Baked Chicken Parmesan

This easy chicken Parmesan recipe makes crispy chicken baked instead of fried for an easy, weeknight-friendly sheet pan dinner.

I think crispy cutlets of Parmesan-coated chicken are one of the tastiest types of chicken you can eat. That’s why I have more than just one parm-coated chicken recipe here on the blog, like my Parmesan crusted chicken and my crispy Parmesan buttermilk chicken tenders. I also have a great recipe for homemade chicken Parmesan, which calls for pan-frying in a skillet and then baking. However, this baked chicken Parmesan is even easier to make and healthier, too. Topped with a simple marinara sauce (store-bought or homemade) and gooey, melty cheese, this easy dinner is complete when served alongside your favorite pasta. And because this dish can be made in 30 minutes, it tastes even better. Let the dinner bells ring!

Why You’ll Love It

• This baked chicken parmesan recipe is pretty much hands-off cooking. We use thinly cut, boneless chicken breasts that cook fast but stay juicy when baked on a sheet pan at high heat in the oven
• For ease (and fewer ingredients), we skip the typical flour/egg/breadcrumb dredge and use a slather of mayonnaise (or butter) for the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese mixture to stick to
• It’s awesome to batch cook for meal prep and then portion into containers

Chicken Parmesan Recipe Ingredients List

Chicken Parmesan isn’t authentically Sicilian, or even red-blooded-Italian. You can thank the U.S. for this Italian–American chicken and marinara mash-up. It’s an incredibly simple meal to prepare, with just a handful of basic ingredients.

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts—cut them in half lengthwise and pound them all the same thickness so they cook evenly. I prefer chicken cutlets somewhere between ¼″ and ½″ but the thinner the better IMO.
• Mayonnaise—this gives the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese mixture to stick to (you could also use melted butter)
• Seasoned Italian breadcrumbs—for a crisp, golden brown breading (you could use plain breadcrumbs but I love the Italian herbs)
• Grated Parmesan cheese—lends excellent flavor to our chicken breading
• Garlic powder—gets mixed with the breadcrumbs, paprika, salt, and pepper to season our chicken breasts (you could also use 1 clove of fresh garlic that’s been pressed or very finely minced instead)
• Paprika—lends a subtle smoky flavor, but it’s mainly used to add a warm sheen to the crust as it bakes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper—for seasoning our chicken
• Marinara sauce—try my easy homemade marinara sauce recipe, roasted tomato basil sauce, or a good store-bought variety

How to Serve Chicken Parmesan

• Cooked pasta such as spaghetti, angel hair, or fettuccine—this is optional, but I love serving my chicken Parmesan over noodles
• Melty white cheese—Mozzarella cheese is the obvious choice when it comes to meltable white cheese, but if you ask me, provolone has the best cheese pull
• Fresh basil or parsley—(optional), but a sprinkling of extra Parmesan and minced basil or parsley finishes the dish

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Pro-Tip: I make my red sauce ahead of time and keep it frozen in gallon freezer bags so I can pull them out and use them at any time. What makes this meal so meal-prep friendly is having a batch of homemade tomato sauce on hand or using a high-quality brand from the grocery store.

How to Make Easy Chicken Parmesan

• Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Chicken breasts cook quicker and more evenly when sliced in half lengthwise, and then pounded with a meat tenderizer to the same thickness. Aim for ¼-inch to ½-inch thickness.
• Mayonnaise replaces the flour and egg dredge. Mayonnaise is the shortcut that replaces the typical flour and egg dredge before dipping the chicken into breadcrumbs. It also adds fat to the lean chicken breasts, creating a more juicy, tender bite. If mayo isn’t your thing, brush with melted butter before flouring.
• Season the breadcrumbs. Use Italian flavored breadcrumbs that are already seasoned, with extra garlic powder and kosher salt, plus paprika for an extra sheen of color as the chicken bakes.
• Bake chicken Parmesan at 400°F. Cooking chicken at a higher temperature locks in the juices and won’t dry out the meat. Bake the chicken breasts directly on a rimmed sheet pan(not lined with foil) for extra crispness on both sides.
• In the final minutes of cooking, top with marinara and grated melty white cheese. To keep the chicken breasts crisp and prevent them from getting soggy, wait until the last few minutes of baking to spoon warmed marinara on the chicken and top with cheese. Bake just until the cheese melts.

What Type of Tomato Sauce is Best for Chicken Parmesan?

You already know that a quality, store-bought marinara sauce will save time, but making tomato sauce from scratch takes hardly any extra effort than it does making that trip to the store.

• Simple Roasted Tomato Sauce
• Easy Homemade Marinara
• Pomodoro Sauce
• Easy Tomato Sauce

Kitchen Tools for This Recipe

• Meat tenderizer for pounding the chicken to the right thickness
• Meat thermometer for checking the doneness of the chicken. The chicken does most of its cooking in the oven. How long it takes (roughly 10-12 minutes) depends on the thickness of your chicken. Use a meat thermometer and when it hits an internal temp of 165°F, it’s done!

FAQ and Recipe Tips

• How do you get breading to stick to chicken Parmesan? Most chicken parm recipes feature an egg wash, but for this baked chicken Parmesan, mayo (or softened butter) is all you need to help the breadcrumbs adhere.
• Use seasoned Italian breadcrumbs instead of panko. You can certainly use Panko breadcrumbs, but I prefer good old Italian seasoned breadcrumbs for this chicken Parmesan. Regular breadcrumbs mix better with the grated cheese, and because the crumbs are smaller than panko, cover the chicken uniformly for an extra crisp crunch.
• Skip the green can and use freshly grated Parmesan. Freshly grated Parm is the only way to go. Use finely grated Parmesan from the deli department, instead of shredded. If grating your own, be sure it’s extra fine so it melds in with the breadcrumbs, making the exterior crisp and not soggy.
• Chicken Parmesan is best enjoyed right away. If you wind up with leftovers, I suggest reheating them in the oven. Avoid using the microwave to reheat homemade Chicken Parmesan as it’ll make the breadcrumb coating soggy and chewy.

What to Serve With Chicken Parmesan

To finish off this easy dinner, here’s some ideas for what to serve on the side:

• Zucchini noodles
• Roasted Asparagus
• The BEST Garlic Bread
• Easy Parmesan Buttered Noodles
• Caesar Salad with Garlic Croutons
• Garlicky Swiss Chard and Chickpeas
• Easy 5-Minute Parmesan Zucchini
• Arugula Salad With Shaved Parmesan Three Ways

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a  rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

4.93 from 41 votes

Baked Chicken Parmesan

This easy-baked chicken Parmesan recipe layers mayo, breadcrumbs, and high heat to make it crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, with tomato sauce and melty white cheese.

Print SaveSaved!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword chicken parmesan

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 395kcal

Ingredients 

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• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup seasoned Italian bread crumbs
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground paprika
• ⅓ cup mayonnaise
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella or provolone cheese
• fresh basil or parsley , for serving (optional)

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Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large shallow bowl or on a large plate, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and paprika. Set aside.
• Use a thin, sharp knife to slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise to create two thin fillets. Place the chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap on a cutting board, and gently pound to about ⅜-inch with a meat tenderizer.
• Brush both sides of the chicken fillets with mayonnaise to evenly coat. Dredge each of the chicken cutlets in the breadcrumb mixture and place on a sheet pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until cooked through and the outsides are golden and crispy.
• Top each cutlet with a dollop of marinara and shredded cheese and return to the oven. Cook until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes. Serve with spaghetti, angel hair, or fettuccine noodles.

Notes

Notes:
• Instead of garlic powder, use 1 clove of fresh garlic that's been pressed or very finely minced instead.
• Instead of Italian seasoned bread crumbs, use regular bread crumbs with 1 ½ teaspoons of Italian seasoning added to them.
• Instead of mayonnaise, use 4 tablespoons of melted butter.

Nutrition

Calories: 395kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 1395mg | Potassium: 570mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 775IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 331mg | Iron: 2mg

More Easy Chicken Recipes

• Easy Chicken Piccata
• Chicken Fajita Foil Packet Dinners
• Easy Chicken Marsala
• Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
• 30-Minute Creamy Mushroom And Leek Chicken Breasts
• Potato Chip Crusted Chicken Breasts Recipe

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