Parmesan Crusted Chicken Romano has thinly cut chicken breasts, parmesan cheese (the kind from the green shaker can is just fine here), flour, and egg wash, all come together to create a juicy piece of chicken that is lightly pan fried until golden brown.

Oh Cheesecake Factory, the restaurant known for having a million dishes. And on top of that, a million cheesecakes. No one could go there and say that they didn't have options! This parmesan cheese crusted chicken romano is a simple dish that they serve, like a grown up chicken tender. It takes only 6 ingredients (plus salt and pepper, but that's a given!).
Looking for more chicken copycat recipes to try? Olive Garden Eggplant Parmesan, Red Robin Chicken Ensenada Platter, Olive Garden Chicken Veronese or Olive Garden Steak Gorgonzola are all delicious options!
What ingredients will you need?
- 3 Chicken breasts, cut in half, to make 6 thin-cut chicken breasts
- ½ cup parmesan cheese ( you can use fresh grated parm, but shaker cheese works just fine here)
- 1 egg
- 2 tbs. water
- ½ cup flour
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. pepper
Something that is noticeably missing, that you will find in most fried chicken cutlet recipes-- bread crumbs. Between the flour, egg wash, and cheese, a nice crust is formed, no bread crumbs needed! If you want the crust to be extra crispy, try adding a ¼ cup of breadcrumbs to the cheese and mixing well. Use that to coat the chicken instead of straight parmesan. Delicious!
That being said…
You can easily make this a Gluten free Parmesan Crusted Chicken!
All you have to do is decide what you want to coat the chicken with instead of flour. Simply replace the flour with cornstarch or gluten free flour and you are good to go. (Cornstarch will actually make the chicken coating even crispier!)
How to make Cheesecake Factory Crusted Romano Chicken:
This dish is simple but it's helpful to have your different dredging ingredients set up before you start because you will be touching raw chicken.
Start by getting three shallow bowls.
In the first bowl, add flour.
Then in the second bowl, place egg and water and stir with a fork to create egg wash.
In the third bowl, add parmesan.
Coat each thin cut chicken breast with flour and then shake off. Then dip into the egg wash, and finally place in bowl of cheese and use your hands to make sure the chicken is completely coated. Repeat with the remaining pieces.
Heat olive oil in a large sturdy skillet over medium high heat.
In batches, fry chicken until golden brown and crispy, about 4-5 minutes per side. One of the best ways to do fried chicken cutlets in a pan is making sure they are very thin. This way you get a super crispy crust, but you don't risk the inside being over or undercooked.
Place on paper towels to catch excess oil and serve.
What should I serve this with?
This chicken is so versatile-- it can be paired with countless different dishes from adding protein to salads, in wraps, and with different pasta dishes. It is a pretty neutral flavor, the saltiness of the romano cheese is the strongest part.
At Cheesecake Factory, this chicken is served with pasta. This side romano chicken pasta recipe is so simple I thought I would quickly share with you how to make it!
All you will need is 3 ingredients:
- ½ lb. pasta noodles of your choice
- 1 cup tomato sauce ( I used standard marinara sauce from a jar)
- ¼ cup of heavy cream
Cook the pasta according to packaging instructions and then drain well. Place pasta back in pot and pour in tomato sauce and heavy cream. Stir to coat. That's it! Super simple side dish, but a little extra special with the added cream.
This recipe has been shared on Meal Plan Monday!
Crusted Chicken Romano (Cheesecake Factory Copycat)
Ingredients
- 3 Chicken breasts cut in half, to make 6 thin-cut chicken breasts
- ½ cup parmesan cheese you can use fresh grated parm, but shaker cheese works just fine here
- 1 egg
- 2 tbs. water
- ½ cup flour
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. pepper
Instructions
- Start by getting three shallow bowls.
- In the first bowl, add flour.
- Then in the second bowl, place egg and water and stir with a fork to create egg wash.
- In the third bowl, add parmesan.
- Coat each thin cut chicken breast with flour and then shake off. Then dip into the egg wash, and finally place in bowl of cheese and use your hands to make sure the chicken is completely coated. Repeat with the remaining pieces.
- Heat olive oil in a large sturdy skillet over medium high heat.
- In batches, fry chicken until golden brown and crispy, about 4-5 minutes per side. One of the best ways to do fried chicken cutlets in a pan is making sure they are very thin. This way you get a super crispy crust, but you don't risk the inside being over or undercooked.
- Place on paper towels to catch excess oil and serve.
Delicious!! Thank you!!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Maria! You are very welcome.
Yum! This chicken looks delicious, a perfect chicken dinner recipe!
These look perfect for a quick weeknight dinner - 6 ingredients makes it so simple! Love that you included instructions for making them gluten-free too. Recipes like these are usually off-limit for me, but cornstarch is such an easy swap!
The post is so well written , I loved that amount of information you have shared and such beautiful images.
This parmesan chicken was seriously even better than the original from Cheesecake Factory! So good and we will definitely be making this again!
This was so good!! And was just like Cheesecake factory!
Wow! This is chicken is so delicious and just like the Cheesecake Factory. Such a great recipe and very yummy! Definitely making this again!
Enjoyed this for dinner tonight and it did not disappoint! Tender and juicy and perfect for busy weeknights, indeed!
Looks like a chicken dinner that I would definitely try!
This is one of our favorite recipes and so delicious! I’m so excited to make this again! Such a hit here!
My husband was overjoyed when he saw what I was making for dinner! This Cheesecake factory staple is one of his favorite entrees. This chicken is so darn good!!! We enjoyed it with steamed veggies and noodles.
Super tasty and easy to prepare. Adding to my book of favourite recipes 🙂
This is my favorite! Except I get it with the white sauce instead. Do you know how to make the white sauce like the Cheesecake Factory?
Jeannette, I will look into it and get back to you!-Sarah