Baked chicken Parmesan is thin chicken cutlets in a crisp, cheesy breadcrumb coating, baked on a sheet pan, then finished with a spoonful of marinara and a blanket of melted mozzarella. It is a family dinner with no frying and no splatter, and it goes with spaghetti, a salad or garlic bread.
How to make baked chicken Parmesan: Slice chicken breasts into cutlets, brush them with melted butter and coat them in seasoned breadcrumbs mixed with Parmesan. Bake at 450°F for 25 minutes. Spoon marinara over each cutlet, top with mozzarella and bake about 5 minutes more, until the cheese melts and the chicken reaches 165°F.
Why You’ll Love It
- No frying. The cutlets bake on one sheet pan.
- A crisp coating. The sauce goes on at the end, so the breading is not buried the whole time.
- Six ingredients. Chicken, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, butter, mozzarella and marinara.
- Eight cutlets. Enough for a family, with leftovers for sandwiches.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken breasts. Four boneless, skinless breasts of about 8 ounces each. Slice each one in half lengthwise to make 8 thin cutlets.
Seasoned breadcrumbs. Three-quarters of a cup.
Parmesan cheese. A 1/4 cup, grated. Romano cheese is an alternative.
Butter. Two tablespoons, melted, for brushing the chicken. Olive oil is an alternative.
Part-skim mozzarella. Three-quarters of a cup, shredded.
Marinara sauce. One cup. You will spoon 1 tablespoon onto each cutlet and have sauce left over for the pasta.
Cooking spray. For the baking sheet and the tops of the breaded cutlets.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 ounces each), sliced in half lengthwise to make 8 cutlets
- 3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 3/4 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- Cooking spray
- Basil or parsley, optional garnish
How to Make Baked Chicken Parmesan
1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 450°F. Lightly coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Bread the chicken. Combine the breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan in one bowl. Put the melted butter in another. Lightly brush the butter onto each cutlet, dip it in the breadcrumb mixture and place it on the baking sheet.
3. Bake the cutlets. Lightly spray the tops of the cutlets with cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes.
4. Add sauce and cheese. Spoon 1 tablespoon marinara over each cutlet and top each with 1 1/2 tablespoons shredded mozzarella. Leave some breaded edges uncovered by sauce.
5. Finish baking. Return the chicken to the oven for about 5 minutes, until the cheese melts. Before serving, check the thickest part of the chicken with a food thermometer. It must reach 165°F. Keep cooking if needed to reach that temperature. Garnish with basil or parsley if you like.
When Should the Sauce Go On?
At the end. The breaded cutlets bake bare for 25 minutes first. Only then do the marinara and mozzarella go on, for the last 5 minutes or so. That way the coating spends most of its time in dry oven heat instead of sitting under wet sauce.
| Stage | What is on the chicken | Time |
|---|---|---|
| First bake | Breadcrumb and Parmesan coating only, sprayed lightly on top | 25 minutes |
| Topping | 1 tablespoon marinara and 1 1/2 tablespoons mozzarella per cutlet | Out of the oven, briefly |
| Second bake | Sauce and cheese | About 5 minutes, until melted |
For extra crunch, keep the sauce to the middle of each cutlet and leave the breaded edges showing. The uncovered edges stay crisp.
Use a light hand with the sauce. A tablespoon per cutlet does not look like much, but it is what the recipe calls for. Serve the rest of the marinara warm on the side or over pasta.
Tips for Success
Should I cover my chicken when I bake it in the oven?
Not for this recipe. The cutlets bake uncovered on a sheet pan the whole time, which is how the coating crisps.
How do I know the chicken is done?
A food thermometer in the thickest part reads 165°F. Check before serving, and keep baking if it is not there yet.
How do I cut the chicken into cutlets?
Slice each breast in half lengthwise, so one thick breast becomes two thin pieces. Four breasts make 8 cutlets.
Butter or olive oil?
Either. The recipe brushes on melted butter and names olive oil as an alternative.
Why spray the tops of the cutlets?
The recipe gives the breaded tops a light coat of cooking spray before the first bake.
How Long Does It Take?
About 40 minutes: 10 minutes to cut and bread the chicken and 30 minutes of baking, split into 25 minutes and about 5 minutes. The recipe makes 8 cutlets.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers. Leftover chicken Parmesan is good for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, or 3 to 4 months in the freezer. Thaw frozen leftovers in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave, not on the counter.
Reheat leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Cover them so they heat through. I do not have a reheating time that will bring the crunch back, so I will not promise one.
What to Serve With It
For more chicken dinners from the oven, try the chicken broccoli Alfredo pasta bake, Ritz cracker chicken casserole or oven baked 3-ingredient creamy chicken. For another saucy, cheesy chicken, there is 4-ingredient French onion chicken. And for comfort-food nights, make chicken and dumplings with biscuits or the slow cooker 5-ingredient chicken pot pie.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should the marinara go on so the breading stays exposed?
After the first 25 minutes of baking. Spoon it over the middle of each cutlet and leave some breaded edges uncovered.
How long is leftover chicken parm good for?
For 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Should I cover my chicken when I bake it in the oven?
No. These cutlets bake uncovered.
Can I use Romano cheese?
Yes. Grated Romano is an alternative to the Parmesan in the coating.
Final Notes
I spoon the sauce down the center of each cutlet and leave a border of breading all around, because those bare edges are the crispiest bites. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Baked Chicken Parmesan
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Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts about 8 ounces each; slice each in half lengthwise to make 8 cutlets
- 3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated; Romano cheese is an alternative
- 2 tablespoons butter melted; olive oil is an alternative
- 3/4 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 cup marinara sauce 1 tablespoon goes on each cutlet; serve the rest on the side
- cooking spray for the baking sheet and the tops of the breaded cutlets
- basil or parsley optional garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 450°F. Lightly coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Combine the breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan in one bowl. Put the melted butter in another. Lightly brush the butter onto each cutlet, dip it in the breadcrumb mixture and place it on the baking sheet.
- Lightly spray the tops of the cutlets with cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes.
- Spoon 1 tablespoon marinara over each cutlet and top each with 1 1/2 tablespoons shredded mozzarella. Leave some breaded edges uncovered by sauce.
- Return the chicken to the oven for about 5 minutes, until the cheese melts. Before serving, check the thickest part of the chicken with a food thermometer. It must reach 165°F. Keep cooking if needed to reach that temperature. Garnish with basil or parsley if you like.
