Healthier than classic Chicken Parmesan, this delicious Baked Chicken Parmesan Recipe (Chicken Parmigiana) is baked, not fried, for an easy and flavorful guilt-free Italian dinner.
Serve with this Super Easy Homemade Marinara Sauce and Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Noodles or your favorite pasta to make it a complete meal!
Baked chicken parmesan recipe
Chicken parmesan is one of the most well-known and well-loved chicken recipes. Made with crispy parmesan crusted chicken and topped with marinara sauce (homemade or store-bought), mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil, it’s easy to see why the world has fallen so hard for this delicious Italian chicken.
Straying from the traditional preparation to fry chicken parmesan, in this recipe I’ve coated each chicken breast in panko breadcrumbs, flour, and freshly shredded parmesan cheese and then baked them. Guaranteeing a crispy parmesan coating, baking is both easier and healthier.
Enjoy this crowd-pleasing chicken dish with a side of roasted vegetables, zucchini noodles, mashed potatoes, or pasta.
Is there a difference between Chicken Parmesan and Chicken Parmigiana?
No. Chicken Parmesan and Chicken Parmigiana are the exact same thing (aside from how you pronounce the name, of course).
In fact, these are not the only names this dish goes by. Chicken parmesan is also known as chicken Parm, Parmi, or Parma and they are all, in theory, the exact same thing.
With that in mind, there are a few variations to chicken parmesan completely unrelated to how you say its actual name.
For example, in some restaurants, you may find this dish layered with ham or bacon and topped with parmesan or provolone instead of the more classic mozzarella.
Ingredients in Baked Chicken Parmesan
- chicken breasts
- olive oil
- Italian seasoning
- all-purpose flour
- eggs
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Parmesan cheese
- mozzarella cheese
- marinara sauce
- fresh basil
How to make Baked Chicken Parmesan
This recipe is much easier to prepare and make then all these instructions may lead you to believe. Promise.
1 | For the Chicken
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Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Place your chicken, two breasts at a time, between plastic wrap and use a meat tenderizer or rolling pin to gently pound your chicken to equal thickness. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts and set aside in a large mixing bowl. This is super important! If your chicken breasts are too thick, they will take forever to cook, and will, yes, end up dry.
-
Drizzle chicken breasts with approximately 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper and Italian seasoning. Mix well to coat each chicken breast.
-
Prepare breading bowls. Gather three shallow, medium-sized mixing bowls. The first filled with panko bread crumbs and finely grated Parmesan cheese, the second with flour, and the third with the eggs (whisked well).
-
Working in an assembly line, dip the chicken first into the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, and finally, the panko mixture, shaking off any excess between additions.
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Transfer each chicken breast to the prepared baking sheet and bake until internal temperature reads 160 degrees F (approximately 15-17 minutes).
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Remove from the oven and set aside.
2 | For the Homemade Marinara (optional- you may also use store-bought)
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As the chicken is baking, prepare the marinara sauce. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the onion to the skillet and mix well to combine. Sauté the onion for 4-5 minutes, or until starting to soften. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 60 seconds.
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Add the tomatoes (canned and fresh), a pinch of salt and pepper, and Italian seasoning. Mix well to combine and bring to a low simmer. Cover your pot, reduce heat to low, and cook for 5-10 minutes or until tomatoes are soft.
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Transfer marinara sauce to a large high-speed blender and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Read my full post on homemade marinara sauce here.
3 | Assemble
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Transfer half of the marinara sauce to the bottom of a large cast iron (or other oven-safe) skillet. Nestle the cooked chicken breasts into the skillet and top each breaded chicken breast with a spoonful of sauce and a small handful of shredded mozzarella cheese.
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Transfer skillet to your oven and broil until cheese is melted (2-3 minutes).
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Remove skillet from the oven and sprinkle with fresh chopped basil, if desired. Serve with sautéed zucchini noodles or your favorite cooked pasta.
Cooking tips, tricks, and shortcuts
- Buy chicken breasts that have already been pounded flat or have already been sliced in half vertically, to make two thinner chicken breasts of equal thickness. Not sure how to do this? Ask the butcher at your local market to do it for you.
- Short on time? Skip making your own homemade sauce and buy a jar of your favorite instead.
- Add as much or as little cheese as you’d like. Attempting to keep this chicken parmesan recipe a little healthier, I decided to take it easy with the cheese, but feel free to add more. There’s never too much cheese.
- Have leftovers? Sandwich between your favorite bun, top with extra cheese, a handful of fresh arugula, and call it dinner (again).
What to serve with Chicken Parmesan
Whether you’re trying to eat a little healthier, or just looking to get something delicious on the table for your family to enjoy, everyone will love this easy baked chicken parmesan recipe.
Traditionally, chicken parmesan is served with spaghetti noodles and a side of roasted or steamed vegetables.
If, however, you’re trying to limit your carbohydrate intake, I highly recommend enjoying with roasted spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles and a simple side of Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Green Beans, or carrots and a salad like this fresh tomato salad or beet salad.
Can Chicken Parmesan be frozen?
Yes, absolutely.
For best results, place the fully-baked crispy parmesan-crusted chicken in a freezer-safe ziplock bag or container. When ready to reheat, top with prepared marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese and bake (or microwave) until heated through.
Of course, leftover chicken parmesan is not going to have that amazing crispy parmesan crust that we love so much. But, it will still taste delicious! And it makes for one super easy dinner.
If you try making this Baked Chicken Parmesan Recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.
For more chicken recipes check out,
- Chicken Mole with Homemade Mole Sauce
- Garlic Butter Chicken Recipe
- Grilled Thai Peanut Chicken Recipe
- One Pan Creamy Spinach Artichoke Chicken Recipe
- Lemon Chicken Piccata Recipe
- Bruschetta Chicken Recipe
- Kung Pao Chicken Recipe
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Baked Chicken Parmesan Recipe
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts - pounded to equal thickness
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt + pepper - to season
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 eggs - beaten
- 1.5 cups Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese - finely grated
For the Homemade Marinara (optional)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion - chopped
- 5 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 (28 ounce) can chopped tomatoes - with their juice
- 5 Roma tomatoes - diced
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- salt + pepper - to taste
For serving
- 1.5 cups mozzarella cheese - shredded
- fresh basil - chopped
- zucchini noodles or pasta
Instructions
For the Chicken
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place your chicken, two breasts at a time, between plastic wrap and use a meat tenderizer or rolling pin to gently pound your chicken to equal thickness. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts and set aside in a large mixing bowl. (see notes)
- Drizzle chicken breasts with approximately 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper and Italian seasoning. Mix well to coat each chicken breast.
- Prepare breading bowls. Gather three shallow, medium-sized mixing bowls. The first filled with panko bread crumbs and finely grated Parmesan cheese, the second with flour, and the third with the eggs (whisked well).
- Working in an assembly line, dip the chicken first into the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, and finally, the panko mixture, shaking off any excess between additions.
- Transfer each chicken breast to the prepared baking sheet and bake until internal temperature reads 160 degrees F (approximately 15-17 minutes).
- Remove from the oven and set aside.
For the Homemade Marinara (optional- you may also use store-bought)
- As the chicken is baking, prepare the marinara sauce. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the onion to the skillet and mix well to combine. Sauté the onion for 4-5 minutes, or until starting to soften. Add the garlic and continue to cook for 60 seconds, stirring continuously.
- Add the tomatoes (canned and fresh), a pinch of salt and pepper, and Italian seasoning. Mix well to combine and bring to a low simmer. Cover your pot, reduce heat to low, and cook for 5-10 minutes or until tomatoes are soft.
- Transfer marinara sauce to a large high-speed blender and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble
- Transfer half of the marinara sauce to the bottom of a large cast iron (or other oven-safe) skillet. Nestle the cooked chicken breasts into the skillet and top each breaded chicken breast with a spoonful of sauce and a small handful of shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Transfer skillet to your oven and broil until cheese is melted (2-3 minutes).
- Remove skillet from the oven and sprinkle with fresh chopped basil, if desired. Serve with sautéed zucchini noodles or your favorite cooked pasta.
Jessica's Notes
- If your chicken breasts are especially thick, you may want to slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise to create to thinner slices of chicken.
- Nutritional information does not calculate zucchini or pasta noodles.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
Love this one!!
Thanks for the lovely feedback Bridgett 🙂
This is one of the best chicken recipes ever. It’s very tasteful and beautiful to play. Thanks for the recipe.
Looks delicious!! How to make/cook the zucchini noodles. I made zucchini noodles once and it was soggy. What’s your recommendation? Thanks!
Hi Colleen.
I will be making a post detailing how to make zucchini noodles shortly, but in the mean time here is the short of it once spirilized:
In a large skillet over medium heat add the zucchini noodles. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until just starting to soften (try not to over-cook as they will turn soggy)
Hi Lo! Nope, that’s the temperature you want the chicken to reach (aka, that’s when you know it’s fully cooked). The best way to find out the internal temperature of your chicken is to use a digital meat thermometer. Total life-saver in the kitchen! Hope this helps 🙂 xo, jessica
Transfer each chicken breast to the prepared baking sheet and bake until internal temperature reads 160 degrees F – does this mean you have to reduce the oven temperature ?