Chicken Parmesan is one of my favorite classic meals of all time. There is something about breaded chicken covered in a tangy marinara sauce and melted cheese that hits all of my food love high notes. This recipe for Baked Chicken Parmesan has a perfectly crisp golden coating. You won't believe it isn't fried.
Oh, and did I mention we put extra mozzarella cheese INSIDE the chicken?
Plus this recipe makes enough for a crowd with 10 individual servings. Don't have a lot of people to feed? Add this to your weekly meal prep. Make this recipe once and have several servings for lunch and evening meals. Serve with a big salad of fresh greens and vegetables or with your favorite pasta.
How to Make Baked Chicken Parmesan
If you have followed Buy This Cook That for any amount of time, you know that we aren't scared of deep frying. Normally, chicken parmesan involves a breaded and fried chicken breast.
There are times, however, when baking a recipe results in a better tasting dish. Case in point, Baked Chicken Parmesan.
Ever order chicken parm and it comes out all greasy and heavy, loaded with too much of everything and piled on a truckload of pasta? Isn't it great?!!?
Yes, it is. But you eat it and you feel miserable. Our Baked Chicken Parmesan is a successful attempt at capturing all of the things you love about chicken parm without all of the heaviness.
This recipe also has a surprise. Melty and gooey fresh mozzarella wrapped up inside each baked chicken parmesan bundle. LOVE.
First, cut 5 large chicken breasts in half LENGTHWISE. I do this by gently pressing my palm against the top of the chicken while cutting it in half.
Once you have the chicken cut into 10 pieces, gently pound them using a kitchen mallet. The goal is to pound them into an even thickness. This makes sure the chicken bakes evenly.
Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken cutlets and place a generous portion of FRESH mozzarella cheese toward the bottom of each cutlet. Starting with the smaller end, roll the chicken around the cheese. Wrap tightly and secure the seam with toothpicks.
For the crispy breading, we made our own mixture of panko bread crumbs, shredded parmesan cheese, and seasonings. Get the complete recipe at the end of this post.
More recipes you might like:
Cheesy Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas
Creamy Garlic Mushroom Chicken
Alfredo Style Italian Meatballs
Cheesy Southwestern Grilled Chicken + Fresh Black Bean Salsa
Sweet + Savory Pineapple Chicken
Brush each chicken and mozzarella roll with melted butter. Then place the roll into a shallow bowl of the breading mixture. I find it is easier to cover the rolls by hand instead of trying to roll them around. Transfer the breaded chicken to a baking sheet and get ready for deliciousness.
Tips to make sure your Baked Chicken Parmesan turns out golden and crispy:
- Don't let the breasts sit too long and get soggy. You want to go from prep to oven asap.
- Be sure to preheat your oven.
- Position your oven rack to the center position.
- Don't place the chicken too close together on the pan. You want air to circulate around them to ensure even browning.
- If your oven doesn't cook evenly, you might consider baking them on a wire rack placed over the baking sheet.
- Turn the pan halfway through cooking.
You will likely have some of the cheese inside ooze out. That's totally ok...it will go to the baking sheet and you can scoop it up when serving.
Top each piece with a generous serving of pasta sauce or marinara. Then a little more of that fresh mozzarella.
Our recipe for the Best Pasta Sauce ever is perfect for this baked chicken parmesan.
Sprinkle the top with more shredded parmesan cheese. Serve with your favorite vegetables or pasta. If you are watching your carbs, skip the pasta totally. That's actually why I made this recipe. I wanted to enjoy all of the flavors I love in a lower carb option. One serving only has 9 carbs (from the panko breadcrumbs and the minor amount that is in the sauce.)
So what do you think? Have you ever tried baking Chicken Parmesan? We would love to hear how it turned out. Comment below, and be sure to RATE OUR RECIPE.
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Baked Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
- 5 chicken breasts large, skinless, boneless, trimmed
- 16 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese whole milk, good quality
- ⅔ cup panko bread crumbs
- ⅓ cup shredded parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more for chicken
- ½ teaspoon pepper plus more for chicken
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
- 3 cups marinara sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Position oven rack to center position. Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick spray and set aside.
- In a shallow bowl, stir together the panko bread crumbs, ⅓ cup of parmesan cheese, oregano and ½ teaspoon of the salt and ½ teaspoon of the pepper. Set aside.
- Cut each chicken breast into half lengthwise. (10 cutlets) Using a kitchen mallet, pound each cutlet into an even thickness. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken.
- Place a slice of mozzarella near the center of each chicken cutlet. Starting with the small end of the chicken, wrap the chicken over the cheese into a roll. Secure with toothpicks. Repeat until all are rolled.
- Brush all sides of the chicken rolls with melted butter. Place the roll in the bread crumb mixture. Use your hands to coat all sides. Transfer each coated chicken piece onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 25 minutes uncovered, or until the juices of the chicken are clear.
- Remove from oven and top evenly with marinara, reserving some sauce for serving. Top with more mozzarella cheese. Return to the oven for 5 minutes uncovered until the cheese is melted and golden.
- Serve hot with additional parmesan cheese and marinara sauce.
Nutrition
My family would love this! Pinning this for later!
Me and the girls at work are doing a healthy challenge, and I'm doing some low carb. But I can't give up my chicken parm, so this is as close to low carb as I could get but keep the breading. Hope you have a chance to try!