Baked Chicken Parmesan

Baked Chicken Parmesan is coated in savory breadcrumbs & topped with gooey cheese then baked in the oven instead of fried in oil! It’s an easy Italian-style chicken recipe perfect for a date night dinner or family meal! This is my favorite easy chicken parmesan recipe and makes it perfect for even a weeknight dinner!

Let’s face it – when you have picky eaters in your home, deciding what to make for dinner can be a challenge. But as we all know, you simply can’t go wrong with a good chicken recipe! From Baked Lemon Chicken to Skillet Pesto Chicken, whatever choice you make is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. This Baked Chicken Parmesan is no different – it’s the best chicken parmesan around!

This is one of my husband’s favorite dishes to order at an Italian restaurant. So I was a bit nervous the first time I made it for him on Valentine’s day. I was holding my breath as he tried it and then he said it was absolutely delicious! He LOVED this recipe!

BAKED CHICKEN PARMESAN
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My husband LOVES Chicken Parmesan so much! Every time I make it now he tells me I could make it for him every day and he’d be fine. I think he would do this with any of his favorite meals if no one intervened!

He’s so funny. 🙂 I on the other hand like variety, or I’ll get bored.

I’ve been thinking about what I can make for our next date night dinner. It has to be one of his favorites and it has to pass the picky-eater test. We will be home with the kids so it’s got to be a meal everyone will love.

Ingredients in Baked Chicken Parmesan

The ingredients to make Baked Chicken Parmesan are super simple and you’ve probably got them in your kitchen already!

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (slice them in half lengthwise to make 8 thin cutlets)
• Standard AND Panko breadcrumbs
• Basil, oregano, salt & pepper
• Grated Parmesan cheese
• Melted butter (You could use olive oil instead if you prefer!)
• Shredded mozzarella cheese (I used reduced-fat mozzarella in this recipe)
• Marinara sauce

Always use unsalted butter rather than salted, so you can control the amount of salt in this chicken parm recipe.

How to Make Chicken Parmesan

1. First, you’ll combine the bread crumbs, seasonings, and Parmesan cheese in a bowl or shallow dish. In a separate bowl, melt the butter in a microwave.
2. Next, dip the chicken breasts (or chicken cutlets) in the melted butter and then coat them with the breadcrumb mixture. Place the chicken breasts on a greased baking sheet and then spray the top of the chicken with a little more cooking spray.
3. Bake the chicken breasts in a 450 degree F preheated oven for about 10 minutes. Then flip the chicken breasts and put them back in the oven for another 5 minutes.
4. When the chicken is done cooking, you’ll then top each breast with the marinara tomato sauce and cheese. Finally, put the chicken back in the oven once again and bake it for 5 more minutes so that the cheese melts. It’s a total of 20 minutes cooking time start to finish.
5. If you want the mozzarella cheese topping to brown and crisp up, bake or broil it for another 3 minutes. Be sure to watch the broiler so you don’t burn the chicken!

Cooking the chicken in the oven this way makes them taste like fried chicken without all the extra calories!

WHAT MAKES THIS THE BEST CHICKEN PARMESAN?

It’s so customizable! While doing an 8-week “Get Healthy” challenge, I was on the hunt for light, healthy meals. Everyone loves a good Chicken Parmesan recipe, but I needed to lighten things up for this particular recipe.

That’s why I chose to use reduced-fat mozzarella and to bake the chicken, rather than fry it. Luckily, you can make it your own by using full-fat mozzarella if you like.

You could also use your favorite sauce and Italian seasoned breadcrumbs rather than plain breadcrumbs if you like. No matter what, this Baked Chicken Parmesan is sure to please your palate!

WHAT IS PANKO? WHY SHOULD I USE IT IN THIS CHICKEN PARMESAN RECIPE?

Panko is a light and airy type of breadcrumb, and you can find it in the Asian aisle at your local grocery store. Many stores keep it beside the traditional breadcrumbs too. When combined with traditional breadcrumbs, Panko gives the breading on this Baked Chicken Parmesan a crispy texture. No flour or frying required!

WHAT TO SERVE WITH CHICKEN PARMESAN?

This oven-baked Chicken Parmesan pairs perfectly with your favorite salad or pasta. Need ideas? Try serving it over this Cheesy Pasta Bake or alongside Caesar Salad for a healthy and filling meal that your family will love.

Try some of my family’s other Italian inspired favorite!

• Spaghetti Squash Chicken Parmesan
• One Pan Parmesan Chicken with Vegetables
• Chicken Parmesan Baked Ziti
• Easy Eggplant Parmesan
• One Pan Baked Italian Chicken & Tomatoes
• More DINNER recipes…

Tools used to make this Baked Chicken Parmesan recipe

Cooking Spray: Spraying the baking sheet will make it easier to flip and keep your coating on the chicken. Spraying the chicken breasts themselves helps to get the breadcrumbs crispy without frying.

Baking Sheet: Baking the Parmesan chicken breasts on a flat baking sheet allows them to cook quickly and evenly. This is my favorite baking sheet that I use almost every day.

*This post originally posted on 02/05/2013.