyler

Ingredients

Breadcrumbs

  • 2 strips Cooked bacon
  • 1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon ground thyme
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Other

  • 1 ½ pounds Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless (about 3 breasts or 6 thin cutlets)
  • 2 eggs
  • 6 Tablespoons honey
  • 1 cup All Purpose White flour
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • ½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil Spray
  • 1 Tablespoon Italian Parsley, chopped

Instructions

Prep Ahead Steps

  1. **Before you get started, make sure that your bacon strips are cooked and drained on a paper towel**

  2. You will need 3 bowls that have a wide top for easy dipping of the chicken breasts. Each bowl will have it's own fork. Bowl One: Mix the flour, salt, and pepper. Bowl Two: Whisk the eggs and honey together. Bowl Three will be for the breadcrumbs in the next step.

    3 bowls on counter for Oven Fried Chicken Breast. One bowl has flour, another has honey and eggs, and the last has breadcrumbs. The chicken is coated with Bacon Crumbs and Honey and it's healthier because it's baked, not fried, but still gives you all of the crispy, crunchy goodness!  It also gives you sweet and salty crunch with the addition of honey and bacon!

  3. In a food processor, add the panko breadcrumbs, bacon broken into pieces, garlic powder, paprika, thyme, salt, pepper. Pulse and then blend until crumbs are fine. It's ok to have small chunks of bacon the size of rice. Transfer the crumbs to Bowl three.

    Bacon and breadcrumbs in food processor for Oven Fried Chicken Breast. The chicken is coated with Bacon Crumbs and Honey and it's healthier because it's baked, not fried, but still gives you all of the crispy, crunchy goodness!  It also gives you sweet and salty crunch with the addition of honey and bacon!

  4. If your chicken breasts are not already sliced thin, slice them from the side to create 6 thin pieces. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

Dredge & Cook

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 F degrees. Spray a large sheet pan with olive oil to coat the bottom.

  2. For each chicken breast slice, first coat in the flour mixture, then using the "Flour Fork", transfer to the egg/honey mixture. Using the "Egg Fork", dip and flip the chicken until all flour is coated, then transfer to the Breadcrumb bowl. Last, using the "Breadcrumb Fork" coat and flip the chicken until completely coated with the bacon and breadcrumbs. Transfer to the sheet pan.

    Raw chicken coated in bacon breadcrumbs on pan for Oven Fried Chicken Breast. The chicken is coated with Bacon Crumbs and Honey and it's healthier because it's baked, not fried, but still gives you all of the crispy, crunchy goodness!  It also gives you sweet and salty crunch with the addition of honey and bacon!

  3. When all chicken breasts have been coated and transferred to the sheet pan, spray them with the Olive Oil to moisten all of the breadcrumbs that you can. Gently flip the chicken breasts over and do the same to the other side. Place in the oven on the center rack for 15 minutes.

    Hand spraying oil on raw chicken coated in bacon breadcrumbs on pan for Oven Fried Chicken Breast. The chicken is coated with Bacon Crumbs and Honey and it's healthier because it's baked, not fried, but still gives you all of the crispy, crunchy goodness!  It also gives you sweet and salty crunch with the addition of honey and bacon!

  4. After the first 15 minutes, remove the sheet pan and gently flip the chicken using a large spatula, gently scraping the pan as you flip to lift any crumbs that may be sticking. Once all are flipped, put back in the oven and bake for the final 10 minutes.

    Oven Fried Chicken Breast on pan. The chicken is coated with Bacon Crumbs and Honey and it's healthier because it's baked, not fried, but still gives you all of the crispy, crunchy goodness!  It also gives you sweet and salty crunch with the addition of honey and bacon!

  5. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and enjoy!

    Crispy Baked Chicken Breast Cutlets with Bacon Crumbs and Honey cut on plate with fork. The chicken is coated with Bacon Crumbs and Honey and it's healthier because it's baked, not fried, but still gives you all of the crispy, crunchy goodness!  It also gives you sweet and salty crunch with the addition of honey and bacon!

Recipe Notes

  1. You can also use chicken tenders or boneless chicken thighs, but I would not use legs or wings for this one.
  2. If you want to substitute the bacon for something else, you can use grated parmesan cheese (about ¼ cup). The bacon brings a nice salty flavor to the breadcrumbs and the parmesan will do the same. If you leave both out, you might want to add a pinch more salt and ¼ cup more panko breadcrumbs.
  3. You can prep and even bake these breaded chicken breasts cutlets up to 5 days in advance. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat them, place on a sheet pan in a 350 F degree oven for 10-15 minutes until heated through.
  4. You can prep and coat these chicken breasts cutlets in the bacon breadcrumbs and then flash freeze on a sheet pan in the freezer for 2-3 hours. Once frozen, you can transfer to an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 4-6 months.