Chicken Parmesan
Chicken Parmesan. It’s easy to see why this recipe is a favorite: tender, juicy chicken breasts with a seasoned breadcrumb coating, marinara sauce and cheese all baked to gooey perfection. This homemade chicken parmesan recipe is sure to satisfy and will become a staple in your recipe collection.
The Best Chicken Parmesan Recipe
Chicken parmesan, sometimes called chicken parmigiana or chicken parm, is one of our favorite family-friendly dinner ideas. If making homemade chicken parmesan sounds intimidating to you, then this recipe is for you!
This chicken parmesan recipe is surprisingly simple to make. The steps are easy and the ingredient list is short. With this recipe you can have delicious homemade chicken parmesan on your table in just over 30 minutes, from start to finish!
This chicken parmesan is baked, not fried, making it a healthy dinner option. Like my baked chicken breast recipe, we’ll bake the chicken at a high temperature for a shorter amount of time to ensure that it stays tender and juicy.
With its addictive combination of melty cheese, Italian breadcrumb coating and saucy pasta, this mouthwatering meal is a weeknight staple that will appeal to both picky eaters and those who are craving a comforting home-cooked dinner.
For more favorite chicken dinners, try my Baked Chicken and Rice, Chicken Enchiladas and Chicken Stir Fry.
How to make Chicken Parmesan
You can find the full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of the steps, with step by step photos.
To start, you’ll want to prepare three shallow, wide dishes or pie plates for the chicken parmesan coating. You’ll put flour in one and an egg beaten with a tablespoon of water in another. In the third, mix together Italian seasoned bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
Once this is set up it’s time to prepare the chicken:
- Slice two chicken breasts in half horizontally to get four thin chicken cutlets.
- Coat the chicken in the flour.
- Dip the chicken in the egg, coating it on both sides.
- Coat the chicken with the seasoned bread crumbs.
- Bake until almost cooked through.
- Top with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese. Don’t put on too much marinara sauce at this point or the chicken can get soggy. You can have more marinara sauce available when you serve the chicken. Continue baking for a few more minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
- Sprinkle on chopped fresh parsley or basil when serving, if desired.
For Crispy Parmesan Chicken
When this chicken parmesan bakes, the coating on the chicken crisps up some in the oven, but not as much as it would in a fried chicken parmesan recipe. If you want a crispier coating, you can pan-sear the chicken in olive oil before baking it.
To do this, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a nonstick skillet or cast iron pan over medium high heat on the stove. Brown the breaded chicken in the skillet for a few minutes on both sides before baking it in the oven. Reduce the initial baking time by a few minutes, since the chicken will partially cook in the skillet.
What to Serve with Parmesan Crusted Chicken
- Spaghetti pasta is traditionally served with classic chicken parmesan.
- If you’re looking for a lighter option, try zucchini noodles.
- Extra marinara sauce is a must for topping the noodles.
- An Italian salad goes especially well with this chicken parm recipe.
- This simple green salad is another delicious way to add healthy veggies.
- Roasted broccoli is an easy side dish.
- Garlic bread is a perfect addition to this meal.
Recipe Tips
- 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.
- If your chicken cutlets are uneven in thickness, you can pound them with a 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.
- 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.
- Have extra marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese ready for serving with the chicken parmesan and pasta.
Baked Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (2 breasts)
- 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)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 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 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, 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, 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 (it should be about 150° F when tested with an instant read thermometer). 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 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.
Nutrition
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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!
I’m all over anything chicken parm, especially when it’s lightened up and done in 30! This looks just perfect Kristine, and I think my kids would love this too!
Should we trade baked chicken parmesan meals today? Lol. Looks great. Always a classic!
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!
YUM! We don’t eat chicken parmesan nearly often enough…this looks absolutely wonderful and so convenient that it’s ready in 30 minutes!
Yum! I need to make Chicken Parm more often. I made it a long time ago and it tasted blah, so I haven’t made it since. I’m totally going to make yours. I love how it’s lightened up and only takes 30 minutes. That’s a win win in my book! 🙂
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!