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Baked Chicken Parmesan

Written By: Stephanie May 8, 2020   (Updated December 16, 2020)  3 *This post may contain affiliate links. Read more »
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This classic oven-baked Chicken Parmesan tastes JUST like it’s from a restaurant. Better yet, it’s STUFFED with Mozzarella cheese and covered in a crispy Parmesan breadcrumb mix with warm Marinara sauce.

Be sure to try my Chicken Parmesan Casserole Recipe next!

A breaded chicken breast topped with melted mozzarella in a pan with marinara sauce for Baked Chicken Parmesan.

Baked Chicken Parmesan

Prepare to impress yourself guys. This right here? This classic Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan…tastes better than any restaurant I’ve been to.

Not only is it stuffed with mozzarella, but it’s got the crispiest Parmesan breading.

You can also skip the mozzarella stuffing and pound the chicken flat for thinner chicken cutlets. Either way, the flavor is delicious. (Freezer-friendly too!)

Ingredients

  • Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breast
  • Mozzarella Cheese- Shred a block of Low-Moisture mozzarella for best flavor and consistency
  • Parmesan Cheese- Shred high-quality cheese from a block for best results
  • Flour
  • Seasoned Salt
  • Pepper
  • Eggs
  • Garlic Powder
  • Italian Breadcrumbs- Make my homemade breadcrumbs for great flavor and texture.
  • Butter
  • Olive Oil
  • Marinara Sauce- Try my easy homemade marinara sauce.
  • Fresh Parsley- to garnish

How to Make it

Use a knife to carefully create a pocket in the chicken breast. Stuff with mozzarella cheese.

A hand cutting a slice in a chicken breast to create a pocket to stuff mozzarella cheese inside.

Coat the chicken in seasoned flour, a whisked egg mixture, and a Parmesan breadcrumb mix.

Brown each side of the chicken in a skillet with a little olive oil and butter. Remove and place on paper towels, which will absorb any excess oil for extra crispy chicken.

Return the chicken to the skillet and add marinara sauce.

 Breaded chicken on a plate next to a skillet of browned chicken Parmesan topped with marinara sauce.

Top with Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes. Increase heat to 450° to brown a little more if desired, watch the entire time to prevent burning.

Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve!

A skillet of chicken Parmesan with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese before and after being baked.

Can You Skip the Browning?

You can skip the browning step, but this why I choose to brown the chicken before baking:

  • It’ll be Extra crispy on the outside. And it stays crispy even when topped with marinara and cheese.
  • Much more golden in color, the butter helps achieve this.
  • Tastes like restaurant Chicken Parmesan

Remember, we’re only using a little butter and oil, we’re not deep frying the chicken until cooked through.

However if you prefer, you can skip the browning and simply spray the chicken lightly with oil prior to baking.

Thinner Chicken Cutlets

  • If you prefer thinner chicken, butterfly each chicken breast and cut the seam to create 2 thinner slices.
  • OR, place plastic wrap over each chicken breast and use a meat tenderizer to pound it thinner.
  • If you use thinner chicken, don’t stuff it with mozzarella cheese as the chicken is more likely to tear.
  • Thinner slices will only require about 10–15 minutes of baking time, depending on just how thin they are. The internal temperature should reach 165°

Storing Baked Chicken Parmesan

Refrigerating

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freezing

  • Leftovers freeze very well for future meals and are best if used within 3 months.
  • To reheat from a frozen state: Allow it to defrost in the fridge overnight. Lightly grease a dutch oven or oven-safe dish. Cover and bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes.
  • You still reheat partially frozen chicken Parmesan in the oven, it will just take longer to heat through.

Try These Next!

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Be sure to serve this with my 20-minute Creamy Tomato Pasta and some Cheesy Garlic Bread.

A breaded chicken breast topped with melted mozzarella in a pan with marinara sauce for Baked Chicken Parmesan.

Baked Chicken Parmesan

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
5 from 2 votes
Servings: 4
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This classic oven-baked Chicken Parmesan tastes JUST like it's from a restaurant. Better yet, it's STUFFED with Mozarella cheese and covered in a crispy Parmesan breading with warm marinara sauce.

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, separated
  • 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese, separated
  • ½ cup flour
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons seasoned salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • Fresh parsley, to garnish
  • 2 cups marinara sauce
  • Fresh Parsley, to garnish

Instructions

  • Note: I recommend a 12 or 13 inch oven-safe pan for this recipe. A large dutch oven will also work. Otherwise, transfer the chicken to a lightly greased casserole dish after browning. Add the sauce/cheese, and bake as directed.

Stuff the Chicken

  • Pat the chicken breasts completely dry.
  • Cut a slice in middle of each chicken breast to create a pocket, don’t cut all the way through to the other side. PRO TIP: Flash freeze the chicken for 10-15 minutes to firm it up for easier cutting.
  • Stuff each one with 2-3 Tablespoons of mozzarella cheese, close to seal.

Bread the Chicken

  • Create an assembly line for breading the chicken:
  • Plate #1: ½ cup flour + 1 ¼ tsp seasoned salt + 1/4 tsp pepper.
  • Bowl #2: 2 whisked eggs + ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • Plate #3: 1 cups breadcrumbs + ¼ cup shredded Parmesan
  • Coat the chicken in the flour mixture and tap to rid any excess.
  • Dip into the whisked eggs just long enough to lightly coat the chicken, let the excess drip off the edge of the bowl
  • Generously coat in the breadcrumb mixture.

Brown the Outside

  • Heat the oil and butter to a pan over medium heat.
  • Brown the chicken in batches of 2, leave room around the outside to allow the edges to crisp.
  • Cook for about 4 minutes per side, until light golden brown. Add more oil if needed. (I use 2 spatulas to carefully flip the chicken.)
  • Remove from heat and place the chicken on a paper towel lined plate. The paper towels absorb the excess oil, leaving you with crispier chicken. Note: The inside is still very raw.

Bake

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Return the chicken to the pan or transfer to a casserole dish. Spoon marinara sauce around the sides and on the top.
  • Sprinkle generously with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
  • Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
  • If desired, increase heat to 450 degrees and cook just until it browns more on top, watch closely the whole time.
  • Remove from the oven and sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve with Homemade Cheesy Garlic Bread!

Notes

The chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Romano cheese can also be added to the mix.
If you have trouble keeping the mozzarella in the chicken, a toothpick or two will help keep it in place.
Be sure to serve this with my 20-minute Creamy Tomato Pasta and some Cheesy Garlic Bread. 

Nutrition

Calories: 567kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 50g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Cholesterol: 187mg, Sodium: 1975mg, Potassium: 949mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 1327IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 553mg, Iron: 3mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Author: Stephanie
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posted by Stephanie on May 8, 2020 — 3 Comments »