Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Ritz Parmesan Chicken
A buttery cracker coating gives this chicken a comforting crunch. Parmesan and basil mingle with the crumbs, and a little lemon cuts through the creamy coating underneath. It's an appealing combination of a golden outside and a simple chicken dinner at its center.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 6 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Dinner · Main course
- Primary protein
- Chicken
- Cuisine
- American
- Cooking method
- Baking · Baked & roasted
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
A few quick notes
1. Keep two coating bowls
Mix mayonnaise with lemon juice in one bowl and the cracker mixture in another.
2. Follow the coating order
Dredge the chicken in the mayonnaise mixture before coating it with the cracker crumbs.
3. Prepare the tray first
Line and prepare the baking sheet as directed before the coated chicken goes on it.
Get to know the ingredients
Crushed Ritz crackers
Crush the crackers before mixing them with Parmesan and dried basil.
Lemon mayonnaise
Stir the lemon juice into the mayonnaise for the chicken's first coating.
Grated Parmesan
Mix the Parmesan into the cracker crumbs rather than adding it as a separate topping.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 5 steps completeMake room for Ritz Parmesan Chicken
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Cook the chicken through
Bake the coated breasts until cooked throughout, using the doneness cue in the directions.
A little more help as you go
Coat before transferring
Finish both coating stages on each chicken breast before placing it on the baking sheet.
Basil in the crumbs
The dried basil belongs in the cracker mixture with the Parmesan.
A few questions you might have
Does the lemon go into the crumbs?
Mix it with the mayonnaise in its own bowl before coating the chicken.
Which coating goes on first?
Use the mayonnaise-lemon mixture first, followed by the seasoned cracker mixture.
Should the crackers stay whole?
Use crushed crackers, mixing them with the grated Parmesan and dried basil.
When do I add the cheese?
Combine Parmesan with the cracker crumbs before the chicken is coated.
How do I check the bake is finished?
The directions call for the chicken to be cooked throughout before removing it from the oven.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: therecipecritic.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
