Baked Chicken Parmesan

This restaurant favorite is typically fried, but baking Chicken Parmesan will cut down on grease while still maintaining flavor!

The dish, pollo alla parmigiana or Chicken Parmesan, was actually invented in the United States, not Italy. Chicken Parmesan is a variation on a traditional Sicilian dish, parmigiana di melanzane or Eggplant Parmesan. When immigrants from Sicily, Italy settled in the United States during the 20th century they made a variation of their beloved eggplant dish with chicken. The dish consists of a breaded chicken breast covered in tomato sauce, and cheese.

We love Chicken Parmesan in our household. My husband and I have a weakness for Italian food. Back east there was a family owned Italian restaurant we loved to support. It was in this beautiful old building by the waterfront. The inside was all dark wood and stone. There were white tablecloths and candles everywhere. They made an amazing Chicken Parmesan. It was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The marinara sauce was tangy and the mozzarella had the perfect stringiness to it. I wanted to recreate the delicious flavors of that dish without all the greasiness of frying the chicken. I experimented with baking the chicken and this recipe is the result. Please enjoy!

Baked Chicken Parmesan Recipe

Yields 4 servings

Prep Time 15 minute

Bake Time 15 minutes

Wine Pairing Suggestion: Chianti or Pinot Grigio

Beer Pairing Suggestion: Pale Ale or Lager

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts

Salt and Pepper

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 egg

1 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1 cup marinara sauce

1 cup mozzarella, shredded

Garnish: Fresh Basil

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Butterfly the chicken breasts in half, make sure to cut all the way through. Make sure all pieces are of equal size.

Place chicken breast halves into a plastic bag or place plastic wrap over the chicken breast halves on a cutting board. Pound the chicken to even thickness using a rolling pin or meat tenderizer.

Dry the chicken breasts with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper.

On a plate, mix together the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, dried parsley, dried oregano, and dried basil.

On another plate, whisk the egg.

Put flour on another clean plate. Coat the chicken with the flour.

Dip the floured chicken breasts in the egg.

Then dip the chicken breasts in the bread crumb mixture. Make sure they are coated evenly.

Place chicken breasts on prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until cooked through. Chicken is fully cooked at 165 F.

Take out the chicken. Evenly pour the marinara sauce and mozzarella on the chicken breasts.

Place the chicken back into the oven and turn on the broiler. Broil until the cheese has melted.

Serve hot. Garnish with fresh basil.

This dish goes great with salads, garlic knots, pesto pasta, or pasta all’Amatriciana.

DID YOU MAKE THIS DISH?

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