Chicken Parmesan (pollo alla parmigiana, parm, parma, or parmi) is a classic dinner dish that originates in Italy but is enjoyed worldwide!
Growing up in an Italian family, chicken parmesan was a meal time staple! Serve it with your favorite Italian inspired sides like air fryer mozzarella sticks, antipasto salad, or easy garlic knots.
Chicken Parmesan
Chicken Parmesan (Parmigiana)
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Why you’ll love this recipe!
📌 Crispy breading with sweet marinara sauce topped by delicious melty cheese is always a win.
📌 Goes great with simple side dishes like a basic salad or steamed broccoli.
📌 Perfect for family dinner night.
Chicken Parmesan Ingredients
- Chicken – Boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
- Flour – All purpose flour.
- Spices – Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder.
- Eggs – Large eggs, beaten.
- Breadcrumbs – Panko and classic plain breadcrumbs.
- Cheese – Parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese.
- Marinara – High quality marinara or spaghetti sauce. Canned or homemade (here’s our slow cooker marinara recipe and our blender spaghetti sauce recipe).
- Oil – Olive oil, for frying.
- Fresh basil – For garnish.
Chicken, breadcrumbs, marinara, seasonings, egg, cheese, basil, oil.
How do you make chicken parmesan from scratch? (step-by-step directions)
⭐ First, if desired, pound chicken thin, and season both sides with salt and pepper; set aside.
⭐ Then, in a shallow bowl combine the flour, garlic powder and onion powder. In a second bowl, put the eggs. In a third, combine both types of breadcrumbs, the grated parmesan and the Italian seasoning.
⭐ Next, dredge each chicken breast in the flour, then dip in the egg, and then press into the breadcrumb mixture, making sure the chicken breast is fully coated each time. Fry the chicken until they are golden brown on both sides.
⭐ Finally, spread marinara sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish. Place the chicken breasts on top and spoon some of the marinara sauce over each breast. Top with mozzarella and bake until chicken is fully cooked and the mozzarella has melted.
Scroll down to the printable recipe card toward the bottom of this article for ingredient measurements and detailed cooking instructions.
Bread and fry the chicken, then layer it in a casserole dish with marinara and fresh mozzarella.
Preparation
Should you pound chicken flat for chicken parmesan?
This is going to be a matter of personal preference. Growing up we always had it pounded thin, but my kids prefer a thicker breast.
The benefit to thin chicken is that it cooks faster, the benefit to keeping it thick is that there’s less prep!
What kind of breadcrumbs for chicken parmesan recipe?
I recognize that I might get some grief for this, but we use a combination of plain breadcrumbs and panko breadcrumbs for the perfect amount of crunch.
My mom always used Italian style breadcrumbs, and those will work too if that’s your preference!
Bake until chickekn is cooked through and cheese is bubbly.
Storage and leftovers
Can you prep chicken parm ahead of time?
If you want to get some of the preparation done in advance, you can fry up the chicken up to a day or two before and store it in the refrigerator.
Can you freeze chicken parmesan?
Yes, you can freeze this like you would a casserole. I suggest baking it in a disposable dish, then allowing it to cool to about room temperature (you can put it in the fridge to get it there). Then cover tightly with two layers (I like to do a combination of foil then plastic wrap) and freeze.
To reheat from frozen, remove plastic wrap, but leave foil on top. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 – 45 minutes, then remove foil and raise temperature to 425 F, baking an additional 15 – 20 minutes until the dish is heated through and cheese is bubbly.
How long does classic chicken parmesan last?
Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Cover tightly to store, and reheat in the oven, microwave or air fryer depending on serving size and time constraints.
We always serve with spaghetti and a salad or veggie side.
Tips, tricks, and frequently asked questions
✅ The difference between chicken parmesan and chicken parmigiana is (drumroll please….) absolutely nothing. One is the the Italian way to write it, and one is in English. The recipe itself is the same though.
✅ Rumor has it, the dish is called ‘chicken parmesan’ after the town of Parma, Italy – not the cheese!
✅ Keep the breading from falling off by leaving the chicken alone. Try not to move it around unless absolutely necessary until it’s done frying.
Fresh basil is great on top, my kids also like extra grated parmesan.
What to eat with chicken parmigiana (serving suggestions)
This dish is typically served over spaghetti. You can make it a little fancier by doing spaghetti carbonara or fettucine alfredo. For a veggie, try creamed spinach, air fryer asparagus, sautéed vegetables, or zucchini in red sauce.
Provolone cheese can also be used in place of mozzarella.
More delicious Italian dishes
- Crockpot stuffed shells
- Caprese pasta salad
- Toasted ravioli
- Antipasto platter
- Baked ravioli
- Baked caprese chicken
- See all our easy Italian recipes!
Other awesome chicken recipes
- Chicken salad wrap recipe
- Chicken minis
- Bacon wrapped chicken bites
- Chicken fajita casserole
- Hawaiian chicken
- See all our easy chicken recipes!
😍😍😍
Tools we love
- Glass casserole dish with lid – I love this dish, it can go from freezer to oven!
- Metal spatula – We like a metal spatula for getting that cheesy chicken out of the dish without difficulty.
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How to Make Chicken Parmesan
Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts boneless skinless
- salt & pepper
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 24 ounces high quality marinara or spaghetti sauce
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella sliced
- ½ cup oil
- fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- If desired, pound out the chicken breasts to about 1 inch thick (we did not do this in the pictured recipe). Season both sides with salt and pepper.
- In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, garlic powder and onion powder. In a second, put the eggs. In a third, combine both types of breadcrumbs, the grated parmesan and the Italian seasoning.
- First dredge each chicken breast in the flour, then dip in the egg, and then press into the breadcrumb mixture, making sure the chicken breast is fully coated each time.
- Heat the oil in a medium sized skillet with high walls. Fry the chicken breasts until they are golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. They do not need to cook fully through.
- Spread the marinara sauce in the bottom of a large casserole dish, then place the browned chicken breasts on top. If desired, spoon some of the marinara sauce over each breast. Distribute the sliced mozzarella evenly over the top of the chicken breasts.
- Bake at 450° F for 20 to 25 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked (internal temp at least 165° F) and the mozzarella has melted.
- Garnish with fresh basil.
Notes
Nutrition
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Chicken Parmesan (Parmigiana)
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Journa Liz Ramirez says
I was thinking of having an Italian dish, then I came across this recipe. This Chicken Parmesan is far better than you can get in a restaurant! Highly recommended!
Kellie says
This recipe was easy and so tasty! My plain chicken eating son even asked for seconds. Will be making again!
Kristine S says
I had one extra chicken breast, so I did increase all the ingredients a bit. I cut the breasts in half and pounded them out. Loved the addition of garlic and onion powder to the flour. I used two eggs and an additional yolk. This is such a delicious recipe and so easy to prepare. Thank you!