Just as cheesy and kid-friendly as the original, this Dump-and-Bake Healthy Chicken Parmesan is an easy dinner with no prep work necessary! Skip the breading, the frying, and the slicing — just place all of the ingredients in one dish and let the oven do the work. It’s a fast weeknight meal that the entire family can agree on!
A lot of you share one of my biggest struggles as a home cook: preparing a single meal that can accommodate a variety of schedules. Whether you have little ones who want to eat at 5:00 p.m., a spouse who works late, or multiple sports and activities to contend with in the evening, many of us find that we’re serving dinner in stages over the course of the day. By 9:00 p.m. it can feel like you’re a short-order cook at the local diner. Not good!
When I initially made this dinner, I assumed that we would all be eating together as a family. The boys had a snack after school to tide them over, and about the time that I was draining the pasta and pulling the Chicken Parmesan out of the oven, I received a text from Keith. He was stuck on a conference call at the office and wouldn’t be home until after 8 p.m. (when the kids were already in bed). Unfortunately, this is not an unusual occurrence.
While I highly value the process of coming together for a family meal at the end of the day, the reality is that at least 3 or 4 nights per week I’m feeding everyone in shifts. I know that I’m not alone!
This dinner is perfect for those nights when you just want to cook once, even if your family members are coming and going at different times. Since I didn’t want to boil another batch of pasta for Keith’s separate meal, I decided to serve his Chicken Parmesan on a sandwich roll.
I layered the pan sauce, the chicken, and some extra mozzarella on a crusty hoagie roll, popped it in the toaster oven for a few minutes at 350 degrees, and he came home to a delicious, hot, Chicken Parmesan Sub. I was pleasantly surprised by how well the chicken reheated for Keith, making it a restaurant-quality Round 2 Dinner that required almost no additional effort on my part.
That’s what I call a weeknight meal that we can all agree on!
Want to see how it’s done? Check out this quick video!
Dump-and-Bake Healthy Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
- 6 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 24 ounces total)
- 1 16 ounce jar marinara sauce (I like to use a brand with no added sugar)
- 6 ounces fresh mozzarella sliced
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Basil or additional fresh herbs for garnish
- Optional: cooked pasta for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Spray a large baking dish (about 9-inch by 13-inch) with cooking spray. Spread half of the marinara sauce in the bottom of the dish. Add the chicken on top of the sauce. Sprinkle chicken with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, to taste.
- Pour remaining sauce over chicken. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. If you are using larger chicken breasts you will need to increase the baking time to at least 30-35 minutes.
- Remove foil, place mozzarella slices and grated Parmesan on top of chicken. Return chicken to the oven (uncovered) for an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Cooking for Two? Cut the ingredients in half and bake the chicken in an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking dish.
Want to prep ahead? Place all of the ingredients in the dish, cover, and refrigerate until ready to bake. You can also freeze the dish (before baking) for up to 3 months — just make sure that it’s wrapped tightly to prevent freezer burn.
My husband is ALL about chicken Parmesan…it’s one of his favorite meals, so I know he would go crazy over this dump and bake dish. Love how easy and flavorful it is. Just what we need for busy weeks!
Thanks, Gayle! My husband loves this dish too!
Mmmm – looks simple and totally scrummy. Will be trying this one this week. Thank you!
That’s great, Joanne! Enjoy! 🙂
Oh, how I can relate to these rollercoaster days! Love the idea of this recipe – the easiness and the deliciousness! Pinning!
Thanks so much, Kate! It’s just real life, right?! 🙂
Oooh! This looks amazing! We loveeee chicken parmesan and I love that you served it with spaghetti!
Yep, it’s a match made in heaven! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, Kristy!
I have been making something almost exactly the same for years now. It is quick, easy, and healthier without all the breading. Shredded mozzarella works in a pinch if you don’t have fresh but fresh is best! Dinner always ready to go in 30 ‘minutes and hubby likes it a lot. Thanks for sharing!
Awesome! Great minds think alike, Sharon! 🙂 I agree — shredded mozzarella cheese works very well in a pinch!
I do not have cooking spray,can I put foil on the bottom too?
If I cut the ingredients in half to make it for two, do I need to cut the cooking times in half too?
Hey, Tyler! The cooking time should remain the same! 🙂 Enjoy!
Can I use spaghetti saucw?
Absolutely, Paulette! Any similar sauce that you love will work well!
What mara nara sauce do you use ?
Yes, which brand do you use?
Hey, Samantha! I actually use different varieties, depending on what’s available or what’s on sale. If I buy it at Costco, I often get Classico Tomato Basil, but I’ve used other brands as well. Just pick your favorite! 🙂
Hi there, this looks fantastic! Have u ever tried adding zucchini? I want to make this tomorrow and I was just given a zucchini, wondering if I should added it chopped of cook separately? Would it be too watery?
Thanks!
Hi, Susan! I have never tried adding zucchini, but I think it would work really well! I would just chop it up finely (so that you’re sure it is cooked through by the end of the baking time) and add it to the dish. It will add some moisture, but I don’t think that it should be too watery — especially if you’re just using one zucchini. 🙂
Made this for dinner tonight. I’ve never had chicken parm before and I’m in love! Served it over some fettuccine, perfect!
Yay! I’m so glad that you liked it, Melanie! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
I do not have cooking spray,can I put foil on the bottom too?
Hey, Ashley! Yes, you can use foil on the bottom or you can butter the dish or rub it with a little bit of oil. Any of those options will work! 🙂
Just made this dish, and it was delicious! It’s SO EASY and you will most likely have all the ingredients in a pantry and fridge… and that’s what I like!!!! 😀 Thank you for posting this recipe!
Is it just me? After 20 minutes my chicken (thin breast filets) are are still pink, gave another 10 min in the oven – still pink with pink juice inside. did anyone else have same problem?
Hi, Irina! No, I haven’t heard anyone else complain about the chicken not cooking all the way through. 🙁
I had that problem also. But after another 10 mins it was perfect !
Making this tonight! I can’t believe how easy these recipes are. Thank you!!! You need a cookbook!!!
Awesome, Christina! Enjoy!!! And thank you so much for your kind words. 🙂
So easy and delicious! I used vegie pasta and it was amazing! Thank you for the recipe!
Excellent! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it, Kathleen! Thanks for letting me know!
This caught my eye yesterday. Just made today with organic chicken tenderloins. Came out amazing. My fiance loved it and so did it. Served with whole grain pasta. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe..
Awesome, Leslie! Thank you so much for letting me know. I’m glad that you both enjoyed it! 🙂
Thank you for the recipe quick simple but most of all it came out delicious 😋
Great! So glad that you loved it, Toni!
Hi, I was wondering if I can brown the chicken breast first? Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Hi, Flo! Yes, it should work fine to brown the chicken first, if that’s your preference.
I literally just made this tried a sample (it tastes amazing) and the entire kitchen smells awesome! My husband loves chicken parm, but I dread the steps for the original version. Thanks for the easy, tasty version!
That’s great, Alicia! I’m so glad that it’s an easy option that keeps your husband happy too! 🙂
Just made this for my husband and I with veggie spaghetti instead of regular pasta, he loved it so much he’s taking all of the left overs for lunch tomorrow! Definitely an amazing dinner!
Awesome, Taylor! Thanks so much for letting me know. I’m glad that your husband enjoyed it! 🙂
BLAIR…was your sauce extremely watery after cooking this recipe? I just finished making this for dinner. Followed directions exactly as printed and mine was extremely watery due to cooking it with raw chicken (kind of thought it might be). The picture is deceiving since it shows a “thick” bed of marinara sauce under the chicken! Either make sure you have an extra jar of marinara on hand, or cook the chicken prior to baking this!
Hi! No, I don’t find that the sauce is watery. Not sure what the difference was with your dish. 🙂
One of the best recipes I’ve found online! This is truly as quick, easy, and tasty as it gets!
Thanks, Colleen! 🙂
I just made this for our Sunday dinner and it was a huge hit! I’m always looking for new chicken recipes and this was great and so easy to get together.
Thanks for sharing!!
That’s great, Janis! Thanks so much for letting me know! 🙂
I just wanted to come report back that I made this recipe last night and it was absolutely delicious. Such an easy and quick way to have chicken parm, without all of the extra steps to bread and fry the chicken. I will be keeping this recipe around for good! Thank you for sharing it.
Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know, Hunter! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it!
Blair, thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I made it tonight and the family went crazy over it! They are saying that this is now their new favorite.
That’s awesome, Amanda! Thank you for letting me know! 🙂
Mine is in the oven now. Michael and I have been watching our calorie intake but I was in the mood for Italian. I think this dinner will hit the spot and it takes no time at all! I will be serving with just a spring mix salad. Thank you for posting this recipe!!
Wonderful! I hope that you both enjoyed it!
Hey girl! Thanks for the recipe! When the fam ate this great dish it reminded me of the fun times we had!
Andrea!!!! Thanks so much for your note! Gosh, we had so many fun (CRAZY) times! I miss you and I think about you often. Hope your family is doing well! xoxo
My husband and I loved this recipe! It was such a quick weeknight dinner. We will definitely be making again!
Great! I’m so glad to hear that, Ashley. Thank you!
How small is small exactly for the chicken?
I had three bug chicken breasts and cut them and half and this dish took an hour or so for the chicken to reach it’s temperature.
Hi, Virginia! As I note in the ingredients above, I used 24 ounces of chicken total. That means that each of the small chicken breasts were about 4 ounces.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I came across it while googling easy chicken recipes and it turned out absolutely fantastic! I used shredded mozzarella because that’s all I had on hand but it was still fantastic – and so easy! I’ll definitely make it again!
That’s awesome, Sonia! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it! 🙂
Have you ever breaded the chicken first?
Hey, Jessica! No, I haven’t tried this recipe that way. Let me know if you do!
I love this recipe! I have a picky husband who seems to only like complicated unhealthy recipes but he LOVES this.
It’s easy, tasty and fits into the allotted amount of WW points for dinner.
Thank you!!
Awesome! That’s exactly my goal, Erin. 🙂 A meal that’s good for you, but also tasty for the whole family!
Is there an alternative for Italian seasoning ?
Hi, Mariah! Yes! Italian seasoning is just a blend of a bunch of different herbs and seasonings — including basil, oregano, parsley, garlic, thyme, onion, rosemary, and marjoram. You can just substitute with a dash of whatever you have on hand — maybe some basil and oregano?
This was so easy and turned out so well!!! I’m not the best cook so I was thrilled with the result. I halved it and used boneless skinless chicken tenders.
Awesome, Carrie! Thank you for letting me know! I’m so glad that you’ve found a new, easy recipe to enjoy. 🙂