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Cheesy Baked Chicken Parmesan is so tender, juicy, and crispy! This one-pan, 30-minute chicken dinner will have the whole family coming back for seconds.
Easy Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan
This delicious Baked Chicken Parmesan recipe is coated with a deliciously seasoned parmesan cheese crust and topped with melty mozzarella and tangy marinara sauce. Okay, does that description have your mouth watering, or what?
This, my dear friends, is some serious and delicious comfort food. It is my husband’s favorite chicken recipe, and it is the only not chicken nugget (chicken) recipe that my daughter will eat! I take that as a high compliment.
The breading is not only crispy but also packed with amazing flavor, and the addition of fresh mozzarella adds a wonderful creaminess to the chicken’s overall crunchy texture. It may not sound like it, but this is actually a healthier version of chicken parmesan because it isn’t fried.
What Makes This Recipe So Good?
You mean other than the melty mozzarella cheese? And the crispy crust on the chicken? Kidding. This chicken parmesan recipe is one of my favorite dinners to make because:
- It’s Quick: Yes, it takes an hour to make, but half of that time is baking time, which gives you time to prepare sides. So, really, there’s only half an hour of prep work. It’s the perfect quick weeknight dinner, similar to my crack chicken recipe. And, when dinner is ready, your kitchen smells like heaven, which is always a plus. In conclusion, this is the perfect quick weeknight dinner!
- It’s Crispy: You might be thinking to yourself, how can this chicken be crispy if it’s not fried? I promise you, you will not miss your fryer or your pure olive oil – this healthier baked version of chicken parmesan is just as crispy as always! Trust in the breading process.
- It’s Simple Comfort Food: Don’t you love food that satisfies the stomach, but isn’t too difficult to make? This chicken recipe is totally within your grasp, even on a weeknight, and it pairs well with anything. Salad? Yep. Spaghetti? Definitely! Bread? You bet!
How to Make Baked Chicken Parmesan
I’ve been going on and on about how easy this chicken parmesan recipe is… but don’t just take my word for it, see for yourself! Here’s what you’ll need to do to prepare this delicious Italian meal:
- Preheat Oven to 400: Then, line a baking sheet with foil and set a cooling rack on top of it. Generously grease the cooling rack with cooking spray and set aside.
- Prepare the Chicken: Lightly pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness of about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch.
- Prepare the Breading Stations: In a mixing bowl or plate, combine flours, basil, parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and pepper; mix until thoroughly incorporated. Pour milk in a separate dish.
- Bread the Chicken: Dip each chicken breast in the milk, then coat it with the flour mixture. Transfer chicken to previously prepared cooling rack. Generously grease chicken breasts with cooking spray.
- Bake the Chicken: Bake for 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Remove from oven; evenly divide marinara sauce over each chicken breast, top with fresh rounds of mozzarella cheese, and bake for an additional 4 to 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Garnish with chopped fresh basil and serve.
Recipe Tips
Looking for a little extra help with your chicken parmigiana? No worries, I’ve got some tips! Here are some tricks I have for getting crispy, delicious chicken parm every time I make it:
- Flatten the Chicken: Thinner chicken cooks faster and is delicious, especially when breaded! You can also slice the breasts in half lengthwise to reduce how much you need to pound them.
- Can I Swap Chicken Thighs? Yes, but thighs are usually thicker, so expect to increase the cooking time a bit.
- Avoid Overbaking: Even with all that sauce, overcooked chicken can turn dry. Once the internal temp hits 165°F, it’s ready to come out. A meat thermometer is your best friend here.
Serving Suggestions
As I mentioned above, chicken parmesan can be served with almost anything! It is traditionally served with spaghetti or some other kind of pasta. To keep it light, serve it with a big green goddess salad to round out the meal. Zucchini noodles could also be good! If you’re looking for more carbs, though, garlic bread is always a hit – and it’s a great way to use up that marinara sauce!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Store your leftover chicken parmesan in an airtight container for 3-4 days. To reheat, pop it back in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until warmed through. You can microwave it too, if you’re in a pinch, but the breading will be soggier this way.
- To freeze your chicken parmesan, store it in an airtight container and freeze for 1 to 2 months, and thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
ENJOY!
More Chicken Dinner Ideas
- Pepperoni Chicken Parmesan
- Saucy Chicken
- Beer Can Chicken
- No Peek Chicken
- Chicken in Tomato Sauce
- One Pot Italian Chicken Tortellini Recipe
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Baked Chicken Parmesan Recipe
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup corn flour
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- ¼ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ⅓ cup milk
- olive oil cooking spray
- 1½ to 2 cups marinara sauce
- 4 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
- chopped fresh basil, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400˚F.
- Line a baking sheet with foil and set a cooling rack on top of it.
- Generously grease cooling rack with cooking spray and set aside.
- Lightly pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness of about 1/2 of an inch.
- In a mixing bowl or plate, combine flours, basil, parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper; mix until thoroughly incorporated.
- Pour milk in a separate dish.
- Dip each chicken breast in the milk, then coat it with the flour mixture.
- Transfer chicken to previously prepared cooling rack.
- Generously grease chicken breasts with cooking spray.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until chicken is done.
- Remove from oven; evenly divide marinara sauce over each chicken breast, top with fresh rounds of mozzarella cheese, and bake for an additional 4 to 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
- Garnish with chopped fresh basil and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Can I use just white flour? I donโt have corn flour, and Iโm not sure about using my cornmeal. Thank you.
Hi!
Yep, you can use flour.
I made this last night after my boyfriend asked me to make Chicken Parmesan. In my mind, my gears always turn to make the healthiest version of whatever he requests (LOL). Boy am I happy I keep your website bookmarked at all times because I just knew you’d be my dinner-time savior!
These turned out AWESOME! The chicken was juicy, the breading was flavorful and crisp right where it needed to be. And yes…I totally served it up with a side salad. Katerina, your recipes are superb!
When my kids were little, my favorite things to cook/bake with them were cookies and pancakes! I think if the kids know they will like the end product, they will be more interested in the process. Of course, who doesnโt like cookies and pancakes? ๐
Hi, Happy Birthday to Ana. Hope she had a wonderful day.
Just a question if I might. Your recipe calls for cooking spray. Would like to know just what do you recommefor this recipe. I have butter spray and olive oil spray, but before I make this wonderful looking recipe, can you be so kind
as to advise about the spray. Thanks for all your wonderful recipe.A suggestion if I may, when you give us a
wonderful recipe that calls for spray, maybe you could suggest the kind of spray that should be used. Thanks and
God Bless.
Hi!
I use olive oil spray about 99% of the time. ๐ I’ll include it in the recipe. Thank you!!