This easy chicken Parmesan recipe features crispy, golden cutlets baked with marinara and melty mozzarella — perfect with pasta, salad, or tucked into hoagie rolls for subs.
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If you’re looking for other delicious chicken recipes, be sure to try this dump-and-bake tuscan chicken pasta, braised chicken thighs with gravy, dump-and-bake chicken tzatziki with rice, and this crispy oven fried chicken breast, too!
Excellent recipe with nicely coated chicken! Now that I’m on holiday and just found your website I decided to take the time to cook. I used Dolmio tomato sauce for the ‘marinara’, followed your recipe and it worked really well! – another winning recipe for me & my husband –
– Myriam
There’s no need to pay for takeout from the local Italian restaurant for dinner tonight when you can easily and affordably make delicious breaded chicken parmesan from the cozy comfort of your own kitchen! Also known as Chicken Parmigiana or Chicken Parm (for short), this classic Italian-American dish consists of breaded chicken breast covered in tomato sauce and cheese. While Chicken Parmesan has been a staple in Italian restaurants throughout the United States since the 1950s, it has also become a popular dish for home cooks in recent years.
This Easy Chicken Parmesan is a Delicious Family Dinner
You’ll love this easy chicken Parmesan recipe because it’s quick to prep, thanks to shortcut ingredients like store-bought cutlets, tomato sauce, and pre-shredded cheese. The chicken cutlets are quickly pan-fried for maximum crisping and browning, and then finished in the oven. That means that the actual hands-on prep time is minimal, and the oven does the rest of the work!
This meal is budget-friendly, made with simple, affordable staples, and incredibly versatile—serve it over pasta, on hoagie rolls, or with a fresh green salad for a meal the whole family will enjoy.
Ingredient Notes and Tips for Success
- Chicken cutlets (or thinly-sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts) work best for this baked chicken Parmesan recipe. The thin cutlets cook quickly, which means that the breading doesn’t burn or get too dark before the meat is done. The uniform chicken also cooks more evenly than the thick, large boneless skinless breasts that you can purchase at a grocery store.
- Chicken cutlets are really just thin pieces of boneless chicken that have been cut from a thick breast or pounded flat. I typically purchase thinly-sliced chicken breasts or “chicken cutlets” at the grocery store to save some time on the prep work. If you prefer, you can make your own chicken cutlets by pounding chicken breasts with a meat mallet or rolling pin to an even ¼-inch thickness. If your chicken breasts are particularly large, cut them in half lengthwise before pounding them into flat cutlets.
- This dish includes two different types of cheese — grated Parmesan in the breading mixture, and shredded mozzarella on top. I use the basic pre-grated Parmesan cheese that comes in a can for ease, but you can certainly use freshly-grated Parmesan from a wedge if you prefer. I also just grab a bag of pre-shredded mozzarella as a shortcut, but sliced fresh mozzarella or slices of provolone cheese would also work really well on top.
- Italian-style breadcrumbs are seasoned with herbs and spices to give the chicken extra flavor with no extra effort on your part.
- I like Rao’s store-bought marinara for easy weeknight meals, but you can also use a homemade marinara sauce.
How to Make this Easy Chicken Parmesan Recipe
An easy dinner with about 15 minutes of hands-on prep time — and it’s ready for the table from start-to-finish in less than 1 hour. Frying the breaded chicken cutlets gives them a crispy exterior and bold Italian flavor. It’s perfect for a hearty, family-friendly meal any night of the week. Truly the best chicken parmesan! You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the quick version:
- Dredge the chicken cutlets in the egg and breadcrumb mixture. Flour helps the egg mixture and breading adhere to the meat, while eggs help the breading adhere to the chicken.
- Pan-fry the breaded chicken cutlets in a large skillet. I use olive oil to get the chicken nice and crispy, but you can use vegetable oil or another type of oil if you prefer.
- Bake the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Tip: when serving chicken parmesan pasta, bring the pasta cooking water to a boil early. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente, at the same time as the chicken bakes in the oven. This avoids any extra prep time! Add marinara sauce and mozzarella on top of the chicken.
- Return to the oven for about 2 more minutes, or just until the cheese melts.
- Garnish the finished dish with extra Parmesan cheese, fresh basil, chopped parsley, or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the golden brown, crispy breaded chicken cutlets on a bed of pasta with extra marinara sauce and grated Parmesan cheese. You can boil the pasta while the chicken cooks, so there’s no extra prep time involved. You’ll typically see the breaded meat paired with spaghetti, but it works well with almost any pasta shape that you enjoy. Try penne pasta, rotini, rigatoni, and ziti, too.
The chicken, sauce, and mozzarella are also great when served on a toasted hoagie roll as a chicken Parm sandwich or with mashed potatoes. For a lighter option, pair the chicken Parmesan with zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash, or cauliflower rice in lieu of pasta.
Easy chicken Parm sides include garlic bread, homemade focaccia, or a crusty loaf of no-knead Dutch oven bread. For veggies, try a green salad with red wine vinegar salad dressing, a classic Caesar salad recipe, roasted broccoli, roasted asparagus, sauteed zucchini, or southern style green beans. If you enjoy a glass of wine with your dinner, pair the Italian-inspired dish with fruity but herbal reds. Good options include Chianti Classico, Barbera, Dolcetto, Primitivo, and Pinot Noir. You might also like an Italian Pinot Grigio or sparkling wines like Prosecco and Champagne.
Storage Tips
- Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, but it does tend to get soggy as it sits.
- The fully-cooked chicken can also be wrapped tightly and stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. Again, it tends to get soggy, so this is not ideal.
- How to Reheat: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the chicken on a baking sheet or in a baking dish, cover loosely with foil, and warm in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until heated through. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave for about 1 minute, or until warm.
I love this recipe. Did it your way first…perfection. Next time put diced pepperoni is the marinara before covering chicken and putting on the cheese. Really good too.
– Teresa
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Watch How to Make It
Easy Chicken Parmesan Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ lbs. total)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 cup Italian-style seasoned breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley or basil; squeeze of fresh lemon juice; extra Parmesan cheese
- Optional, for serving: cooked pasta and additional marinara sauce
Instructions
Bread the Chicken
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. If your chicken breasts are particularly thick and large, cut them in half lengthwise. Working with one chicken breast at a time, place the chicken in between two pieces of wax paper or plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound the chicken to ¼-inch thickness. Generously season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Set aside. Place flour in a shallow bowl and season the flour with salt and pepper. In a separate shallow bowl, combine eggs and garlic salt. In a third shallow bowl, combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Working with one piece of chicken at a time, lightly coat both sides of the chicken with the flour, shaking off the excess. Dip the chicken in the egg, shake again, and then coat with the Parmesan breadcrumbs.
Pan Fry the Chicken
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add 2 pieces of the chicken and cook until the coating is crispy and golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove to a sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and 2 chicken breasts.
Bake the Chicken
- Transfer the sheet pan to the oven and bake until the chicken is cooked through and an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the oven and spoon marinara sauce on top of each piece of chicken.
Finish with Cheese
- Sprinkle with mozzarella and return to the oven until the cheese melts, about 2 more minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Variations
- If you don’t have Italian-style bread crumbs, use plain bread crumbs or Panko bread crumbs and season them yourself with Italian herbs for the best taste — such as dried parsley, basil, and oregano.
- Instead of garlic salt, use garlic powder and a little bit of salt as well. Onion powder would also add great flavor to the dish.
- Instead of packaged, shredded mozzarella, use sliced fresh mozzarella or sliced provolone on top of the chicken.
- For a similar vegetarian meal, try this popular baked eggplant parmesan. For a similar dinner without the marinara sauce, try our favorite chicken Milanese.
More Easy Chicken Parmesan Recipes
Dump-and-Bake Chicken Parmesan Casserole
50 minutes mins
Healthy Chicken Parmesan
27 minutes mins
Chicken Parmesan Casserole
1 hour hr
Originally published in December, 2020, this post was updated in June, 2025.
Excellent recipe with nicely coated chicken! Now that I’m on holiday and just found your website I decided to take the time to cook. I used Dolmio tomato sauce for the ‘marinara’, followed your recipe and it worked really well ! – another winning recipe for me & my husband –
Excellent! Thank you, Myriam! Hope you enjoy some time in the kitchen during your vacation. 🙂
Can this recipe be made earlier in the day
Hi, Rita! Yes, you can certainly do that; however, I find that breaded and/or fried chicken is always best when served immediately. It tends to get a bit soggy as it sits.
Perfect with my Fathers homemade marinara sauce
Yes, what a treat!
I love this recipe. Did it your way first…perfection. Next time put diced pepperoni is the marinara before covering chicken and putting on the cheese. Really good too.
Yum! Thank you for sharing, Teresa. We’re so glad you enjoy it!
all good!
Thanks, Robert!
I cook for my daughter and she prefers that I bake and then freeze for her and then she reheats. Many recipes have you cook chicken but keep everything separate and freeze. Can I cook and freeze once it cools, and if yes (and I presume yes) is there any trick to keeping the chicken moist?
Hi Joanne! If possible we don’t recommend freezing this recipe as it will become soggy as it sits. However, if you must, you can freeze the chicken for up to 2 months. Hope this helps!
Am I the only one reading a recipe and cringes/laughs when I read add ‘1 tbs’ and lightly fry…. Please tell me how there is any liquid/moisture to lightly fry without burning the meat or the pan???? Serious question. I always have to had way more oil than suggested.