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
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
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 (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.
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
Dick Hynes
Excellent! Will do again. Very helpful directions.
Carolyn Stephens
Homemade marinara is better than any “store bought” stuff. I make a big batch in my slow cooker and freeze it in 24 oz. portions. Because so many recipes call for “a jar of marinara” which are usually 24 oz.
I love that your chicken parm bakes on a rack and not swimming in sauce. I put the extra sauce in a warmed gravy boat on the table.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Carolyn,
Totally agree about the sauce but I will be asked over and over if I don’t add the option. The small amount on the chicken is important but the cheese and the chicken can cover that sin somewhat but I, like you, want extra sauce for serving.
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Mary-Lou
Hello Dan,
I made the chicken parmesan yesterday and it came out absolutely delicious. This was my very first attempt at making chicken parmesan and so I was really proud of the results. Your illustrations were very helpful and your instructions were very straightforward. I used my “All-Clad” (D3) baking pan which I recently purchased and I did not use a rack (I did not have one large enough). I have a conventional oven and so I used a 475 F degree setting and cooked the chicken for approximately 25 minutes. Thank you for providing such wonderful and straightforward recipes. I am a busy working professional and so I really do not have the time to spend hours upon hours to prepare a healthy meal.
Thank you, again!
5-star
~Mary-Lou
Donna
Thanks for the quick response! I’ll make a note of your recommendations for future reference.
Donna
What if a person still has just a regular oven? (i.e. no convection…just plain ‘ol, old-school, regular oven) What would the temp and length of time be? Thanks!
DrDan
Hi Donna,
Generally, you just add 25 degrees to the recommended convection temperature. It is not quite perfect but a good approximation. I have more of a discussion under my Food FAQs https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/oven-temperatures-abbreviations/
Dan
Esmerelda
I tried this tonight and it was maybe the best thing I’ve ever made. I never thought I would ever cook chicken parmesan myself. Thank you so much for your site!
Ellen Horak
Another winner Dr. DAN! My family loved it! Very easy to make and loved that I didn’t have to fry…but you would have thought it was!!! My 14 year old daughter my food critic said it was better than Macaroni Grill and mine was crispier. Next time I will do a caesar salad and ciabatta rolls with it… also will try it with veal down the road… My other favorite of yours is the pork medallions wrapped in bacon…that impresses everyone I serve it to!
DrDan
Thanks for the note. I have done this one about 20 times, and we still love it and use it for special occasions where I need social time in addition to cooking. I’m able to pop in and out of the kitchen since I have it memorized.
The bacon pork medallions I haven’t done for awhile. But I still love it and need to do again… maybe this weekend.
Connie
Made the chicken parm tonight and it was delicious and so easy. I was in a rush and had to simplify, so I just used a bottle of Classico (basil) red sauce. (I know). Browned the chicken in oil and placed into a sprayed glass pan. Put sauce on top of chicken, added parmesan and lots of mozzarella. Placed in oven for 20 minutes and it was done. Really good.
Christina
Chicken is in the oven now! Can’t wait to try it!!!
DrDan
I did this one a few weeks ago. I still love it.
Thanks for the note
DrDan
4425e7d4-e7b8-11e2-8f8e-000bcdcb2996
In step 5 what does 1 T water-wiped mean?
I have to add that I absolutely love your site! I’m 34 weeks pregnant and just started cooking a lot more. I have used your recipes daily for the last two weeks and feel so pampered compared to how we were eating before!
Dan Mikesell
I’m glad things work for you and eat well for the baby (that’s the pediatrician talking). The step five instruction is that tray 2 has 2 eggs with 1 tablespoon of water and to whip them together. A little typo. I will fix it after office hours today.
Brooke
So can’t wait to try this…thanks for sharing your love of cooking with those of us who are crossing our fingers and holding our breath each time we venture into the kitchen…haha. Happy New Year to you!
Chris
Interesting trick on pre-browning the bread crumbs, excellent idea.
And the cheese crisped to perfection in that first shot, just so nice.