My family’s favorite Chicken Parmesan recipe! Easy to make, golden, crispy and flavorful, topped with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Serve this chicken parmesan with pasta and a big Italian salad. Add in some garlic bread if you’re feeding a crowd!
This Chicken Parmesan will impress everyone at your table!
Chicken parmesan, also known as chicken parmigiana or chicken parm, is one of my favorite meals. There’s no need to go out to your favorite Italian restaurant to enjoy delicious chicken parmesan – this impressive dish is actually really simple to make at home!
I love this recipe because the chicken is baked, not fried. It’s better for you, less messy, and much easier to make, plus it crisps up nicely in the hot oven. Like my baked chicken breast recipe, I bake the chicken at a high temperature for a shorter amount of time to ensure that it stays tender and juicy inside.
With its mouthwatering combination of melty cheese, crispy Italian breadcrumbs and marinara sauce, this chicken parmesan recipe is a weeknight staple that will appeal to everyone at the table. It’s perfect for when you’re craving a comforting home-cooked dinner. Enjoy!
I was looking for something to do with chicken breast and came across this recipe. I had everything on hand and decided to make it for dinner. This was DELICIOUS! My husband just loved it and wants this again, as so do I!
Kerry
How to Make Chicken Parmesan
Slice chicken into thin cutlets. Using a sharp knife, slice each of two boneless skinless chicken breasts in half horizontally to get 4 thin chicken cutlets.
Prepare breading. Gather 3 pie plates or shallow bowls. In one, place the flour. In the second, beat together 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of water. In the third dish, stir together the Italian seasoned bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Bread the chicken. Coat the chicken first in the flour, then in the egg, and then in the bread crumb mixture. Place on a greased baking sheet.
Bake. Bake the chicken at 425° F for 12-15 minutes, or until the chicken is almost cooked through. Then top each chicken breast with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese and bake for 3-8 more minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
Recipe Tips
- Many grocery stores sell thin-sliced chicken breasts or chicken cutlets. You can buy these to save the step of slicing the chicken breasts in half.
- If your chicken cutlets are uneven in thickness, you can pound them with a meat mallet or rolling pin until they are an even 1/2-inch thick. Cover the chicken with plastic wrap or place it in a zip-top bag before pounding to prevent the juices from splattering.
- If you plan to serve the parmesan chicken with pasta, I recommend starting a pot of water boiling for the pasta when you begin preparing the chicken. This way, the pasta and chicken will be ready around the same time.
- Try not to over-bake the chicken or it may dry out. The chicken is done when it registers 165° F at the thickest part. I recommend using an instant read thermometer to test when the chicken is done.
What to Serve with Chicken Parmesan
- Spaghetti or your favorite pasta shape.
- For a low carb meal, swap the pasta for zucchini noodles.
- A crisp green salad.
- Roasted broccoli is another easy side dish.
- If it’s the weekend and I have a little extra time, I like to make a batch of Garlic Knots.
More Italian Favorites
Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, 2 breasts (see note)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- ½ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning chicken
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, plus more for seasoning chicken
- ½ cup marinara sauce, plus more for serving
- 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, 4 ounces
- chopped fresh parsley or basil, optional, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° F. Grease a baking sheet or baking dish with cooking spray or oil.
- Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally to get 4 thin chicken cutlets. (If using thin sliced chicken breasts, no need to slice them in half.) If the chicken cutlets are uneven in thickness, you can pound them with a meat mallet or rolling pin to make them an even ½-inch thickness. (Cover the chicken with a piece of plastic wrap or place in a zip-top bag before pounding to prevent splattering.)
- To prepare the breading for the chicken, you will need 3 shallow pie plates, bowls or other wide and shallow dishes. In one dish, place the flour. In the second, place the egg and tablespoon of water. Use a fork to beat the egg and water together until well combined. In the third dish, stir together the Italian seasoned bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Coat the chicken first in the flour, then in the egg, and then in the bread crumb mixture. Place on the prepared baking sheet or baking dish.
- Bake chicken in the upper third of the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the chicken is almost cooked through (at this point it should be about 150° F when tested with an instant read thermometer, you'll cook it more after topping with the sauce and cheese). Spoon 2 tablespoons of the marinara sauce over each chicken piece and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese. Continue baking chicken until it is cooked through (it should register 165° F at the thickest part when tested with an instant read thermometer). This may take about 3 to 8 more minutes, depending on the size of your chicken pieces.
- Serve chicken with pasta and additional marinara sauce, garnished with chopped fresh parsley or basil if desired.
Notes
- If your grocery store carries thin sliced chicken breasts or chicken cutlets, those work great in this recipe and will save you the step of slicing the chicken breasts in half.
Recipe originally published Feb. 2017. Updated Jan. 2021 and Aug. 2024 with new photos and a slightly modified recipe to add more seasoning (and flavor!) to the chicken.
I never really used to like chicken parmesan growing up because of the way my step-mom prepared it. But, now that I’m older and can make it how I want, I find that I’m loving it. This lightened up version looks perfect, Kristine! You are reminding me that it’s been too long since I’ve made this!
This looks so good, Kristine! I actually just wrote a recipe yesterday for a very similar dish because I wanted to make a healthier version of our favorite Chicken Parm. It’s going on our dinner menu this week, so it will be fun to compare our two versions. 🙂
You can never go wrong with this combination of flavors!
My husband is always requesting panko chicken and he loves pizza so I’m pretty sure he would love me forever if I made him this for dinner! And I’m trying to get him to eat a little healthier, so this is perfect!
This looks so good! Chicken and pasta is something my kids will always eat too, so we definitely need to try this one ASAP!
YUM! Any recommendations for a marinara sauce you like? Thank you! 🙂
I’m not that picky about my marinara sauce, and find that even some of the store brand ones are pretty good. Some of my favorites are Mia’s Kitchen, Cucina Antica and Mezzetta sauce. I hope you enjoy the chicken parmesan!
Would it still taste good if I substitute almond flour for the flour and ground pork rinds for the bread crumbs?
It’s hard to say without trying that myself. If you decide to try it, let me know how it turns out!
Can’t wait to try this! Can you use panko instead of traditional breadcrumbs?
Yes, that will work well. Enjoy!
Chicken cook temperature is 165°F not 150°F in accordance to USDA temperatures.
You are correct. If you continue reading the rest of step 5 of the recipe, you will see that you add sauce and cheese on top and then put the chicken back in the oven to finish cooking to 165° F.
I was looking for something to do with chicken breast and came across this recipe. I had everything on hand and decided to make it for dinner. This was DELICIOUS! My husband just loved it and wants this again, as so do I!
Always wanted to make this myself!
It’s been so long since I made chicken parm cause I hated the frying part. Once I received this one in my email I figured why not. It was great and easy. My boys were excited to have it again. We’re a family of cheesers so I added provolone and shredded Parmesean along with the mozzarella.
I am so happy that you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for giving it a try!
What a quick and yummy recipe! Both of my kids loved it and wanted more! Served it with a Cesar salad. Delish!!
Yay! I’m so glad your family enjoyed this meal!
This was very tasty and love that you don’t have to fry to chicken. Saves time and less mess! My family didn’t notice any difference to the usual recipe. I will be making again!
Delicious!!
I had this saved as a new recipe to add to this week’s Meal Plan. Today, I took a nap and completely lost track of time. My husband woke me up at 4:30 and asked what the plan for dinner was. I hurried to see what recipes I had saved for this week.
I had about 50 minutes before it was time for my family “To Leave” for Awana and Bible study at church.
I’m a little slower to move and especially to cook these days since I’m 33 weeks pregnant. Getting to my baking dishes and prepping takes more time than usual. We have a small kitchen so my baking dishes are stored on top of my kitchen cabinets. I have to stand on top of a chair to reach them. Then I had the other little kids around to ask questions and distract me as I was getting the chicken ready.
I hurried to make this and followed the recipe exactly as it was written.
I’m so happy to share that it delivered! I asked my picky husband if it was good, and he said “Mm hmm!”, while nodding. That’s a very good response. He doesn’t usually say more than “it’s ok”. I felt so relieved that I was able to cook and serve a delicious dinner in time!
I stayed home with a sick toddler and so I could rest too.
I don’t always write reviews for a recipe, but this one deserves it!
Pretty easy for a mid level experienced cook.
Tip: Make sure to set the timer! It helps to get the perfectly cooked chicken breast!
There is no reason to add extra calories by frying the breaded chicken. Thank you for offering a healthier version of this classic dish.