This Chicken Parmesan recipe is the chicken dinner I can count on to make my family happy – they love a good Olive Garden copycat dish. It has a parmesan crust that seals in the juiciest chicken breast, topped with marinara and melted cheese.
Chicken Parm is quick and easy, make-ahead friendly, and reheats beautifully. Watch my video tutorial and you’ll be on your way to making this restaurant-quality dish at home.
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Helpful Reader Review
“I made this dish for my son in laws birthday and our family and friends loved it! It was so easy but most importantly, they all loved it! BTW I also used your marinara recipe, so easy and you’re right why are we buying the premade jar.” – Stephanie ★★★★★
Chicken Parmesan Video
This is one chicken dinner you’ll make on repeat, and it always gets rave reviews. It’s truly simple to make (done in under 40 minutes) and is perfect for busy weeknights or even a special Italian dinner night in. It’s a keeper of a recipe!
Easy Chicken Parmesan Recipe
This is my classic version of Chicken Parmesan that I have perfected after making it countless times for my family and friends. This is the best combination of juicy chicken, a crisp and perfectly seasoned crust under a crown of Homemade Marinara, and melty cheese. Being make-ahead friendly and reheats well, it’s perfect to make for new moms, and it’s one of my go-to recipes that I make for my kids when we’re traveling and I want to make sure they are well fed.
The Italian name is Chicken Parmigiana, and in the US, it has been nicknamed Chicken Parm, short for Chicken Parmesan. It is essentially breaded and parmesan-crusted chicken breast covered in tomato sauce and cheese, and is similar to Eggplant Parmesan and my Meatballs Parmesan. If you want to take this a step further, you can also make Stuffed Chicken Parmesan.
Key Ingredients for Italian Chicken Parmesan
You just need a few pantry staples to make Chicken Parm. We do love to add a little parsley or basil to garnish the top, but that’s optional. All you need for the perfect chicken parm is:
- Chicken breasts – get boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Chicken cutlets or chicken tenders would also work well here.
- Breadcrumbs – seasoned Italian bread crumbs add more flavor to the chicken. Panko, plain breadcrumbs or even gluten-free bread crumbs also work; stir in 1/2 tsp dried basil for extra flavor.
- Eggs – dredging with flour then dipping in eggs helps the bread crumbs stick. If you want to make it egg-free, you can replace eggs with buttermilk.
- Cheese – use freshly grated Parmesan for the crust and shredded mozzarella for topping. You can use whole milk mozzarella or low-moisture part-skim. You can also add a slice of fresh mozzarella over the top, but it will release a little more moisture into your dish.
- Marinara sauce – This is the best with homemade marinara sauce, but if you’re in a hurry, you can use your favorite store-bought marinara
How to Make Chicken Parmesan
- Cut 2 chicken breasts in half length-wise for 4 cutlets. Put them between plastic wrap and use a meat mallet (or rolling pin, or heavy saucepan) to pound them to an even 1/3″ thickness and season. Pounding the cutlets tenderizes them and helps them cook faster and evenly. If you skip the pounding, you’ll want to sauté for longer to ensure they cook through properly.
- For the dredging station – Set up 3 shallow bowls: In the first bowl, combine flour, salt, and pepper; in the second bowl, beat together eggs; and in the third bowl, combine parmesan and bread crumbs. Coat the chicken in flour, dusting off excess, then dip it in eggs and turn to coat in breadcrumbs.
- Pan-fry – Once all chicken is breaded, heat a large non-stick skillet with enough oil to lightly coat the bottom and saute 3-4 minutes per side – it doesn’t have to be cooked through at this point. You’re looking for a golden breading and to remove surface moisture. It will finish cooking through in the oven.
- Assemble and bake – Pour half of your marinara sauce in a casserole dish. Arrange chicken pieces over the marinara in a single layer. Spoon on marinara sauce and sprinkle with cheese, then bake in a casserole dish at 425˚F for 15 minutes or until just cooked through (165˚F on an instant-read thermometer), the cheese is melted and browned in spots, and the sauce is bubbling.
Natasha’s Tip for Crispy Chicken:
If you want an extra crispy chicken parmesan, reduce or omit the marinara sauce at the bottom of the casserole dish. You can also bake the chicken on a wire rack set over a baking sheet to keep it crispy all around. My personal preference is the marinara sauce because it’s moisture insurance, prevents sticking, adds extra flavor, and is the perfect one-pan dish that’s ready to serve over spaghetti.
Serve With
You’ll love this served over buttered Homemade Pasta and paired with my Caesar Salad or Roasted Asparagus or Roasted Cauliflower. It can also be served as a hot sandwich on a toasted hamburger bun for lunch.
Can I Make Baked Chicken Parm Instead of Frying?
While we prefer sautéing the chicken lightly in oil because it is faster and yields a uniformly golden result, you can skip the pan-frying step and make this a healthier Baked Chicken Parmesan.
To make baked chicken parm, complete steps 1 and 2. Then, coat breaded chicken breasts with cooking spray on all sides, and bake the chicken on a baking sheet at 400˚F for 15 minutes or until the center reaches a safe internal temperature of 165˚F. Remove from the oven, add 2-3 tablespoons of marinara sauce over each cutlet, and top with cheese. Then, return to the oven for another 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
I love re-creating my favorite Italian restaurant dishes like Zuppa Toscana, Smashburgers, and of course, this Italian Chicken Parmigiana. I even have an entire category on my blog for restaurant copycat recipes, and homemade is fresher and usually healthier with better ingredients than going out.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
I love how breaded chicken keeps and reheats well without tasting like reheated chicken. The breading acts as a barrier to keep the chicken moist and tender, so Chicken Parmesan is perfect for meal prep.
- Prep ahead – You can saute the breaded chicken until it’s fully cooked through to 165˚F, arrange it in a casserole dish, and top it with marinara and cheese, then cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Bake before serving, adding 5 minutes to the bake time or until the internal temperature reaches 165˚F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Storing Leftovers – once cooled to room temperature, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days, or wrap and store in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
- To Reheat – thaw in the refrigerator overnight if frozen, then bake uncovered in the oven at 375˚F for the crust to crisp up.
Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, (large), about 1 1/2 lbs*
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, or GF flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 large eggs, beaten until frothy
- 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs, *
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded or grated
- 2 Tbsp Light olive oil, to sauté
- 3 cups marinara sauce, divided
- 4 oz mozzarella cheese, (1 cup shredded)
- 1 Tbsp fresh basil, or parsley, chopped for optional garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken – Trim chicken breasts and slice in half length-wise so you end up with 4 equal-thickness cutlets. *Pound larger chicken breasts to 1/3-inch thick. Season with salt and pepper.
- Set up dredging station – In the first shallow bowl, stir together 1/2 cup flour, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. In a second bowl, whisk 2 eggs until frothy. In a third bowl, stir together 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs with 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. Dip both sides of each chicken cutlet into the flour, tapping off the excess, 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. Let the breading sit for 5 minutes so it adheres better when frying.
- Pan-fry – Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat and add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Once oil is hot, add chicken in batches (don't crowd the pan) – the chicken should sizzle. Sauté 3-4 min per side or until golden brown – it doesn't have to be cooked through at this point.
- Assemble and bake – Pour half of the marinara* into a 9×13 casserole baking dish. Arrange chicken over the sauce in a single layer. Top each chicken down the center with remaining marinara, then cover with shredded mozzarella. Bake uncovered at 425˚F for 15 minutes or until the chicken reaches a safe 165˚F on an instant-read thermometer, the cheese is melted, and the sauce is bubbling. Garnish with chopped parsley or basil if desired.
Notes
*Substitute Italian bread crumbs with Panko crumbs, plain bread crumbs, or gluten-free crumbs. Add 1/2 tsp dried oregano for extra flavor.
*If a crispier chicken crust is preferred, use less sauce in the bottom of the casserole or even omit the sauce at the bottom.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Easy Chicken Dinners
- Chicken Marsala
- Lemon Chicken
- Chicken Madeira
- Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
- Chicken Pesto Pasta
- Chicken Stir Fry
- Pizza Chicken
- Chicken Kiev
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 🙂