Crispy golden Oven Baked Chicken Cutlets smothered with marinara and mozzarella cheese – the easiest way to make chicken cutlets without any deep frying mess to worry about. It’s a faster way to make it this way and it’s also much lighter. This easy to make healthy chicken Parmesan version will be your new favourite way to make it!
Easy Chicken Parmesan Recipe Ingredients
- CHICKEN: I use skinless, boneless chicken breasts for this recipe but technically you can also use skinless boneless chicken thighs for this recipe too. This recipe cals for 2 lbs of chicken breasts sliced in half lengthwise. If you want to pound the sliced breasts to even out the thickness of them you can but I usually don’t unless the breasts are unusually large. Usually I will use 3-4 breasts sliced in half.
- FLOUR: I use all purpose flour and although many skip dredging the chicken in flour I don’t recommend it. The flour absorbs moisture and creates a dry surface for the egg to stick to while you are creating your coating.
- BREAD CRUMBS: I always use regular breadcrumbs that I season myself. I have tested the recipe with regular breadcrumbs and panko breadcrumbs and combination of both – I found the best result came with using regular breadcrumbs. Panko bread crumbs although larger and do get crispier – do not coat as evenly and have a tendency to fall off during baking for this recipe.
- PARMESAN CHEESE: The cheese not only adds flavor to the coating but helps to make the crust more moisture-proof. I grate it very fine.
- SEASONING: I like to season the coating well using fresh or dried parsley, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and of course salt and pepper.
- EGGS: The eggs act as a binder to help the breading stick to the chicken. You will need 2 large eggs.
- MILK: Adds richness to the eggs. Use non dairy if needed. I have tested this recipe with the so called “viral eggless high protein” version made with Greek yogurt and did NOT like it at all – it created a weird wettish layer between the chicken and the crumbs and just didn’t work for me.
- MARINARA SAUCE: Use your own homemade or store-bought marinara sauce. You will need approximately 2 cups.
- MOZZARELLA CHEESE: Feel free to use shredded mozzarella or whole mozzarella sliced. I prefer to use fresh mozzarella for best flavor, texture and meltability.
- FRESH HERBS: I always like to garnish with fresh basil or fresh parsley.
How To Make Baked Chicken Parmesan
- Prepare Chicken: Take the chicken breasts and cut them in half lengthwise. You will end up with 6-8 pieces of chicken. You can pound them to even thickness if desired – I usually don’t.
- Prepare The Coating: Whisk the flour with spices, breadcrumbs with spices and parmesan cheese, and the milk with the eggs and S & P
- Coat Chicken Cutlets: Dip each cutlet into each starting with flour, eggs and then bread crumbs
- Bake Chicken Cutlets: Bake them in a single layer on greased or lined baking sheet flipping halfway.
- Build Chicken Parmesan & Broil: Top each cutlet with sauce then mozzarella cheese then return to oven and set to broil until cheese is melted
Baked Chicken Parmesan Storage, Reheating & Freezing
- MAKE AHEAD: I don’t recommend making chicken Parmesan too far in advance, because the sauce makes the chicken soggy if left for a while.
- STORAGE: This recipe is best enjoyed the day it is baked, but leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight storage container for up to 2-3 days.
- REHEATING: I always prefer to reheat these chicken cutlets in the oven, so they stay crispy. Of course they will get softer with the sauce and cheese, that is unavoidable but they will still be delicious and are still best reheated in the oven. Place them on a baking sheet in the oven at 350°F for about 10-12 minutes. If you decide to reheat them in a microwave, they will come out soggy. Leftover baked chicken Parmesan can also be reheated in a lightly greased pan over medium heat stove top as well.
- FREEZING: If you plan on freezing the chicken Parmesan I recommend freezing the cutlets alone without the sauce and cheese. There are 2 ways to do this:
- Before Cooking – Freeze the uncooked chicken cutlets once they are breaded by placing them in an airtight container or ziplock bag with parchment paper in between the cutlets so they don’t stick together. They freeze well for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight then cook as directed in the recipe.
- After Cooking – Flash freeze the cooked and cooled chicken cutlets on a baking sheet until firm, approximately 1 hour then transfer to resealable bags or layer in airtight container with sheets of parchment paper in between. Freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat/cook in the oven with the sauce and cheese.
How Long to Bake?
The cooking time really depends on how thick the cutlets are. For me, it usually takes about 15-25 minutes to make the cutlets flipping in between. The time difference depends on your oven and also the thickness of the chicken cutlets. I start keeping an eye on them measuring internal temperature using a meat thermometer after baking them for 12 minutes. Make sure the internal temperature reaches at least 162-165°F. Remember they are going back in the oven to broil with the cheese and sauce so do not over bake them – you want them just done.
How to Keep Crust Crispy?
If you are making this recipe for the cutlets alone I recommend baking the chicken cutlets on a greased wire rack over a sheet pan, which will help them to stay crispy on both sides. Because we are baking these with the sauce later I usually just bake them on greased parchment paper or a well greased sheet pan, and we are flipping them halfway so I don’t find they get too soft. Once they are baked with the sauce and cheese I serve them right away or transfer them to a wire rack because inevitably with the sauce even the crispy edges will absorb the sauce and soften. Baking these cutlets on the convection setting of your oven will also help get them as crips as possible. If using convection setting to bake these chicken cutlets remember to reduce the oven temperature by 25 ° F and also keep in mind that the cooking time will be slightly reduced so keep a close eye on them.
Tips For Making Baked Chicken Parmesan
- Use evenly sized chicken breasts so they cook at the same time.
- Season the egg and breadcrumb mixture well.
- I don’t usually do this but if you are looking for even more flavor for your chicken feel free to marinate the uncoated chicken before coating it.
- To make the chicken crispy, spray it with olive oil spray before baking.
- Add Parmesan cheese to the bread crumbs to make the crust more moisture-proof
- Don’t drown the chicken in sauce. Instead, put a small amount on top and serve the rest on the side
