Easy Chicken Parmesan

The Best Chicken Parmesan is a classic Italian favorite, breaded and baked with an easy marinara sauce, Parmesan and mozzarella cheese in just 30 minutes!

Classic Italian Recipes are an easy weeknight option in our household and we love Ultimate Meat Lasagna made with Easy Marinara Sauce, Easy Carbonara Pasta and these Amazing Stuffed Shells (they’re so quick you have to try them!).

Chicken Parmesan on spatula
 EASY CHICKEN PARMESAN RECIPE

The Best EVER Crispy breaded chicken breasts  topped with homemade marinara and melted mozzarella and provolone cheeses. Serve it up with pasta, Garlic Bread and a Copycat Olive Garden Salad for the best classic Italian restaurant favorite.

Depending on how fancy of an Italian restaurant you get chicken parmesan from it may be called chicken parmesan or chicken parmigiana. They are the same dish, just read the second one with a super Italian accent.

Why do they call it chicken parmesan (parmigiana)?

It’s called chicken parmesan (or Baked Chicken Parmesan) as a throwback to eggplant parmesan where slices of eggplant were coated in bread crumbs and fried before being served with slices of parmesan cheese on top.

The most important part of the dish is the coating process. We set up a standard breading state with shallow dishes and we mix the bread crumbs with grated parmesan cheese so you get extra parm flavor in the breading too.

Can you Meal Prep this Chicken Parmesan Recipe?

This is a great recipe that will taste like your favorite restaurant but you can even meal prep it making it all the way through the breading process then freezing the chicken breasts then baking them off at a later date.

Make sure to allow for extra baking time because the chicken will be frozen and preheat the oven to 25 degrees lower to allow for the breading to cook without burning.

In its modern form it is a popular Italian-American dish served with melted mozzarella and normally just garnished with parmesan cheese. This recipe calls for parmesan cheese to be added to the breading for even more flavor.

KID FRIENDLY CHICKEN PARMESAN

One of the first departures my oldest made from chicken nuggets was to this chicken parm. I sold it as a chicken nugget pizza (total parent win, bribe your kids into trying something new by pretending its a mashup of two of their favorite foods.) In fact we started making this Chicken Parmesan recipe topped with pepperoni after that dinner and I even started making the marinara with the kids as a fun project we could do together.

If you’re looking for a more outside the box chicken parm option there’s also my favorite dark horse recipe: Noodle free Chicken Parmesan Casserole with a super unexpected crispy topping you can serve up with fettuccine or my personal favorite, tortellini. I’ve served it to ALL my friends and they all love it and can’t believe the topping.

Or you can make a super fun cheeseburger take on Chicken Parm and make my Chicken Parmesan Sloppy Joes! They’re so easy and delicious to make you’ll make them all the time.

Chicken Parmesan in bowl

BAKED CHICKEN PARMESAN VS STOVETOP CHICKEN PARMESAN

This recipe is cooked partially in the skillet before being cooked the rest of the way in the oven to help the breadcrumbs get crispy and browned while the chicken cutlets stay moist.

You can of course finish cooking the chicken through in the skillet then top with the sauce and cheese, cover with a lid and allow the cheese to melt quickly and serve immediately but the time in the oven allows us time to cook pasta and it also gives the sauce a bit of time to dry out in the oven so it isn’t so soggy.

WHAT CAN BE SERVED WITH CHICKEN PARMESAN:

You can serve chicken parmesan with spaghetti in its classic presentation, steamed vegetables or spiralized zucchini noodles for a lighter option. Chicken parmesan is also regularly served on hoagies as a hot sub sandwich.

Fresh parsley, fresh basil and freshly shaved parmesan or pecorino cheese are my go-to topping options.

WHAT SAUCE DO YOU USE FOR CHICKEN PARMESAN:

Chicken Parmesan is served with a classic marinara sauce which is added to the top of the chicken cutlet and baked with shredded cheese on top. You can also serve it over other pasta recipes like this Cheesecake Factory Louisiana Chicken Pasta or Cheesecake Factory Chicken Bellagio.

Why don’t you add more sauce to the chicken? The sauce is meant for flavor but not to drown the chicken out. It also makes a spot on the chicken where the breading softens. The remaining part of the chicken not covered in sauce is able to remain crispy.

Chicken Parmesan on cookie sheet.

More Classic Italian Recipes:

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Chicken Parmesan on spatula
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Ultimate Chicken Parmesan

The Best Chicken Parmesan is a classic Italian favorite, breaded and baked with an easy marinara sauce, Parmesan and mozzarella cheese in just 30 minutes! 

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword chicken parmesan
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 Servings
Calories 477 kcal
Author Sabrina Snyder

Ingredients

  • 4 chicken breasts , boneless and skinless
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup marinara sauce
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese , shredded

Instructions

  1. Preheat an oven to 375 degrees and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

  2. Put the chicken breasts between two pieces of saran wrap or parchment paper and using a rolling pin or flat kitchen mallet flatten it to 1/2 inch thickness then season them with salt and pepper.

  3. In three shallow bowls add the flour to one, eggs to one (and beat until combined) and the panko and Parmesan cheese to the other (and mix).
  4. Dredge the chicken in the flour, then the egg and finally press it into the panko mixture.
  5. Add the olive oil and butter to a cast iron skillet on medium high heat and cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown (it'll be raw inside still).

  6. Add the chicken to a baking sheet, add the marinara sauce on top and finally top with the shredded mozzarella and cook for 18-20 minutes.

Nutrition Facts
Ultimate Chicken Parmesan
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 477
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Chicken Parmesan Collage Photos

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. If you enjoyed the recipe and would like to publish it on your own site, please re-write it in your own words, and link back to my site and recipe page. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

    1. I think it’s best served the day of but you can turn this into a freezer meal by making the chicken ahead of time (without the sauce and cheese) and then freeze in freezer bags. Once ready to eat, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat in the oven topped with sauce and cheese. Enjoy!

  1. One of my partner’s favourite dishes, so I knew it would be judged well. Needless to say, it has been made several times over the quarantine this year. It’s absolutely delicious, and better still, INCREDIBLY EASY to make. It’s a go-to must!

  2. I made this today four our dinner and it was super! I can‘t find Marinara sauce so I substitute it with Bolognese sauce instead and still super delicious. Thank you for this recipe.

    – Love from Germany

  3. So good! I made this tonight and my husband said it was better than the local Italian restaurant that we frequent. That is high praise coming from him. This is the ultimate chicken parmesan recipe AND it was easy! 😉 Thank you!

  4. I made this, it was easy and everybody loved it.

    But I am confused, is this Easy or Ultimate Chicken Parmesan? You call it both names.

    And if I may express an editorial commment, your page is so overly monetized it is difficult to read and navigate. Also, you have included way too much supurfluous information which compounds the first problem mentioned.

  5. Out of this world & easy! Used seasoned bread crumbs & only added the marinara & cheese in the last 8 minutes of cooking. My new go-to for chix parm!

  6. This is my sisters favorite thing to eat when we go out to dinner. I’m going to try this some time soon for Sunday dinner. Honey

  7. I love this recipe! Simple and delicious! I had never made chicken parm before and I’m so glad I stumbled upon this recipe, it’s a go to now.

  8. Very delicious. My husband was very pleased. He said we should definitely keep this recipe on the rotation. Very thankful to find your recipes.

  9. can I prep the chicken and brown in the cast iron skillet tonight. put in a baking dish and top with the marinara and cheese cover and finish oven process tomorrow?

  10. Amazing chicken dish. Served it to company and friends asked for the recipe. It is a real keeper. Thanks for sharing it

  11. If you do the meal prep do you skip the skillet and put it straight in the oven? If so, will it be just as good? I would like to make for a dinner party of 12 but don’t want to sit over the stove For several minutes. I don’t necessarily have to freeze it but wanted to do most of the steps before my guests come.

  12. I only have shredded Parmesan and sliced Provolone in the fridge. How would it be without the mozzarella? I’d really like to try this today.

  13. Tried this recipe last night after work, it didn’t take too long and we have spare sauce for next time. This is a lovely meal, very tasty and will definitely go in the recipe folder. Served it with med veg, delicious, thank you.

  14. Outstanding recipe! Frying the chicken in both olive oil and butter is key. Also..baking on a cookie sheet pan rather than in a casserole dish makes for nice, crispy edged chicken instead of being soggy. Thank you once again for a winning recipe, Sabrina!

  15. Good Evening,
    I made this recipes tonight and I couldn’t wait for the pasta to cook! I changed it up just a tad at the end. I did a double layer of marinara, cheese, then marinara and cheese… Yummy!
    Can’t wait for my friend to try it out when he gets here !

  16. This was our first Sabrina recipe and it is a family favorite. I fry the chicken a slight bit longer (our gas stove top is a bit finicky) otherwise I follow along with your recipe. One flattened chicken breast served on spaghetti with marinara sauce is a generous portion for two of us. So good!

  17. Made this for dinner tonight and it was soooo good! I mixed mozzarella and Parmesan on the top while baking and just used store bought sauce I had on hand. The chicken was amazing and the recipe was so easy to follow. Husband approved and there’s enough for me to take for lunch tomorrow! Yay!!

  18. Your recipes make me look like a rockstar in the kitchen! Lord have mercy this chicken parm was absolutely delicious!! So easy to follow the directions and didn’t take too long to make. I accidentally used Italian Panko breadcrumbs which I didn’t know existed, and it was superb!! Thank you for your wonderful recipes and for all the work you put into sharing them!!

    1. You’ll want to use boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. You’ll want pieces that are thicker, maybe 3/4 inch thick.

  19. Sabrina, I made the marinara adding extra minced garlic and basil; it was perfect. I’m looking forward to making chicken parmesan. Thank you for your website; I absolutely enjoy all the recipes!

  20. Hey I’m making this dish for my family and I’m just wondering how long I need to bake the chicken for??

  21. This looks delicious! I’m making it tonight…would i be able to prepare it all except for the baking step and just keep it in the fridge until time to bake it or would it mess it up to put it in the fridge after cooking it in the cast iron?

    1. Unfortunately I wouldn’t suggest that due to bacteria with half cooked chicken. I would just make it all at once. Enjoy!

  22. This is the first time I can really say I was surprised at how AMAZING this tasted. Usually the recipes are just ok and good. This was to die for! Even my husband, who seems to find fault with everything, loved it and didn’t complain. Yummmmmmm.

  23. Hi Sabrina-I would like to try your recipe tomorrow night for about 6-7 people. I see this recipe serves 4. Would you recommend I just double the ingredients? Please get back to me when you can. Thank you.

    1. There is a slider tool on each recipe card for you to increase or decrease the serving size and it will adjust your ingredients to match. Just hover over the serving size and it’ll show up. Hope this helps!

    1. I prefer a cast iron skillet because it gets a nicer crust on the chicken but it’s not necessary. You can use any fying pan you have on hand.

  24. I made this recipe and it was so good. I used Italian bread crumbs and put some grated parmesan cheese in it. I didn’t see the Panko crumbs until after I made the meal. I seasoned my spaghetti sauce and used it for the marinara. I pretty much kept your recipe the same. Everyone loved it so much. I’m making it this weekend for 9 people and I’m excited. Thank you for the recipe

  25. Made the recipe but made a few changes. I added Italian bread crumbs to the panko. And for the marinara I added some red wine, sugar and salt. Came out very well two thumbs up

  26. no offense, but nothing even closely similar to this recipe exists in Italy.
    it will be tasty, no doubt, but no one single restourant (or mom) would prepare a dish like the one in the photo.
    100% american stuff. don’t confuse.
    greetings

    1. Lorenzo – I don’t think it was meant to be a 100% authentic Italian dish – and who cares! It’s delicious!!! Please don’t be a snob.

  27. We made this for our Valentine’s Day dinner tonight. My fella told me it was as good as the Chicken Parmigiana we order at our favorite Café Amore! Thanks Sabrina!

  28. I will be making this Thursday since I already have planned my valentine dinner.  Thank you so much for this amazing delicious looking dish