Better than restaurant quality, my best Chicken Parmesan can be made at home in about an hour with these easy step by step photo instructions. 
Editors Note: Originally Published January 13, 2010, which was the second week of the blog. I buff up the discussion with expanded options from a November 2011 version. Photos have been re-edited from several old cookings.
This is one of my favorite recipes and is a wonderful company recipe. But it is also great for casual dining with conversation and wine. I have used it several times as the evening meal before a major holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas.
I always judge an Italian restaurant on their Chicken Parmesan and frequently find them lacking. Usually dry and tasteless covered by a sauce to hide their sins. I’m very picky, and mine is so much better in both moisture and taste.
My Rating
Another easy 5. I love this.
Pro Tips: Recipe Notes on Easy Chicken Parmesan
This is a modified version of a CI recipe called Lighter Chicken Parmesan. It is excellent and not too hard to make at home.
Can I actually do this?
It may sound hard but look through the step by step photo instructions below. Nothing that hard to do.
If you are a beginner and you are doing this for an important meal, do a trial run. All recipes go a lot better if you have done them at least once before.
The Chicken
I made chicken cutlets from large skinless boneless chicken breasts. They are generally too big to use in a recipe like this.
You could use a meat mallet to even out the thickness of chicken breasts, but the size plus the breading will be more than a serving size.
If you have smaller chicken breasts, then evening them out in thickness will work fine.
Can I Use Jar Sauce?
Sure. If you have a jar or other prepared marinara sauce you love, by all means, use it. But most are lacking in many ways.
I provided a simple marinara sauce that has excellent taste and can be made alongside the primary cooking here.
My recipe has more than you need specifically for the chicken so you will have sauce to top a side dish of pasta.
The Cheese
I find a freshly shredded Parmesan adds a lot of taste.
Other Recipes You May Enjoy
Julia Childs French Bread: Simplified
The Best Crock Pot Baked Ziti
30 Minute Chicken Marinara Sauce
If using my sauce, start by making a simple marinara sauce. You can use another sauce of your choice.
Chop one medium onion and over medium-high heat with 1 tsp of oil cook until clearing. About 3 minutes. Add 4 cloves of crushed or minced garlic and cook one more minute.
Add one large can crushed tomatoes (28 oz), one small can tomato paste (6 oz) plus 6 oz water, 1 teaspoon basil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper optional. Let simmer over low heat until needed.
Preheat oven to 450 convection. Prep baking sheet with aluminum foil and a rack. Spray with PAM. Over medium heat with 2 teaspoon oil, brown 1 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs until brown, about 2 minutes. Remove to cool.
Prepare the chicken cutlets by patting dry three large skinless boneless chicken breasts. Trim and then cut into cutlets.
Middle tray just has egg white in picture but I usually use whole eggs.
In three shallow pans prepare dredge line.
- Pan one: place 1/2 cup AP flour with 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- Pan two: two eggs with 1 tablespoon water – whipped together.
- Pan three: the brown bread crumbs ( not hot) and 1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese.
Be sure the chicken is dry and then coat them through pan 1, 2, and 3 shaking well after pan 1 and 2. Place on prepared pan.
When all are complete, add a little more of the bread/parmesan mixture on top of each piece. Cook until internal temp of 160. About 20 minutes depending on the thickness of chicken.
Remove from oven and top with about 2 tablespoons of your sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Place back in the oven for about 5 minutes until browned. Serve with pasta and the remaining sauce.
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Easy Chicken Parmesan
Better than restaurant quality, my best Chicken Parmesan can be made at home in about an hour with these easy step by step photo instructions.
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time1 hr
Servings/Adjust Amount: 6 servings
6
Ingredients
Simple Marinara Sauce or Use Yours
- 1 onion – medium medium chopped
- 4 cloves garlic – crushed or minced
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 6 oz tomato paste – plus 6 oz water
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ⅙ teaspoon crushed red pepper – optional
Chicken
- 3 skinless boneless chicken breasts – large trimmed and cut into cutlets
- ½ cup AP flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup mozzarella – shredded
Instructions
-
If using my sauce, start by making a simple marinara sauce. You can use another sauce of your choice and skip to step 4.
-
Chop one medium onion and over medium-high heat with 1 teaspoon of oil cook until clearing. About 3 minutes. Add 4 cloves of crushed or minced garlic and cook one more minute.
-
Add one large can crushed tomatoes (28 oz), one small can tomato paste (6 oz) plus 6 oz water,1 teaspoon basil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper optional. Let simmer over low heat until needed.
-
Preheat oven to 450 convection. Prep baking sheet with aluminum foil and a rack. Spray with PAM. Over medium heat with 2 teaspoon oil, brown 1 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs until brown, about 2 minutes. Remove to cool.
-
Prepare the chicken cutlets by patting dry three large skinless boneless chicken breasts. Trim and then cut into cutlets.
-
In three shallow pans prepare dredge line.Pan one: place 1/2 cup AP flour with 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.Pan two: two eggs with 1 tablespoon water – whipped together.Pan three: the brown bread crumbs ( not hot) and 1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese.
-
Be sure the chicken is dry and then coat them through pan 1, 2, and 3 shaking well after pan 1 and 2. Place on prepared pan.
-
PWhen all are complete, add a little more of the bread/Parmesan mixture on top of each piece. Cook until internal temp of 160. About 20 minutes depending on the thickness of chicken.
-
Remove from oven and top with about 2 tablespoons of your sauce and mozzarella cheese.
-
Place back in the oven for about 5 minutes until browned. Serve with pasta and the remaining sauce.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Use your own sauce or jar sauce, but mine is much better and easy. Do it at the beginning of the cooking and let it simmer until needed
- I use chicken cutlets due to the size of most chicken breast. If you have smaller chicken breast if 6 to 8 ozs then just even the thickness out some with a meat mallet.
- A good Parmesan cheese is important for good taste along with the sauce.
- Good in refrigerator for 2-3 days. 4 days is ok, but texture suffers. Good frozen after cooking, either at the end or before the sauce, for 3-4 months.
Nutrition is an estimate of the ingredients that actually are used to create the Chicken Parmesan. Extra sauce was not included.
Nutrition Facts
Easy Chicken Parmesan
Amount Per Serving
Calories 301 Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Fat 11g17%
Saturated Fat 6g30%
Cholesterol 101mg34%
Sodium 577mg24%
Potassium 460mg13%
Carbohydrates 24g8%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 26g52%
Vitamin A 456IU9%
Vitamin C 6mg7%
Calcium 306mg31%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Have a question or something not clear? Ask in the comments.
If you like this recipe or find it useful, the pleasure of a nice 4 or 5 rating would be greatly appreciated.
Nutrition is for one serving. Number of servings is stated above and is my estimate of normal serving size for this recipe.
All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
Originally Published January 13, 2010
