Easy Baby-led Weaning Breaded Chicken Breast 

It’s hard to come up with chicken recipes for babies that don’t require a ton of ingredients.

That’s why I love this Breaded chicken breast for baby-led weaning. 

It takes about 30 minutes or less to make (depending on how thick your chicken breast is cut), which makes it ideal for a quick weeknight dinner.

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Why I Love Breaded Chicken Breast For Baby-led Weaning 

Breaded Chicken Breast for baby (also known as Italian chicken cutlets) is packed with flavor and made with simple ingredients.

All you need to make this dish is Panko bread crumbs, eggs, and thinly sliced chicken breast.

I make this meal on weeknights when I’m too tired to make anything fancy.

Since the panko bread crumbs are already seasoned, you don’t need to add anything extra to make it taste good.

You may also like: BLW Garlic Chicken Breast Bites

Why Chicken is Good for Babies and Toddlers

Chicken is an excellent source of protein for kids. Protein helps us feel full for longer periods. 

It contains amino acids that help babies build strong muscles and bones.

Besides the protein, it also contains vitamins like B12, tryptophan, choline, zinc, and iron (source).

All these benefits make chicken a great food for your baby and toddler.

You should also try – Easy BLW Chicken Drumsticks (Only 3 Steps)

What To Serve With BLW Breaded Chicken Breast 

Serve it with some carbohydrates 

Whenever I make breaded chicken breast for baby-led weaning, I usually make a carb side dish.

My favorite side dish to make with this chicken recipe is Parmesan cheese pasta.

They pair very well together. My whole family loves eating this meal.

Serve with a side of fruits

To complete my baby’s meal, I like to add some fruits on the side.

Having a combination of protein, carbohydrates, and minerals is essential to promoting a balanced diet.

You may also like: Indian-style butter chicken for baby-led weaning

Important Recipe Notes on BLW Breaded Chicken Breast 

You need eggs to make this recipe 

To make a crispy breaded chicken breast for your baby, you’ll need to use eggs.

This is an important note because some people are allergic to eggs.

I’ve never tried using an egg substitute to make this recipe so I can’t tell you if that will work or not.

Eggs are the only thing that will help the bread crumbs bind with the chicken cutlets, so you can’t skip this ingredient.

If you’re allergic to eggs, then I don’t suggest making this recipe.

You can make your own breadcrumbs

If you don’t have breadcrumbs at home, don’t fret. It’s very easy to make your own.

All you need is a hard-toasted bread and a blender. 

Toast the bread as hard as you can make it without burning it. Then place it inside a blender and blend until it’s crumbly. 

You want bread crumbs consistency, not a smooth powder.

Making your own bread crumbs is a good idea if you don’t want to use a seasoned bread crumb like Panko.

How to properly cut Breaded Chicken For Baby-led Weaning 

6-8 Months old

Babies between 6-8 months are still getting the hand of baby-led weaning. So you can serve them breaded chicken breast in long strips.

Make sure the strips are thick and long. Approximately the size of two adult fingers pressed together.

This will allow them to grasp the chicken easily and bring it to their mouths. 

Cutting the chicken breast into strips will also prevent them from biting more than they can chew. 

Make sure you monitor your baby when they eat to avoid any incidents of choking.

9-12 months old

Babies between 9-12 months old can be served breaded chicken breast that has been shredded into pieces.

At this age, they have developed their pincer grasp. This means they can pick up smaller pieces of food. 

At this age, they’ll be able to eat shredded chicken easily. 

Always monitor your baby to avoid any choking incidents.

12 months and over

Toddlers over 12 months can be served chunks of chicken breast. At this age, they will be able to pick up chunks of chicken and eat it independently.

Tips for Picky Eaters

Add a dipping sauce 

I swear by dipping sauces as a toddler mom. My kids will eat almost anything if you add sauce on the side for them. 

Something about dipping makes any food more manageable.

Don’t pressure

Give your baby or toddler a chance to say no. It’s okay if they don’t like what we serve them. Keep trying. 

It takes at least 30 exposures for a baby to begin liking a food, so don’t give up.

Make it into a game

Sometimes I create games around the food I serve to get my kids interested in eating. 

A game we’ve played in the past is called “Here comes the airplane… open the garage”. This encourages them to open their mouth as I bring the food in like an airplane.

Sometimes my kids will try new foods this way.

Ingredients For Breaded Chicken Breast For Baby-led Weaning

Chicken Breast 

to avoid pounding the chicken with a meat hammer, I like to cut it into 3 pieces by slicing it horizontally. 

So one large chicken breast will give you 3 small chicken breast pieces.

I find that this allows the chicken to cook quickly and evenly.

Bread crumbs 

Bread crumbs are an essential ingredient in this BLW chicken breast recipe. It allows the chicken to crisp up nicely on the outside while staying moist on the inside.

I used Panko bread crumbs for this recipe because it’s seasoned. 

Seasoned bread crumbs work the best to give the chicken more flavor. 

If you’re making your own bread crumbs, you can season it by adding some Italian seasoning.

Eggs

Eggs are necessary to help the bread crumbs bind to the chicken.

Oil 

You need some oil in the pan to help crisp up the chicken cutlets.

You must preheat the oil in the oven before placing the chicken on it. This will allow the chicken to crisp up rather than soaking up all the oil.

Cooking Directions For BLW Breaded Chicken Breast 

• Set the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit 
• Pour the oil into a baking pan and place in the oven for 5 minutes to heat up.
• While the oil is heating up, Dip the chicken breast into the egg to coat both sides evenly.
• Dip the chicken breast into the breadcrumbs to cover both sides evenly.
• Place the breaded chicken breasts onto the pan. Place the pan back in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Flip the chicken halfway through.
• Check that the chicken is cooked through by cutting into it with a knife. If it’s white inside then it’s done. 
• Remove from the heat and serve.

Whisk the egg

Measure the bread crumbs in a bowl

Set the oven and add the oil to your baking pan

Dip chicken in egg and breadcrumbs. Place chicken on the pan and bake

Storage Tips For BLW Chicken Breast Recipe

How to refrigerate 

To refrigerate these breaded chicken breasts for a baby, place them in a ziplock bag and squeeze out all the air. You can also use a Pyrex container. 

They should last for up to 3 days in the fridge before becoming very soggy.

Reheating BLW Chicken Breast 

You can reheat them in the oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until they’re hot.  You can also reheat them in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes on high. 

Can you freeze breaded chicken breast for baby?

You can freeze these breaded chicken breasts for your baby.

If you’re a busy mom like me, then making these in batches, and freezing them will help save you time later on.

Then you can reheat them and serve them with a side of carbs like pasta or rice when you need to.

Did you make this baby-led weaning lunch recipe? 

Let me know in the comments how it turned out!