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This Baked Chicken Parmesan recipe comes out crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and it’s perfect over a pile of pasta. This is a simple weeknight meal that the family loves – no frying needed!
My husband is more or less obsessed with chicken parmesan and will order it any time we’re at an Italian restaurant.
He loves the crispy chicken topped with marinara and cheese. And of course, who doesn’t love a dish that’s served with pasta?
I love it too, but pan frying is messy and you have to babysit it a bit, so I’ve mastered the whole ‘oven fried’ thing when it comes to chicken. (See my crispy, delicious oven fried chicken tenders!)
Our Baked Chicken Parmesan recipe has all the classic goodness you love – a crispy, buttery breading surrounding juicy chicken and an actual pile of cheese melted over the top.
why we love this CRISPY CHICKEN PARMESAN recipe:
- Much easier to toss chicken in the oven, rather than babysit it on the stove.
- Healthier than fried chicken, but still nice and crispy!
- Easier clean up and no stinky fried food smell in the house.
- You can easily double the recipe to feed a crowd, without working in batches. Just pop another sheet pan in the oven at the same time.
- You can roast vegetables right alongside the chicken. Add this roasted cauliflower and brussels sprouts to the oven too!
Ingredients & Substitutions:
Chicken – You’ll need four boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. Boneless chicken thighs could work too but chicken parmesan is traditionally made with chicken breast.
Panko – These crispy breadcrumbs are the perfect way to bread the chicken and will add plenty of flavor and crispy texture! Traditional breadcrumbs won’t bake up nearly as crispy and crunchy.
Egg – This will help bind the panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and seasoning to the chicken for baking.
Cheese – You’ll need grated Parmesan to mix in with the panko, and also shredded mozzarella for topping the chicken with the marinara sauce.
Marinara Sauce – You can use any brand of marinara that you like but we really love Rao’s Marinara! It’s got great flavor and is perfect for topping the baked Parmesan chicken.
Seasoning – Just some garlic powder and onion powder to add flavor.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Be sure to use panko crumbs and not traditional bread crumbs for the crispiest chicken goodness.
- Pound out your chicken to an even thickness so that everything cooks evenly.
- Heat the sheet pan in the oven before placing the chicken breasts on it to help the bottom side crisp up perfectly.
- If you don’t mind the extra calories and want a true ‘fried chicken’ flavor, melt butter and pour it over the hot sheet pan (just enough to liberally coat the pan) and then place your chicken top. It sounds decadent because it is. 😉
- Spray the tops of the chicken with non-stick spray before placing in the oven. The panko will crisp up nicely this way.
What To Serve With Chicken Parmesan:
The first thing that comes to mind when serving chicken parmesan is pasta. That’s the traditional choice and it is a good one! But there are other ways to serve this too, like topped with my famous Alfredo sauce!
Here are some other good sides and options for serving:
Air Fryer Instructions:
Want to make our baked chicken parmesan in the air fryer instead? No problem!
Follow the recipe as instructed, but when it comes time to bake, place the chicken in a single layer in your air fryer basket, leaving space between each piece for air to flow.
Air fry at 380 degrees for 10 minutes and then flip the chicken and cook for 5 more minutes or until the chicken reaches 160 degrees.
Spoon the marinara and mozzarella over the chicken and return to the air fryer for 2-3 minutes.
More Easy Pasta Recipes!
Baked Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 cup marinara sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray.
- Pound out the chicken breasts to an even thickness between two sheets of plastic wrap.
- Crack the egg into a shallow bowl and add 1 tablespoon of water. Whisk with a fork until combined.
- Add the Panko, Parmesan, garlic powder, and onion powder to a second bowl and stir to combine.
- Dip each chicken breast into the egg and then the breadcrumbs, pressing the breadcrumbs into the chicken so that they adhere.
- Place chicken breasts evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the chicken breasts reach 160 degrees.
- Spoon 2 tablespoons of marinara over each piece of chicken. Sprinkle evenly with the mozzarella.
- Bake for 5 more minutes or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees.
- Serve immediately.
Joan says
We loved this recipe! It was easy to make.
Jennifer Zachary says
Can any of these recipes be made with an air fryer that has baking grilling and slow cooking ability
Karly says
Hi Jennifer! I have a section of air fryer specific recipes, but you could likely convert most of our recipes for use in an appliance that can bake, grill, or slow cook.
Carla Skidmore says
I made some adjustments for my husband who is GF. I coated the, pounded chicken breasts with mayonnaise and GF bread crumbs, they could be GF panko or GF Italian flavored bread crumbs. When the chicken reached 160 degrees, I added Mozzarella Cheese returned the cheese-covered chicken to the oven until the cheese had melted.
Alison says
This chicken was easy and amazing! I used all of your tips and notes and we loved it!
Karly says
Thanks so much, Alison! Glad you liked the recipe! 🙂
rick reed says
Should I flip the chicken before adding sauce and cheese?
Thanks -Im hungry
Karly says
We’ve done it both ways. It doesn’t make much difference either way. 🙂