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 last night using leftover cutlets from the night before. Also used my homemade sauce. It was delicious!!! Thank you again for another great recipe!!!
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for sharing that with us.
Hi Natasha,
did you alter this recipe recently? I remember making a Chicken Parm recipe from your website but the steps were slightly different. I recall only spooning the sauce over the chicken and not covering the bottom of the pan with the sauce. Perhaps there were other steps that differ from this currently recipe but i do not recall at the moment.
Hi Mike, that is the only real difference was adding the sauce to the bottom. You can skip that step and it will still work great if you prefer to just spoon the sauce over the top.
I love everything about you, your personality, your simplicity, your happy face, your food, your recipe, EVERYTHING!!!😘😘😘😘🇨🇦
You’re so kind, thank you for your kind words and great feedback. Appreciate it!
I am going to make this tonight and was wondering if Panko bread crumbs would work ok? Maybe add some garlic and onion powder to get the “Italian” flavor?
Hi Anastasia, I think that would still work fine to use Panko crumbs, but yes I would add a little more seasoning.
What kind of oil is good cooking oil? What type do you recommend? Olive, canola, vegetable?
Hi Priscilla, any of those you mentioned are all good cooking oil.
Make this tonight. I am not a cook! My daughter loved it!! So enjoy all your recipes and videos.
That’s so great Eileen! Thank you for that feedback!
Hi Natasha I was wondering where you Purchase your cool wear & cooking Utensils?
Hello Sherry. Here’s where you can see the kitchen utensils that I usually use.
I made this recepie it was delicious.
Isn’t the flavor amazing!
One of our absolute favorite dinners! A total mom win when the whole family enjoys it and eats it without a fuss. Thank you!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review Jen!
Thank you so much for the great recipe my family loved it.
You are so welcome! So great to hear that and I hope they love all the other recipes that you will try.
This is such a wonderful recipe!
Made it for the family and it was a hit!
Sounds like you found a new family favorite Katie! Thank you for that awesome review.
Trying tomorrow. Is 499 calories per serving or for the whole recipe?
Hi Julie, that is per serving. You can take that down quite a bit by reducing the cheese if you were wanting to lower the calories per serving. The marinara adds to that as well so you could always use less of it.
Chicken Parm is my FAV and your recipe is the one I always turn to! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Katie! I’m so glad you enjoyed that!
Ok….this looks fabulous…can’t wait to try it.
Also….where is your white pan from (checked under “shop”, but couldn’t find it)
Hi Tammy, that casserole dish is from Fred Meyer and I haven’t been able to find it online. The closest one I’ve found online is this one.
Natasha, this recipe was delicious. I made this tonight, for Valentines Day and my bf loved it. Thank you.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you both enjoyed that Paulina! Thank you for the wonderful review.
Natasha where have you been all my life. You have inspired me to cook I am 66 years old….and never had the rewarding results of cooking. I am ready to start cooking 4/3/20 retirement dateChicken Marsala will be my first. Love You Stay Fabulous PS: I have 3 sisters
I hope you love this recipe, Jeanne! I love that you have 3 sisters, isn’t it the best to have best friends around all the time! I’m smiling big reading your comment.
My family LOVED this chicken parm! My picky three year old and even pickier husband both had seconds! Thank you so much for this tasty dish, we’ll be making it again and again. <3
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new Family favorite, Rebecca
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.
We think Victoria’s Brand tastes like homemade.
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