Panko bread crumbs are a coarser, larger type of bread crumb than the more common kind, but there’s no appreciable difference in how they are used. Panko is the Japanese word for "bread crumbs," and what makes them different is that they are closer to being flakes than grains, which means that they absorb less oil. This makes for a crispier, lighter coating on dishes such as panko-breaded chicken. Baking panko-crusted chicken is yet another way to ensure that you are not adding unnecessary fat to your diet.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, and spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Fill a shallow dish about 2/3 full with milk. It’s not necessary to beat an egg or an acid like vinegar into the milk to thicken it when baking bread-crumb-coated chicken because you won’t be turning it. The crumbs don’t have to adhere quite so tightly.

Fill a second shallow dish with panko bread crumbs. Use only about half of what you have. Panko breadcrumbs are fluffy and tend to clump after you’ve dragged a few pieces of wet, raw chicken through them. You’ll want some held in reserve to fluff them back up.

Dip the chicken breasts in the milk, and then dredge them through the panko bread crumbs. Coat each piece completely. Lay them in the baking dish in a single layer as you go.

Bake the panko-coated chicken for 30 to 40 minutes or until the bread crumbs are nicely brown and the chicken shows no pink in the center.