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
We made this for dinner last night. Absolutely perfect! I’ve always made successful chicken parm, but I’ve never floured my chicken like this recipe, and I felt it binded better and had a better crispy texture. I’ve also made spaghetti sauce in the past, but this marinara was absolutely perfect, tasted fresh and bright and the dish didn’t feel “heavy” (I used the same canned tomatoes from the recipe). Chicken Parm is my hubs fav, and he just kept raving last night about how much he loved dinner, and again this morning he kept saying how good the sauce was, and how much he loved dinner last night. Definitely making this again
That’s wonderful, Angel! Thank you for the review and I’m so glad it was a hit!
I made this tonight! It was a hit a fairly easy to make! Thanks Natasha!
You’re welcome, Cindy!
Very good! I recommend serving with pasta of your choice. I also added more chicken on the side.
This recipe was delicious and my husbands new favourite 😍 thank you ❤️I love all your recipes and my family love your chocolate chip cookies ❣️❣️❣️
I’m making this for dinner (again) tonight. I LOVE this recipe! Sometimes, it’s really difficult reducing the recipe sizes. I live alone, so I’m just cooking for myself. I guess that would be the one thing I wish I could see more of on these recipe channels. Recipes for 1 person..LOL Anyway, I just had to watch your video again as well. I get such a kick out of watching you cook!! You’re awesome Natasha!!
Love this recipe! Wondering if you’ve tried air frying the chicken once breaded instead of pan fry. If so, I’d love the time and temp used please!
Hi Amira! I haven’t tested that to advise of the proper timing/temp. I think that will work but you’ll have to experiment.
Can you freeze assembled chicken parmesan?
Hi Rose, Yes, you can freeze chicken Parmesan before baking. Assemble it in a freezer-safe dish (avoid glass), cool it completely, and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 375°F for 45-55 minutes, or thaw overnight in the fridge for faster baking (30-40 minutes). This keeps the breading from getting soggy—enjoy!
Making this recipe for my dinner group tonight! I’m sure it will be a hit!
My favorite chicken parm dish! So fast and delicious! We use our homemade gravy! So damn good!
Natasha,
What if I want to make this for a large crowd say 10 people. Any suggestions?
Thank you
Hi Lauri! You can increase the number of servings in the recipe card and it will convert the ingredients for you.
You’ll just need to use a larger dish or more than one dish to bake the chicken. The cooking time should be much different as long as the pan is not overcrowded. Check for doneness with a food thermometer.
This is so good!
I will not need any other recipe for Chicken Parm.
My picky husband ate it and was happy.
What can I use instead of mozzarella? Tasteless and chewy.
Hi Stewball! You can use more Parmesan or a blend of Italian cheeses.
Best chicken parm recipe! My husband usually a big fan but this was a hit. Very moist and flavorful. We loved it!
Can I use fettuccine or linguine. Husband does not care for spaghetti pasta.
Yes, that would be fine. Just cook it according to the package instructions.
Fantastic!! So easy, the chicken was tender & the flavor profile hit!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Stephanie!
I did not see it in the notes about your scraper which scraper do you use and we have made this and we loved it and my mom is visiting so I’m gonna make it again for her quick easy, simple and delicious
Hi Debbie, are you possibly referring the the grater? You can find our favorite kitchen tools in our Amazon Affiliate Shop HERE.
This recipe is amazing! I’ve always been intimidated to try chicken parmesan, but Natasha’s recipe is so easy and the steps are very well laid out. This is another one we are adding to our regular meal rotation. Thankyou so much!!
So happy to hear it was enjoyed!
Can’t wait to make this for my friend who loves chicken parm. It should be easy and delicious.
Let us know how it turns out!
Thank you Natasha for this wonderful recipe, love love. Your recipes always are on point and delicious! Thank you 🙏🏼
You are so welcome! Thank you.
This came out delicious. Using zip lock bags for the mixtures instead of bowls was the only alternative made. My husband and I enjoyed it very much. Thank you!