Healthy oven baked chicken parmesan is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside with no frying required. This easy method makes the most FLAVORFUL chicken parmesan in under 30 minutes!
Most chicken parmesan recipes take tons of effort and a lot longer to prepare. I am so glad that this chicken parmesan recipe is so much easier than that. It tastes like it’s been cooking for a long time, and the seasonings have married beautifully. But in reality, you can easily throw this meal together at the last minute and its perfection.
I love this easy chicken parmesan for many reasons, but the fact that it’s satisfying and delicious are my top reasons. The chicken parm keeps you full and goes lovely with veggies, salads, or even bread.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE BAKED CHICKEN PARMESAN
- Chicken breasts: The star of the show is the juicy chicken breasts. You can use thighs instead if you would rather.
- Olive oil: The olive oil gives you that crispy crust that we all know and love when it comes to chicken parmesan.
- Panko bread crumbs: The secret to crunchy parmesan chicken is the panko bread crumbs. It’s amazing.
- Parmesan cheese: Every bite of this baked chicken is delicious because of the tangy parmesan cheese.
- Seasonings: For seasonings, I always use garlic powder, dried oregano, and salt. It’s a delightful combination and goes well with the other ingredients. You’ll also need a little bit of black pepper as well.
- Egg: Using egg is necessary to make the breading stick to the chicken breasts.
- Marinara sauce: You can’t have chicken parm without some marinara sauce too. It takes this chicken to the next level.
- Shredded mozzarella: Sometimes, we use shredded mozzarella, and sometimes we use fresh mozzarella. Both are excellent choices.
HOW TO MAKE BAKED CHICKEN PARMESAN
You won’t believe that you can seriously make chicken parmesan without ever frying it and in under 30 minutes. It’s true, and it will be one of the best recipes you’ve ever tasted.
Start off by preheating the oven, and greasing your sheet pan.
Take the chicken breasts and cut them in half lengthwise. You will end up with 4 pieces of chicken and you should pound them to the thickness you like.
Mix together the panko, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Then whisk the egg in another small bowl.
Take each chicken piece and dip it into the egg, then bread crumbs. Make sure both sides are completely coated, then place them on the baking sheet.
Bake the chicken for 15 minutes, then turn each piece. Top with some marinara sauce and some mozzarella cheese. Continue baking for 5-7 minutes. After the cheese has melted and the chicken is done, broil for 2-3 minutes, then serve hot. Enjoy!
HOW DO YOU STORE LEFTOVER CHICKEN PARMESAN?
If you end up with leftover chicken parmesan, you can easily save them. Store the chicken in an airtight container and place it in the fridge for up to 4 days. This is a wonderful chicken recipe for meal prepping.
Additionally, you can freeze the baked chicken parmesan too. Again, you will want to store it in a container that is airtight. It will last up to 2 months in the freezer.
To heat up the chicken, you will need to thaw the chicken in the fridge overnight or until it’s defrosted. Then you can warm it in the oven at 325 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until it’s hot. You can also put the breaded chicken parmesan in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until hot. It warms up fairly quickly, so make sure not to heat it for too long.
Baked Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts , (approx. 1lb.)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella, (or 4 slices fresh mozzarella)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F. Grease a sheet pan with 2 tablespoon olive oil and set aside.
- Slice chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make 4 fillets total. Pound to even thickness if desired.
- In a shallow bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic powder, oregano, salt & pepper. In a small bowl, whisk the egg.
- Dip each chicken fillet into the egg mixture then into the bread crumb mixture, coating both sides well. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes then flip onto the other side and top each chicken with 3-4 tablespoons of marinara sauce and a generous handful of mozzarella cheese (or 1 fresh slice).
- Return to the oven and bake an additional 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the chicken is cooked through. Brown under broiler for 2-3 minutes if desired.
Video
Equipment
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was SUPER simple! I have a VERY picky 5 year old. So i did the chicken as described in the recipe. But instead of marinara sauce, i used squeeze pizza sauce. It his favorite lol. Then just shredded mozzarella on top. He gave me a double thumbs up AND a chefs kiss! Will definitely be making this again!
superb. easy. quick.
I used regular Italian breadcrumbs and grated parmesean, and it tasted delicious. Super easy ! Loved it!
Totally delicious! I discovered that I was out of mozzarella cheese, but provolone was a great substitute. Served this on a bowl of Pasta Zero konjac noodles (rinsed, drained, cut up, boiled, drained, and added to steamed spinach and homemade marinara with steamed spinach. OMG!
This looks amazing, Can you pan fry this as well?
This was really delish! I tossed the pasta with butter, garlic and onion powder and it was both beautiful and yummy!!
Just made this for dinner and my son, who is kind of picky loves it and says, “it’s a keeper”. The only thing I did different from the recipe was that I used the breadcrumbs I had, they are not Panko, and I did not have mozzarella, so we used what we had – Swiss. It was delicious.
First time I ever made chicken parm. It always scared me. This was better than any restaurant I ever had it in.
Absolutely delicious & so easy!
It’s teenager approved in my house. I made it for the 2nd time last night and this recipe is a keeper 🙂 So delish and easy to make! It’ll be on the monthly rotation.
Awesome!
Great chicken parm…So easy and not fattening. This is the second time In 3 weeks I have made it! My grown son loves it.
Can I double bread the chicken? Would it enhance the crispness?
I wouldn’t recommend double breading unless you brush it very generously with all to cook down the bread crumbs.
Quick, easy and delicious – and without the extra grease that comes with frying. I added some crushed rosemary. Excellent recipe!
Is the sodium per serving total in the Nutrition section accurate? If so 1535mg per serving is extremely high.
I just re-did the calculation to make sure and it looks like the sodium is coming from the chicken breasts, panko, and mostly the cheeses. It all adds up at the end of the day!
This was a big hit at my house! I made Parmesan risotto, garlic green beans, and garlic bread to go with this. Even my super picky kid ate seconds.
This was so easy to make and came out really delicious. I used thighs, fresh mozzarella and homemade sauce leftover from lasagna that I had in the freezer. I did bake it 12 minutes after flipping to get cheese to melt completely.
As a few others have said I used store sauce as well, but wow. This is a great recipe for someone who barely knows how to cook but wants to feel like a chef. Thank you!!
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback!
This was FANTASTIC!! I didn’t have Panko crumbs or shredded mozzarella so I used Italian seasoned bread crumbs and sliced provolone. Even with these substitutes, the chicken was crunchy and delicious! Flipping the chicken after 15 minutes is the answer to keeping it from being gooey/mushy on the bottom. The next day I heated the leftovers in my toaster oven for 20-25 minutes at 325 and it was as good as making it fresh! Next time I’ll use Panko crumbs for even more crunch! Thank-you for a delicious recipe that is now a go-to favorite!!
Thanks for the feedback! So glad you enjoyed it 😀
Delicious. I served to my son and my 10 year old granddaughter (chicken parm is her favorite food) and both were raving and had second helpings..
I cut some yellow potatoes into fries and dumped the leftover panko mix on them. baked them right along with the chicken. YUM!!
Family loved it!!! they think I am a master cook now!!! lol thanks!!
Yay!! Happy to hear that 😀
How much pepper? Also is one egg enough?
The pepper is to taste, I would add a dash. For the egg, yes it’s one egg as listed.
Are the bread crumbs browned or not browned?
No need to brown them prior to baking!
Can you use grated parm instead of fresh?
Yes, that will also work 🙂
Delicious! My husband even said this was a keeper!
Uhmm what temp do we cook it at it never says
My bad the instructions didnt load in yet
It literally says to preheat the oven to 425 as the first sentence in the first step.
Can I use regular bread crumbs instead of Panko?
Yes, regular bread crumbs will work!
Could I substitute or eliminate the marinara and cheese?
You sure can! You would just have crispy chicken fillets 🙂
Very soft and tender
So where does the Parmesan come into all of this? It’s not in the recipe.
The parmesan is used in the breading and more can be used ontop if desired.
Oh, rats! The Parmesan isn’t listed as something you mix in to the breading. I just scrolled down and saw the other cook’s comment. I’m at the add mozz. and sauce stage, so I’ll just put it on top. Maybe add that step in your written instructions! Love your recipes!!
I’m so sorry about that, Leah! I’ve updated the instructions to include the parmesan <3
It is in Step number three. It goes into the breadcrumb mixture.
#10 rated….this is DELICIOUS!