This Healthy Chicken Parmesan can be made at home in about an hour. Make it for two or make it for a crowd with better-than-restaurant results.
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This healthy chicken parm recipe is one of my favorite recipes. It's a wonderful company or date night for two recipe—perfect 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.
😊Why you will love this recipe
- This fancy dish is only 400 calories and 13 grams of fat—a healthy baked recipe.
- It uses common ingredients and is surprisingly easy to make at home with step-by-step photo instructions. You can do this.
- The recipe includes extra sauce for serving with pasta.
- This is the best chicken parmesan for home and will be one of your "special meal" recipes like it has been in our house.
Serve cooked pasta with sauce and nice bread like Julia Childs French Bread, Dinner Yeast Rolls, or Homemade Bread. Add a green salad or a hot vegetable like green beans with almonds, broccoli, or asparagus.
For other great Italian meals, try Crock Pot Baked Ziti, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Ziti with Sausage, or Chicken Marinara Sauce.
This is a simplified version of Cook's Illustrated Ligher Chicken Parmesan (subscription required).
🐓Ingredients
- Chicken—skinless boneless chicken breasts cutlets
- Eggs
- Panko bread crumbs
- Cheese—Parmesan and mozzarella
- Pantry ingredients—AP flour, garlic powder, salt, black pepper
Simple marinara sauce or use your own
- Tomato—crushed and paste
- Aromatics—onion and garlic
- Pantry ingredients—dried basil, salt, black pepper, optional crushed red pepper.
👨🍳How to Make Healthy Chicken Parmesan
- Make simple marinara sauce if not using your own.
- Brown the breadcrumbs, cool, and add grated Parmesan cheese.
- Trim chicken breasts and cut them into cutlets.
- Make a dredge line of spiced flour, egg wash, and breadcrumb mixture.
- Process dried chicken cutlets through the dredge line and allow to set for breading to set up.
- Bake on a rack in preheated oven—about 20 minutes.
- Add marinara sauce and shredded mozzarella and bake another 5 minutes until browning.
- Serve with pasta and the remaining sauce.
✔️Tips
- Be sure the chicken is dried with paper towels before breading to help the breading adhere.
- You can use your own or jar marinara sauce, but mine is much better and easy to make with common pantry ingredients.
- Freshly shredded Parmesan is preferred.
- You can use whole eggs instead of whites if you don't mind a little more fat.
- Use Panko bread crumbs only, do not use regular bread crumbs. You can use flavored ones but realize it will affect the flavor.
⬇️How to make this a "for two" friendly recipe
This is an easy recipe to cut in half. The full recipe makes six servings using 3 chicken breasts for the breaded chicken cutlets.
- Use the recipe card and adjust the number of servings to the number of servings you want.
- Use the amount of ingredients in the ingredient list, not the instructions—those do not adjust. All the ingredients will change, but you can make the amount of sauce you want.
- Cook for the same amount of time.
Crushed tomatoes usually only come in larger cans, but you can use diced tomatoes or tomato sauce to decrease waste. The tomato paste will freeze well.
❓FAQs
Yes. But please be aware that the suggested sauce is much better than any jar sauce and does not add much work.
Yes. There are different names for the same dish.
Yes, it is chicken, but it is also tomato based, so either a red or white will do. In the red wines, try Pinot Noir, Merlot, or other fruity red. For white wine, Chardonnay or sparkling white wines are good.
❄️Storage of Leftovers
If you know you will have leftovers, don't add the sauce or cheese but finish cooking the chicken to 165°. Add them back during reheating.
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3 days or freeze airtight for 3 months.
To reheat leftovers, thaw if frozen, then add the sauce and cheese if needed. Reheat in a 350° oven. Try to avoid the microwave, which can cause the chicken to become rubbery in texture.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Start by making a simple marinara sauce. You can use another sauce of your choice.
Chop one medium onion and cook over medium-high heat with 1 teaspoon of oil until clearing—about 3 minutes. Add 4 cloves of crushed or minced garlic and cook one more minute.
Add one large can of crushed tomatoes (28 oz), one small can of tomato paste (6 oz) plus 6 oz water, 1 teaspoon basil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper optional. Let simmer over low heat until needed.
Preheat oven to 450°. Prep a sheet pan with aluminum foil and a rack. Coat with PAM cooking spray.
Over medium heat with 1 teaspoon oil, brown 1 ½ 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 (about 12 ounces each.) Trim and then cut into cutlets.
In three shallow pans, prepare a dredge line.
- Pan one: place ½ cup AP flour with 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
- Pan two: 3 egg whites with 1 tablespoon water - whipped together.
- Pan three: the brown bread crumbs ( not hot) and 1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese (fresh preferred.)
Be sure the chicken is dry, then coat them through pans 1, 2, and 3 shaking well after pans 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 to fill any holes. Let rest for 5 minutes. Cook until an internal temp of 165°. It takes about 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the 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 and 165°—use the broiler if needed. Serve with pasta and the remaining sauce.
📖 Recipe
Healthy Chicken Parmesan—Oven Baked
Ingredients
Breaded Chicken Cutlets
- 3 skinless boneless chicken breasts - 12 oz. trimmed and cut into cutlets
- ½ cup AP flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 3 egg whites
- 1 ½ cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup mozzarella - shredded
Simple Marinara Sauce or Use Yours
- 1 onion - medium chopped
- 4 cloves garlic - crushed or minced
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 6 oz tomato paste - plus 6 oz water
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper - optional
Instructions
- Start by making a simple marinara sauce. You can use another sauce of your choice.
- Chop one medium onion and cook over medium-high heat with 1 teaspoon of oil until clearing—about 3 minutes. Add 4 cloves of crushed or minced garlic and cook one more minute.
- Add one large can of crushed tomatoes (28 oz), one small can of tomato paste (6 oz) plus 6 oz water, 1 teaspoon basil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper optional. Let simmer over low heat until needed.
- Preheat oven to 450°. Prep a sheet pan with aluminum foil and a rack. Coat with PAM cooking spray.
- Over medium heat with 1 teaspoon oil, brown 1 ½ 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 (about 12 ounce each.) Trim and then cut into cutlets.
- In three shallow pans, prepare a dredge line.Pan one: place ½ cup AP flour with 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.Pan two: 3 egg whites with 1 tablespoon water - whipped together.Pan three: the brown bread crumbs ( not hot) and 1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese (fresh preferred.)
- Be sure the chicken is dry, then coat them through pans 1, 2, and 3 shaking well after pans 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 to fill any holes. Let rest for 5 minutes. Cook until an internal temp of 165°. It takes about 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the 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 and 165°—use the broiler if needed. Serve with pasta and the remaining sauce.
Your Own Private Notes
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.
- Instructions for making a smaller "for two" recipe are in the recipe post.
- Use larger chicken breasts to make the cutlets. About 12 oz is a good size.
- A good Parmesan cheese is important for good taste along with the sauce.
- Good in refrigerator for 2-3 days. Good frozen after cooking for 3-4 months. If you know you will be storing leftovers, do not add the sauce or cheese before storing them.
- I prefer reheating in the oven at 350*
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editors Note: Originally Published January 13, 2010, the second week of the blog. I buffed up the discussion with expanded options from a November 2011 version. Photos have been re-edited from several old cooking.
Karina
This was awesome. My teens are every last bit. Better than a restaurant and easy for someone like me, who isn’t great in kitchen to manage. Thanks so much!
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.