Baked Chicken Parmigiana

This Baked Chicken Parmigiana (Pollo Alla Parmigiana) is. Our mom bakes it so that it’s a straightforward one-pan meal that can be cooked and served all in the same baking dish. We use our homemade sauce that we jar ourselves, but you can use any marinara sauce you love. We personally love Rao’s because it uses clean ingredients.

What stands out

Our Baked Chicken Parmigiana will be a hit for everyone at the table. This is a healthier and more streamlined way to make the favorite Italian classic no frying required! You can make this simple by using your favorite store-bought sauce or take some time to make a homemade version. Either way, the results are: the chicken is crispy and juicy, topped with rich marinara, and a gooey cheesy topping that’s irresistible.

How to Prepare Baked Chicken Parmigiana

Start by creating your dredging station: a bowl of flour, a bowl of whisked eggs, and a bowl of Italian breadcrumbs.

Now, using a sharp knife slice the chicken breasts in half and/or pound thin with a meat mallet.

Next, dip each piece of chicken into some flour, then eggs (shaking off the excess), and then breadcrumbs (on each side).

Now, line them all up in a baking dish and then drizzle each one with a touch of olive oil.

Bake the chicken in a pre-heated 400F (200C) degree oven for 15 minutes.

Next, take them out and remove your cutlets (you can let it cool a bit because the dish will be hot).

Now, add marinara sauce to the bottom of the dish and then arrange your cutlets back into the same dish.

Next, add more sauce on top of each one, and then add your cheese of choice.

Bake again uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden.

Finally, sprinkle with basil or parsley for garnish and enjoy!

Kitchen tip

This Baked Chicken Parmigiana is great for meal prep. You can have the chicken pieces all pre-breaded and frozen or freeze them already baked (in trays) so they’re ready to defrost and warm up on a busy weeknight.

Swaps

1. Before baking with the cheese and sauce, you can semi-fry the chicken in a skillet (or even air-fry too).
2. Make this dairy-free by either omitting the cheesy topping altogether or using your favorite non-dairy cheese. Just make sure it’s melty!
3. You can easily make this dish gluten-free by using your favorite gluten-free breadcrumbs and/or almond flour.

Serve it with

• Continue the Italian theme and serve this Baked Chicken Parmigiana with a side of pasta.
• Homemade crusty bread is a must to dip into the extra sauce and cheese.
• Serve this dish with a beautifully freshSimple Green Salad

Questions

Can we make this baked chicken parmigiana dish ahead of time?

This is great for meal prep too, since you can have the chicken pieces all pre-breaded and frozen or freeze them in the mark casserole dish already baked so they’re ready to defrost and warm on a busy weeknight.

What other kind of cheeses can we use?

You could use provolone cheese instead of mozzarella in this Baked Chicken Parmigiana dish.

Can we make this dairy-free?

Make this dairy-free by either omitting the cheesy topping altogether or using your favorite non-dairy cheese. Just make sure it’s melty!

can we make this baked chicken parmigiana gluten-free?

We think you can! We would use your favorite gluten-free breadcrumb instead of Italian breadcrumbs (add in some Italian seasoning if you’d like). Instead of regular flour for dredging, you can use your favorite gluten-free flour. Alternatively, you could skip the dredging altogether and top seasoned baked chicken with marinara and cheese, which also works!

what do we do if the chicken pieces are too thick?

Since chicken breasts vary in size, we suggest using a sharp mark knife to slice the chicken in half. If you want your pieces even thinner, you can use a meat mallet to pound them thinner.

How do we know if the chicken is cooked through?

If you want to double-check the chicken is fully cooked (after baking with the sauce and cheese), use a mark meat thermometer. 165F (74C) is good to go!

Ingredients

Makes 3 servings

• 3 chicken breasts, ours were big so we cut them in half or use 5 smaller/thinner ones
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup breadcrumbs, Italian
• salt + pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1.5 cups marinara sauce, homemade or storebought
• 1 slice mozzarella, over each piece of chicken
• ¼ cup parmigiano reggiano

Equipment

• Nakiri Knife
• Cutting Board
• Mixing Bowls
• Liquid Measuring Cup
• Measuring Cups + Spoons
• Baking Dish

Method

1. Make a dredging station by adding flour to one bowl, eggs to another bowl, and breadcrumbs to separate dish as well. Season each station with salt and pepper.
2. Start by breading the chicken by dipping each side into the flour, then eggs (shaking off the excess) and then breadcrumbs on each side.
3. Line up the breaded cutlets in a baking dish (ours was 9 x 13) and drizzle each one with a touch olive oil. Bake in a pre-heated 400F (200C) degree oven for 15 minutes.
4. Take the baking dish out of the oven and remove the cutlets. Now, add marinara sauce to the bottom of the dish and add the cutlets back into the same dish.
5. Add tomato sauce on top of each one and any cheeses of choice. We personally love provolone or mozzarella.
6. Bake it again (uncovered) for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden. Basil for garnish is totally optional. Enjoy!