Classic Chicken Parmesan Recipe
This classic Chicken Parmesan is as good as it gets! It has a parmesan crust that seals in the juiciest chicken breast, topped with marinara and a generous amount of melted cheese. The process to make this is surprisingly quick and easy.
Chicken Parmesan is wonderful over hot pasta and served with Caesar Salad or Roasted Asparagus on the side. This is among our family’s favorite 30-minute meals.
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Chicken Parmesan Recipe:
This is the classic version of Chicken Parm. A restaurant-quality Chicken Parmesan is so easy to recreate at home (for a fraction of the price). Since this chicken is breaded and covered in sauce, it also reheats really well so you will appreciate any leftovers.
This Chicken Parmesan Recipe can also be served as a hot sandwich on a toasted bun; yum! If you want to take this a step further, you can also make Stuffed Chicken Parmesan.
What is Chicken Parmesan?
The Italian name is Chicken Parmigiana and in the US, it has been nicknamed Chicken Parm, short for Chicken Parmesan. It is essentially breaded chicken breast covered in tomato sauce and cheese. How can something so simple be THIS good you ask? You only have to try it once and you will know why everyone is talking about this dish.
Ingredients for Easy Chicken Parmesan:
You just need a few pantry staples to make Chicken Parm. When you’re in a hurry, you can absolutely use your favorite store-bought marinara (keeping it real), or whip up some homemade marinara sauce. All you need for the perfect chicken parm is:
- chicken breasts (buy medium-sized and you won’t have to pound them)
- flour, salt, and pepper to dredge
- eggs, for the egg wash
- Italian bread crumbs and grated parmesan for the crust
- A good cooking oil
- Marinara Sauce
- Shredded Mozzarella
- Parsley or basil to garnish
How to Make Parmesan Crusted Chicken:
- Cut Chicken in half length-wise for 8 cutlets
- Set up 3 bowls: one with flour, salt and pepper, a second with beaten egg and a third with parmesan and bread crumbs
- Dredge chicken in flour then dip in eggs and turn to coat in bread crumbs
- Rest Chicken 10 minutes then saute 2 minutes per side in oil
- Spoon on marinara sauce and top with cheese then bake in a casserole dish at 425˚F for 10 min.
Cook’s Tip: If chicken breasts are large, use a meat mallet to pound between plastic wrap into 1/2″-thick cutlets and they will cook faster and more evenly.
Can Chicken Parm be Made Ahead?
You can saute the breaded chicken, arrange in a casserole dish and top with marinara and cheese, then cover and refrigerate. Bake before serving, but be sure to bake a few minutes longer since you are baking chilled chicken.
Check the internal temperature of the chicken with an instant-read thermometer to ensure that it bakes to a safe 165˚F.
For a Healthier Baked Chicken Parmesan:
While we prefer sauteing the chicken lightly in oil because it is faster and uniformly golden, you can skip the pan-frying step and make this a healthier Baked Chicken Parmesan.
To make baked chicken parm, complete steps 1 through 3, lightly coat breaded chicken breasts with cooking spray on all sides and bake the chicken for 20-25 minutes then continue with the recipe in step 5.
This Chicken Parmesan is so easy, perfect for busy weeknights and will send your family running to the table. It’s a keeper of a recipe!
More One-Pan Chicken Dinners:
We love chicken recipes that come together in one pan. These are the ones our family requests most often and they have been tested and loved by hundreds of readers.
- Chicken Madeira – Cheesecake Factory Copycat
- Lemon Chicken Pasta in the best Alfredo sauce
- Chicken Pesto Pasta – 1 ingredient changes everything!
- Chicken Stir Fry – easy and so saucy
Chicken Parmesan Recipe
Classic Chicken Parmesan recipe with parmesan-crusted tender chicken, topped with marinara and cheese. Chicken Parm is an easy, excellent 30-minute dinner.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts (medium-sized), about 2 lbs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 large eggs beaten until frothy
- 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
- 1 cup parmesan cheese grated
- extra light olive oil to sauté
- 24 oz marinara sauce
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese (2 cups shredded)
- 1 Tbsp Fresh Parsley or Basil optional garnish
Instructions
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Trim chicken breasts and slice in half length-wise so you end up with 8 equal-thickness cutlets. Note: For large chicken breasts, pound your chicken between plastic wrap into even 1/2"-thick cutlets.
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In a shallow bowl, stir together 1 cup flour, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. In a second bowl, whisk eggs until frothy. In a third bowl, stir together 1 cup Italian bread crumbs with 1 cup parmesan cheese.
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Dip both sides of each chicken cutlet into the flour, then dip in beaten eggs, letting excess egg drip off and finally dip into the cheesy breadcrumbs, pressing cutlets into breading to ensure a thick, even coating of crumbs. Set prepared cutlets aside to rest 10 min.
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Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat and add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Once oil is hot, add chicken in batches (don't crowd the pan), sautéing 2 min per side or until golden brown. Don't worry about cooking them through at this point.
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Place sautéed chicken into a large casserole baking dish or a rimmed cookie sheet. Top each chicken breast with 2 full Tablespoons marinara, then cover with 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella. Bake uncovered at 425˚F for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and chicken is cooked through.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Now for the most important moment that made me smile – the taste test. Two thumbs up from my son. He loved the leftover piece just as much which I reheated for him the next day. On day three, he was asking for it again.
Enjoy this super yummy dish, my friends!
natashaskitchen
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Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Hi Natasha, I made this the other nite and it was amazing, so flavorful, I used chicken tenders cause I had a large pkg in freezer of them and OMG!! And made your meatloaf again too, so so yummy!! Thankyou for all that you do, you are wonderful!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Mary!
Hello Natasha, this dish looks amazing, I could almost smell it lol. I was wondering if you used marinara sauce from a jar or homemade? Thank you
Hi Letty, we used Ragu jar marinara for this quick recipe. We have a photo of it in the post. I hope that helps.
If you can find Rao’s Marinara, it is simply magnificent. Pricey at $8/24oz jar – but well worth it for this fabulous dish. Rao’s is just like the sauce we used to find in NY restaurants.
Thank you so much, I will try that. Just have too find where they sell it lol
Vincent thank you so much for recommending the Rao’s Marinara sauce. It is a great sauce, I loved it. It was pricey but worth it. Even my husband asked me if I did something different, because the dish tasted way better than other times lol
So glad you enjoyed Rao’s, Letty. It is Buon Appetit magazine’s jarred sauce of choice. Occasionally, it is on sale at Whole Foods for $4.99 or so.
I loved this recipe! Only I cooked the chicken on the oven only due to my husband”s health. Very very good!!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Connie!
When I used flour/egg/bread crumbs, the breading would slide off – and it’s rather unpleasant. Then I skipped the flour and used only egg and breadcrumbs – this achieved a much better result for me. Do you know what was I might have been doing wrong with the flour? Thank you for your great recipes.
Hi Vincent, I’d be happy to trouble shoot with you! Pat the chicken dry before dredging in flour and then dipping in egg. The only other suggestion would be to make sure your chicken is well coated in both the flour and then the egg before breading. I’m so glad you liked it
I made this for dinner yesterday. It was so AMAZING! It was tender and juicy…and so easy to make! It’s a keeper for me. Thanks for the amazing recipes!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Katie! Thank you for that awesome feedback.
Oh my God! My daughter just had a second serving of this chicken! Usually she eats homemade chicken dishes extremely rarely. She even asked me to put it into her lunchbox tomorrow! Thank you
Isn’t that the best when kids love what we moms make? That’s so great, Olga!
I made this dish the other night. This was so tasty and amazing. I’m definitely making this again! Yummmmmm
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Krystal!
This is a family favorite now in my house! We love it!
That’s so great Krissy!! Thank you for that awesome review!
Love this! Chicken Parmesan is such a classic recipe and this was just that! Loved how easy it was to make and it was loved by the whole family.
Sounds like you found a new family favorite, Julie!
Oh, chicken parm is one of my favorites! I can’t wait to try your recipe!
I hope you love it Katie!
yummy recipe. thank you
If I want to prepare the meal but want to fry later in the day, can i coat the chickens and then put them in the fridge until ready to fry or will it become more difficult?
Hi, that will work to bread in advance, cover and refrigerate then fry later in the day.
awesome recipe, my ENTIRE family loved it. Will be making it again.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Hi, i haven’t cooked the dish yet. But i wanted to ask if i can use frozen chicken breasts and just thaw it? I’m very excited to cook this dish, it looks delicious!! Love all your recipes by the way!
Hi Monica, If I’m understanding correctly. Do you want to thaw the breast before following the recipe instructions? If so, then yes that is the perfect way to do that. You would want the chicken to be thawed all the way through 🙂 Enjoy!
This was so good and fun to make too!
That’s so great Debbie! Don’t you love it when cooking is fun!? I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Amazing!! Instead of ragu I used Victoria’s marinara sauce for a spicier kick!
Great tip Stacia, thanks for sharing!
Hi I just wondering how it taste on the second day!
Hi Sveta, I think these are best fresh on day 1 but leftovers do reheat well. I have always found breaded chicken to reheat the best – it doesn’t have that reheated chicken taste if you know what I mean 🙂
Hi I’m kinda new to cooking. I tried the recipe. But when I was frying the chicken, the breading part of the chicken burned and stuck to the pan and came off the chicken. I was left with just the white meat. It all still tasted delicious, but I’m wondering what I did wrong. I used a stainless steel pan on medium heat, with just enough oil to coat the bottom. Any suggestions on what I can do different to make mine look like ur golden brown chicken pieces? Which again, tasted delicious 😋
Hi Mags, it’s easiest to use a non-stick pan but if prefer stainless steel, I would recommend checking out this amazing tip on how to keep the stainless steel pans non-stick.
Oooh would love to try this recipe… Is there an option to cook it without using any egg due to an intolerance to it?
Hi Laura, use buttermilk as a substitute for drenching the chicken. Thank you for visiting our site 😀
Followed the recipe exactly except for Parmesan cheese…didn’t have quite a cup..
It was fantastic!!
I’m glad you enjoy the recipe! Thanks so much for sharing!
Do you have to use Italian breadcrumbs?
A different kind of bread crumb would still work.
Such a delicious meal! Thank you Natasha for all your wonderful recipes. They have given me so much confidence in the kitchen. God bless you and your family❤️
Awww I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing that with me and thank you for the amazing review! 🙂
How much spaghetti for this receipe approx?
I guess it depends on how many people you’re serving. For six servings I would probably cook 3/4 lb to 1 pound of spaghetti.
Simply delicious!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Made this tonight and it was delicious. My breading didn’t quite stick to the chicken. It kind of slide off as we cut into it. Any suggestions?
Hi Karen, pat the chicken dry before dredging in flour and then dipping in egg. The only other suggestion would be to make sure your chicken is well coated in both the flour and then the egg before breading. I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
I tried this recipe with ranch instead of Ragu and it was delicious!! I used the Gregg’s ranch from Costco and it tasted so much better. Thanks for the recipe!
I love that idea! Thank you so much for sharing that with us!
Hi Natasha, I made this dish last night, it was delicious!!! Thank you again for all your wonderful recipes, What is your secret to stay in shape with all these fabulous meals? 🙂
Currently – breastfeeding! 😉 I have been working on eating less sugar and processed foods and it has helped the post baby weight come off faster 🙂
You look great! Should try your tips 🙂
Can you share your diet you eat during the day that helped the post baby weight? Wouild love to hear tips
Hi Mel, I wish I had a secret to share but honest, I didn’t do anything beyond breastfeeding and mostly eating in (cooking at home). I started jogging about 1 year after my baby girl was born :-O That’s when I finally felt like I had the energy to do it, but honestly once I started jogging in the mornings, I feel like I have so much more energy for my kids and life in general. 🙂
I got too much chicken ( I didn’t realize that you have to cut in half when I bought the chicken) and was wondering when in this process would be best to freeze it to make again later? I have them all coated and in the fridge, do you recommend pan frying it first and then freezing or freezing while they are still raw? Thanks
Do you mean you’ve allready breaded the chicken? If you’ve breaded the chicken, I think it would be best if you fry it first then freeze it but you’ll just need to bake it longer since it will go into the oven frozen. I think if you froze breaded un-fried chicken, it might be harder to fry later as the breading might get too moist once it’s thawed to saute it properly.
Hi Natasha! So I tried it both ways, one batch I sauteed the chicken, cooled it and froze it. When I was ready to cook it, I took the chicken directly out of the freezer and placed it in the oven covered by the sauce. This method left the chicken a tad dry, from freezing and cooking it again. Another batch I froze without sauteing it first (so pretty much raw chicken breaded) and froze it by wrapping individual pieces in wax paper so the chicken would not get stuck all together. Then when I was ready to cook it, I “deep fried” it in 3 inches of oil in a pan until it was golden on both sides( flipping it so both sides get golden), then I continued with recipe, but I used a thermometer this time to make sure that I would not overcook the chicken. It was much better this route. The chicken was not dry and the crust on it very crispy. I would completely recommend this for people who work and have to have some freezer meals available for faster cooking later (that’s me!). I also used this method for making chicken tenders, so freeze raw panko encrusted chicken and then “deep fry ” and bake. So much better than store bought frozen chicken tenders. Anyways, love all your recipes, so glad this blog exists!
That is so helpful! Thank you so much for sharing your advice on making this freezer friendly!! 🙂
Can I use chicken thighs for this recipe? I don’t have any chicken breast on hand…
That should work fine just make sure to trim them really well of extra fat. It will still be just as if not even more delicious (I’m a chicken thigh lover myself) 😉
I just made this! It was scrumptious!!!
Yay!! I’m happy you discovered it. It’s one of our favorite chicken recipes. So easy and tasty! 🙂 Thanks Marina.
I want to try this but I don’t have parmesan cheese. I only have the parmesan cheese in the bottle. Can I use that instead?
Yes! That would work just fine. You might use slightly less but it will still taste really good!
I found your blog just recently and I can’t find words to describe how incredible it is! I already tried 4-5 of your recipes and they are all amazing! Thanks to your blog and your easy to follow recipes my husband now calls me the queen of the kitchen! 😀 Anyway sorry for the very loooong comment but I just had to say it. 🙂 All the best!
P.S. I cooked the chicken parm last night and my family liked it so much that they are making me do it again tonight! 😀
Awww that’s fantastic! Queen of the kitchen is a very good reputation to have 😉
This recipe is delicious I usually do without the cheese. But with the cheese is even more yummier. Thank you!
I’m a sucker for anything with melted cheese. 🙂
I never realized how easy this was to make until now. It’s great to have a restaurant quality meal at home.
Isn’t it so easy! Thank you for the great review, Mallory!
Made this for lunch today and everyone loved it. I was surprised and loved how it was so quick and easy to make. Thanks for the great recipe 🙂
Yuliya, thank you for the great review and you are welcome :).
Looking forward to making this 😀
I hope you love it as much as we do. It’s truly delicious! 🙂
Natasha, thank you for another great recipe! Question: can I substitute Ragu with Tomato Basil Marinara? Thank you:)
Aly, Tomato Basil Marinara would work just fine and you are welcome :).
I love Chicken Parmesan, one of my favorite quick dinner meals 🙂 I need to check if my site is mobile friendly.. I sure hope so because I wouldn’t know where to start 🙁
I had no idea where to start too; had to hire someone! It’s still under construction but I’m hoping the bulk of it will be done today :).
Natasha, I don’t know what you did to the formatting of your site, but I don’t like it:( the recipes come up weird on my phone, in super long stretchy columns. Maybe no one else is having this issue? I’m sorry.
Hi Alena, Google has new requirements to make websites mobile friendly. Our mobile site is currently under construction. Hopefully it will look nice and be easy to navigate soon. Sorry for the inconvenience 🙁
Oh gosh this looks so mouthwatering… And i am already stuffed from lunch haha! I do have one question to ask.. Is there a homemade recipe for the sauce? I dont like buying premade.. (I might be weird haha) i just like fresh! Hope there can be one in the future
It really is so delicious! I do have a homemade marinara posted on my site: https://natashaskitchen.com/2014/06/05/mushroom-marinara-sauce-recipe/. If you want the recipe to be really fast and easy, you can always use a store bought organic marinara in a glass jar. 🙂
Yum! Can’t wait to try this! Can you use chicken tenderloins instead of chicken breast?
Yes, tenderloins would work and you wouldn’t even have to slice them in half 🙂
Would chicken tenders work for this recipe? Don’t feel like going to grocery store 😀
Yes, they should work just fine and no need to slice them! 🙂
We are big chicken Parm eaters here and really enjoy experimenting with new recipes. Definitely going to show this recipe to my wife for some serious teamwork. She does the cooking. I do the pounding and work with the raw chicken meat, which she says is super icky. But teamwork gets it done!
I think that’s the best way to cook; teamwork! 🙂 This chicken parm is even easier; no pounding required!
Chicken parm is hard to beat. I love how simple it is! I’m also addicted to pasta so that makes this perfect for me!
It really is hard to beat! One of those dishes that you make once and then over and over again 🙂
Love the cutie taste testing this! Looks delicious
Thank you! Isn’t he the sweetest? He gives such nice compliments when he loves something I make 🙂