Baked Chicken Parmesan
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Our easy, healthier Baked Chicken Parmesan is a classic recipe that every member of the family will enjoy. You can even prep it ahead of time and freeze it for later using our instructions. Turn leftovers into Chicken Parmesan Sandwiches!
“My whole family loved it. I have one picky eater that doesn’t do tomato sauce, so I just left that off hers, but she still liked it just fine! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️” – Carla
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Not only is Chicken Parmesan my favorite dish from my childhood, but it’s a family favorite around my house now, too. It’s also one of the first meals I ever learned to cook on my own, because it’s so simple and yummy.
If you couldn’t tell already, we have a thing for Chicken Parmesan recipes. Here are a few variations of this classic recipe:
I mean, can you blame us for coming up with all sorts of ways to combine the delicious flavors of breaded chicken, marinara, and cheese? I think not.
Important Cooking Tips
If you’re a newer cook, here are a few helpful tips to ensure success when making this recipe.
- Avoid Food Poisoning: You can definitely get sick from raw or undercooked chicken. So, be sure to keep all the raw chicken and the surfaces it touches away from everything else. Use a disinfectant spray or hot soapy water to wash your counter. Be sure to wash your hands with warm, soapy water immediately after handling.
- Prepare Well: Read over the entire recipe carefully and make sure you understand all the steps before starting. Then, collect all the equipment and ingredients you’ll need. It’s helpful to set everything out before getting started.
- Work Ahead of Time: You can bread the chicken ahead of time and put it in the fridge (for up to a day or so) until you’re ready to cook it. If you do this, set them out on the counter for about 10 minutes before putting them in the oven to take the chill off. Or, prep this meal ahead and freeze it using our freezer meal instructions below.
Ingredients Needed
Here is what you’ll need to make this easy-peasy Baked Chicken Parmesan recipe. You probably have all of the ingredients already!
How to Make Baked Chicken Parmesan
Now, let’s get down to business. You’ll need about 15 minutes to prepare the chicken and another 25 minutes to bake and finish it. Here’s the general overview (find all the details in the printable recipe card at the bottom):
Prep
Preheat oven to 400°F. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil that’s sprayed with cooking spray.
Set Up Breading Stations
In a shallow dish, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. In a second dish, whisk together the egg and a splash of water.
Slice Chicken Cutlets
On a cutting board, slice chicken in half lengthwise, resulting in 6 thinner chicken breasts. Season the front and back of each chicken breast with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Bread Cutlets
Dip chicken breasts, one at a time, in egg mixture, turning to coat. Allow excess to drip off. Then dip chicken pieces in breadcrumb mixture, turning to coat. Press the mixture onto the chicken so it sticks. Place breaded chicken on the sheet pan. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
Bake
Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the thickest piece registers close to 160°F internally with a meat thermometer.
Add Toppings
Top each chicken breast with about 1/4 cup of marinara sauce (enough to mostly cover the piece). Then, sprinkle about 1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese (or two pieces of fresh mozzarella) over the top of each piece, as well. Put chicken back in the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Serve
Serve warm over pasta or Butter Noodles if desired.
What to Serve with Chicken Parmesan
I usually serve this dish with some whole wheat pasta (like angel hair, egg noodles, etc) that has been tossed with butter and Parmesan cheese. We have a recipe for Butter Noodles, if you want to follow that.
Can You Freeze Chicken Parmesan?
Like many of our amazing freezer meals, we have provided methods to prep this meal ahead and freeze for later.
Freeze For Later: Bread the chicken and place in a single layer in a flat gallon-sized freezer bag or casserole dish. Divide layers with parchment paper, if needed. Seal the bag or tightly wrap the dish. Freeze alongside a bag of shredded mozzarella cheese.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw chicken completely in the refrigerator overnight. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake according to the recipe.
More Chicken Parm Recipes You’ll Love
FAQs
If you’re simply wondering how long to bake your Chicken Parmesan at 350°F, the answer is that it depends on the thickness of your chicken breast. If you’ve pounded out or sliced your chicken breast into thin cutlets, the bake time is only 15-18 minutes.
However, for a full chicken breast, the bake time at 350°F will be 25-30 minutes. It’s done when the internal temperature in the thickest part of the chicken breast registers 160-165°F or there is no longer any pink inside. (The temp will continue to rise a few degrees after being removed from the oven.)
Either will work, but the fresh mozzarella melts better and leaves less grease on top. It looks prettier too!
It’s very easy to adapt Chicken Parmesan to be gluten-free. Simply buy or make gluten-free breadcrumbs and use them in place of the regular breadcrumbs.
Yes, to make it dairy-free, replace the Parmesan cheese with more breadcrumbs plus 1/2 teaspoon salt. Then, either omit the shredded mozzarella or use a dairy-free version like Daiya brand instead.
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
Baked Chicken Parmesan
Our easy, healthier Baked Chicken Parmesan is a classic recipe that every member of the family will enjoy. You can even prep this meal ahead and freeze for later using our instructions.
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain dry breadcrumbs (or gluten-free breadcrumbs)
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, crushed in hand
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt & pepper
- 1 large egg
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 – 2 pounds)
- 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (or 1 ball of fresh mozzarella, cut into 6 slices)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
Make It Now:
- Prep: Preheat oven to 400°F. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil that’s been sprayed with cooking spray.
- Set Up Breading Stations: In a shallow dish, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper. In a second shallow dish, whisk together the egg and a splash of water.
- Slice Chicken Cutlets: On a cutting board, slice chicken in half lengthwise, resulting in 6 thinner chicken breasts (see article for pictures). Season the front and back of each chicken breast with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Bread Cutlets: Dip chicken breasts, one at a time, in egg mixture, turning to coat. Allow excess to drip off. Then dip chicken pieces in breadcrumb mixture, turning to coat. Press the mixture onto the chicken so it sticks. Place breaded chicken on the sheet pan. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
- Bake: Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the thickest piece registers close to 160°F internally with a meat thermometer.
- Add Topping: Top each chicken breast with about 1/4 cup of marinara sauce (enough to mostly cover the piece). Then, sprinkle about 1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese over the top of each piece (or 1-2 slices of fresh mozzarella), as well. Put chicken back in the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Serve: Serve warm over pasta, if desired.
Freeze For Later: Follow Steps 2-4. Place in single layers in a freezer container or flat gallon-sized bag. Divide layers with parchment paper. Seal tightly and freeze. Freeze alongside a bag of shredded mozzarella cheese.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw chicken completely in the refrigerator over night. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Follow Steps 5-7.
Notes/Tips
- Gluten-Free Version: Use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- Dairy-Free Version: Use breadcrumbs plus 1/2 teaspoon salt in place of the Parmesan cheese. Either omit the shredded mozzarella or use a dairy-free version like Daiya brand.
- Serve with Butter Noodles, Texas Toast, and Salad.
- Short-Cut: Use Italian dried breadcrumbs from the store and omit the garlic power and Italian seasoning.
- Where We Get Our Chicken: We get our meat from ButcherBox. The chicken is organic and curated from small, trusted farms. We highly recommend this service to source healthy meat–like uncured bacon, wild salmon, and grass-fed beef–and have used it for years ourselves. Read my honest review here.
- If you want to try a similar type of recipe that’s a little fancier, definitely check out our Crispy Chicken Cutlets with Lemon Butter Sauce. Mmmm!
Photography by Whitney Reist of Sweet Cayenne.
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Photos and video by Whitney Reist of Sweet Cayenne.
Very easy recipe to follow. Turned out good.
So glad you enjoyed this recipe Jo-Anne. Thanks for leaving a review!
This is amazing, my husband said he would eat it daily. My children ALL like it, which is really difficult to do. Highly recommend! Everything we’ve tried from your site has been so good, I’ve shared it with so many people! Thank you!!
This is so great to hear. Thanks Katie!
Excellent tasting recipe and very simple to make! First time but will do many times over! Thank you! Served with salad and over spaghetti!
I made just as you said! 😄😄
Terrific! So glad you enjoyed this recipe Wenda. Thank you for leaving a review.
We loved this! Easy weeknight meal & everyone in the family gave it a 10/10!
Thanks for the review, Katie. That’s a huge compliment that the whole family gave it 10/10!
A family favorite! I especially like the shortcut of using Italian dried breadcrumbs.
Glad you like it!
My whole family loved it. I have one picky eater that doesn’t do tomato sauce, so I just left that off hers, but she still liked it just fine!
Can I prepare the Parmesan chicken ahead of time,put in fridge and bake it the next day?
Hi Rose! Yes, you can bread the chicken ahead of time and put in the fridge (for up to a day or so) until you’re ready to cook. If you do this, set them out on the counter for about 10 minutes before putting them in the oven to take the chill off.
Amazing recipe “chicken parmesan recipe” shared by you. Thanks for sharing this food recipe. I will try at home by today.
THANKS!!! My super picky eater (if it’s called “Dinner” and mom made it, he won’t eat it) asked for 2nd’s, 3rd’s, 4th’s, and 5th’s of this dish. The only reason he ate it is because it looked like pizza! I thought I made enough for my husband’s lunch the next day, but I barely had any myself. The kids were eating it faster than I could cut it.
Ah, that makes me so happy. I know the exact scenario you described and that feeling of accomplishment as a mom when a new dish actually works for the whole family (especially those picky ones!). Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, Kristal.
I’ve heard that it is not healthy to thaw chicken and then re freeze it. Is this true? Most of the chicken I buy is already frozen?…
That is a myth. Here is what the USDA says: http://food.unl.edu/safety/safe-to-refreeze. I’ve been unfreezing and refreezing for seven years. Of course, you have to be careful to cook chicken, in particular, fully.
Can you add the print option to this wonderful recipe? Thanks!
Absolutely!
Love these recipes and hope to make some this week. BUT I want to print them to save, and several do not have a print function. How do I print these in a readable format without all the pictures? Thanks!
Hi Leta, thanks for the heads up on this recipe. Some of these are my older ones that I moved over from my old blog. I still need to go through many of them and update them with a print function. I’ll add that to the to-do. So sorry!
Hello, I am going to make this recipe this week it looks delicious! How should I reheat the chicken parm after I freeze it?
Nicole, I’m sorry to just now be getting back to you. To freeze this, package the uncooked, breaded chicken separate from the sauce and cheese. When ready to cook, thaw in the fridge over night (or in the microwave on defrost setting). Then, bake according to directions and add sauce and cheese at the end according to directions. I hope that helps!
Never knew it was okay to freeze breaded meat. Make chicken parm all the time. Family favorite thanks for the idea. What do you find is the best packaging for freezing to prevent freezer burn?
Thanks. Sue
I use the Gladware Ovenware because they stack nicely in the freezer. But, to prevent freezer burn make sure to cover the surface of the food within the pan with foil or plastic wrap and then put the lid on. Sometimes I even tape the lid down if it isn’t closing tightly. You can also use glass pans that have lids, but again just make sure the food is sealed off from air with the foil or plastic wrap.
Thanks, Pam. So glad you find my blog helpful!
Glad to see your blog open again. I got the link from a coworker (Shawn Bender) and have been reading for months. I just made some of your zucchini flax muffins and they were great. I am no stalker but do stop in to check out your amazing food blogs, thanks for sharing! Pam