Baked Chicken Parmigiana

5 from 2 votes

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Pinterest Hidden ImagePinterest Hidden Image

This Baked Chicken Parmigiana (Pollo Alla Parmigiana) is absolutely incredible 🌟. My mom bakes it so that it’s a very easy, one-pan meal that can be cooked and served all in the same baking dish. We use our homemade sauce that we 🫙 jar ourselves, but you can use any marinara sauce you love. I personally love Rao’s because it uses really clean ingredients.

A close-up of a dish of chicken parmigiana being served. The piece of chicken is topped with melted mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, and garnished with fresh basil. It's being lifted from a white baking dish with more chicken pieces inside.

Why You’ll Love Baked Chicken Parmigiana

My Baked Chicken Parmigiana will be a hit for everyone at the table. This is a healthier and more streamlined way to make the favorite 🇮🇹 Italian classic, no frying required! You can make this super simple by using your favorite store-bought sauce or take some time to make a homemade version. Either way, the results are delicious: the 🍗 chicken is crispy and juicy, topped with rich 🍅 marinara, and a gooey cheesy topping that’s irresistible.

How to Prepare Baked Chicken Parmigiana

🥣 Start by creating your dredging station: a bowl of flour, a bowl of whisked eggs, and a bowl of Italian breadcrumbs.

🔪 Now, using a sharp knife, slice the chicken breasts in half and/or pound thin with a meat mallet.

🍗 Next, dip each piece of chicken into some flour, then eggs (shaking off the excess), and then breadcrumbs (on each side).

🫒 Now, line them all up in a baking dish and then drizzle each one with a touch of olive oil.

🔥 Bake the chicken in a pre-heated 400F (200C) degree oven for 15 minutes.

🌡️ Next, take them out and remove your cutlets (you can let it cool a bit because the dish will be very hot).

🍅 Now, add marinara sauce to the bottom of the dish and then arrange your cutlets back into the same dish.

🧀 Next, add more sauce on top of each one, and then add your cheese of choice.

⏲️ Bake again uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden.

🌿 Finally, sprinkle with basil or parsley for garnish and enjoy!

Nonna’s Tip 🍗

This Baked Chicken Parmigiana is great for meal prep. You can have the chicken pieces all pre-breaded and frozen or freeze them already baked (in trays) so they’re ready to defrost and warm up on a busy weeknight.

Close-up of a sliced chicken Parmesan dish on a white plate. Layers of crispy chicken, melted cheese, and tomato sauce are visible, with some fresh basil on top. A baking dish is blurred in the background.

Variations and Substitutions for Baked Chicken Parmigiana

  1. Before baking with the cheese and sauce, you can semi-fry the chicken in a skillet (or even 🌀 air-fry too). 
  2. Make this dairy-free by either omitting the cheesy topping altogether or using your favorite non-dairy cheese. 👩‍🍳 Just make sure it’s melty!
  3. You can easily make this dish gluten-free by using your favorite gluten-free breadcrumbs and/or almond flour.

Similar Recipes

Best Served With

  • Continue the Italian theme and serve this Baked Chicken Parmigiana with a side of 🍝 pasta.
  • Homemade crusty bread 🍞 is a must to dip into the extra sauce and cheese.
  • Serve this dish with a beautifully fresh 🥗 Simple Green Salad

Common Questions

Can I make this baked chicken parmigiana dish ahead of time?

This is great for meal prep too, since you can have the chicken pieces all pre-breaded and frozen or freeze them in the casserole dish already baked so they’re ready to defrost and warm on a busy weeknight.

What other kind of cheeses can I use?

You could absolutely use provolone cheese instead of mozzarella in this Baked Chicken Parmigiana dish.

Can I make this dairy-free?

Make this dairy-free by either omitting the cheesy topping altogether or using your favorite non-dairy cheese. Just make sure it’s melty!

can I make this baked chicken parmigiana gluten-free?

I think you can! I would use your favorite gluten-free breadcrumb instead of Italian breadcrumbs (add in some Italian seasoning if you’d like). Instead of regular flour for dredging, you can use your favorite gluten-free flour. Alternatively, you could skip the dredging altogether and simply top seasoned baked chicken with marinara and cheese, which also works!

what do I do if the chicken pieces are too thick?

Since chicken breasts vary in size, I suggest using a very sharp knife to slice the chicken in half. If you want your pieces even thinner, you can use a meat mallet to pound them thinner.

How do I know if the chicken is cooked through?

If you want to double-check the chicken is fully cooked (after baking with the sauce and cheese), use a meat thermometer. 165F (74C) is good to go!

Two breaded chicken parmigiana covered in melted mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce, garnished with fresh basil leaves, served on a white plate.

Baked Chicken Parmigiana

This is a healthier and more streamlined way to make the favorite Italian classic, no frying required! My Baked Chicken Parmigiana is delicious: the chicken is crispy and juicy, and it's topped with fresh marinara and a gooey cheesy topping that's irresistible.
5 from 2 votes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Makes: 3
Author: The Modern Nonna
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients 

  • 3 chicken breasts, ours were big so we cut them in half or use 5 smaller/thinner ones
  • cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs, Italian
  • salt + pepper, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1.5 cups marinara sauce, homemade or storebought
  • 1 slice mozzarella , over each piece of chicken
  • ¼ cup parmigiano reggiano

Instructions 

  • Make a dredging station by adding flour to one bowl, eggs to another bowl, and breadcrumbs to separate dish as well. Season each station with salt and pepper.
  • Start by breading the chicken by dipping each side into the flour, then eggs (shaking off the excess) and then breadcrumbs on each side.
  • Line up the breaded cutlets in a baking dish (ours was 9 x 13) and drizzle each one with a touch olive oil. Bake in a pre-heated 400F (200C) degree oven for 15 minutes.
  • Take the baking dish out of the oven and remove the cutlets. Now, add marinara sauce to the bottom of the dish and add the cutlets back into the same dish.
  • Add tomato sauce on top of each one and any cheeses of choice. I personally love provolone or mozzarella.
  • Bake it again (uncovered) for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden. Basil for garnish is totally optional. Enjoy!

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 637kcal, Carbohydrates: 45g, Protein: 65g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.04g, Cholesterol: 268mg, Sodium: 1615mg, Potassium: 1363mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 967IU, Vitamin C: 12mg, Calcium: 269mg, Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Love This Recipe?
Share your pictures or videos of you making my recipes by mentioning #themodernnonna on all socials ❤️

Hi! I'm Sneji. Nice to meet you!

I am more commonly known as “The Modern Nonna” on social media where I create easy home cooked meals with a modern twist. I was born and raised in Sofia, Bulgaria and learned how to cook at the best culinary school in the world – my grandma’s kitchen. I lived in Greece on the Island of Crete with my parents for a while and then moved to Toronto, Canada when I was in grade 5. I started to really cook and experiment with food 11 years ago when I was 21 years old. Everything I currently know is a reflection of some part of my life…

Keep up to date with me on social media! Follow @themodernnonna

5 from 2 votes

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




The maximum upload file size: 5 MB. You can upload: image, video. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop files here

4 Comments