Healthier Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan
Healthier Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan is one of those foods that it seems like everyone likes. But what’s not to like? The chicken is breaded and then deep fried, smothered in cheese and sauce, and then put on top of delicious pasta. Delicious yes, healthy, no.

My chicken parm is much healthier, and we think it is just as good as the restaurant versions. I’ve been making this for years and it never disappoints. The secret is to buy the biggest chicken breasts you can find, and then pound them thin. This makes your chicken super moist and juicy. I also wait till the very end to put the sauce on the chicken in order to keep it nice and crispy!
Look at how crispy and golden brown that is! No fryer necessary!
Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients:
4 large and thick chicken breasts, pounded thin
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
8 oz. fresh mozzarella*
marinara sauce
2 eggs
3 tbsp. milk
1 cup AP flour
Fresh basil (optional if it is in season)
*Fresh Mozzarella is recommended for this recipe. It has a higher water content than other cheeses, making it have less fat than other cheeses, which keeps the grease factor down in this recipe. If you are looking for a super cheesy, greasy chicken parm, go ahead and use regular mozzrella!
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

To begin, pound your chicken. Place your chicken in a zip lock bag, sealed tightly, and pound the chicken using a meat mallet.

chicken breast recipes

 

healthy italian recipes
The chicken once it is pounded down. These are gigantic!

Trim any fat off the chicken. Season each breast with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Then move on to your breading station.

pampered chef trays
These breading trays are from Pampered Chef and are one of my favorite kitchen tools. I highly recommend them.

The first tray gets the cup of flour, the second tray has the two eggs, beaten with 3 tablespoons of milk, and the third tray gets the Italian breadcrumbs, panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic clove, salt, and pepper. First dip your chicken in the flour, shaking off excess, then the egg mixture, then the breadcrumbs. Place each breast on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Spray each breast with cooking spray on both sides to help it crisp up.
Bake your chicken for about 15 minutes, or until the top begins to get golden brown. Flip your chicken to the other side at the 15 minute mark, and bake about another 10 minutes, or until golden brown and chicken juices run clear when pricked with a fork. (These cooking times are approximate based on how thick and big your chicken is. Please cook your chicken thoroughly! ) Remove chicken from oven and put two slices of fresh mozzarella cheese on each piece. Return to the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and put desired amount of sauce on each piece. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Related Posts

10 thoughts on “Healthier Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan

  1. Chicken Parmesan is my favorite dish and usually what I order when eating out (if I’m at the right restaurant). I was really excited to see this healthier version and I am defintiely giving it a try! Pinned. stopping by from Tasty Tuesday party. Would love for you to join our Four Seasons Blog Hop and share tomorrow night!

  2. I never really gave it any thought, but as much as I love fresh mozzarella, for some reason, I have always used the bagged shredded mozzarella for chicken parm. Thanks for putting the bug in my ear about that. I’ll definitely have to make it with fresh next time. 🙂 [#TastyTuesdays]

  3. Chichen Parmesan is a family favorite at my house. And I know my family would love this version! Thanks for stopping by the Pretty Pintastic Party!

Comments are closed.