Crispy Chicken Breasts with Lemon & Capers

You’ll need to make a double batch of breadcrumbs for this recipe. You might want to use two pans so you can make the two batches at the same time.

• 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 7 oz. each), trimmed of excess fat
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 5 Tbs. capers (preferably nonpareils), rinsed, patted dry, and chopped
• 2 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
• 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
• 1 lemon, zest finely grated, cut into wedges
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 3-1/2 cups Toasted Breadcrumbs

Heat the oven to 450°F. Put a flat rack on a large rimmed baking sheet lined with foil.

With a meat pounder or a heavy skillet, lightly pound the chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap to even out the thickness of the breasts.

In a large bowl, mix 1/4 cup of the Parmigiano, 2-1/2 Tbs. of the capers, 1 Tbs. of the thyme, and the oil, mustard, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Squeeze one or two of the lemon wedges to get 1 Tbs. juice and add to the mixture, along with 2 Tbs. water. Add the chicken and toss to coat well. You can proceed directly to coating the chicken breasts with crumbs, or let them marinate in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Put the breadcrumbs in a large shallow dish and toss with the remaining 1/2 cup Parmigiano, 2-1/2 Tbs. capers, and 1 Tbs. thyme. Working with one piece at a time, transfer the chicken to the dish of crumbs, scoop some crumbs on top, and press well a couple of times so the crumbs adhere to both sides. Transfer to the rack on the baking sheet.


These crumbs are coarser than your average breadcrumbs, so it takes a little extra force to get them to adhere. My method is to pat a healthy amount of breadcrumbs on top of the chicken and then use the heel of my hand and a firm rotating motion to press the crumbs onto the chicken. Don't shake off the excess when transferring the breasts to the baking sheet; you want to keep as many crumbs on the chicken as possible.

Bake the chicken until it’s firm to the touch and registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately with the remaining lemon wedges for squeezing over the chicken.