The Best Chicken Parmesan with a deliciously crispy coating, smothered in a rich homemade tomato sauce and melted mozzarella cheese!
Oven baked Chicken Parmesan is simple to make and worth every minute! If you love a crispy crumb coating vs a soggy crumb, look no further! This is the best Chicken Parmesan you will ever make!
The Best Chicken Parmesan
Chicken Parmesan (also called Chicken Parmigiana) is one of the most loved, most popular AND most ordered chicken recipes in the world.
BUT often times, chicken comes out too dry, or doesn’t have enough flavour or seasoning. The sauce is bland, or cheddar cheese is used instead of mozzarella, etc.
This chicken parmesan has been said to be the best by many of our readers over the years.
How To Make Homemade Chicken Parmesan
Compared to all of the chicken recipes on this blog, this one may have more steps BUT they are all worth it:
- Breading
- Frying
- Sauce-ing
- Cheese-ing
- Baking
Breading:
For the best flavour combination, the breading is made up of a combination of four ingredients!
- Panko — a Japanese breadcrumb found in any supermarket or grocery store, usually in Asian isles. Dryer than regular breadcrumbs, they absorb less oil producing a crispy and crunchier crumb!
- Breadcrumbs — Italian seasoned, golden or whatever you have on hand.
- Parmesan cheese (or Provolone)
- Garlic (or onion) powder.
Use our Homemade Sauce OR your favourite marinara!
For the purpose of giving you the ultimate flavour experience, I have provided a homemade tomato sauce. You are more than welcome to use store bought pasta sauce, marinara sauce or tomato sauce (U.S readers).
Is There A Difference Between Chicken Parmesan And Chicken Parmigiana?
Nope, they are the same! There are some variations to Chicken Parmesan depending on the type of restaurant you’re ordering from, including layering toppings with ham or bacon, or changing mozzarella to cheddar (not our favourite), but they are all essentially the same.
Chicken Parmesan or Chicken Parmigiana (Pollo alla parmigiana in Italian) is also known in Australia as a Parm, Parma, or Parmi.
Why do they call it chicken parmesan?
Before chicken parmesan was eggplant parmesan, where eggplant slices are breaded and fried and layered with sauce and parmesan cheese.
When running out of options on what to feed your family…look no further than these crispy succulent chicken breasts with so much melty cheesy!
What to serve with Chicken Parmesan
- Pasta — thin spaghetti, angel hair pasta, fettuccini.
- Steamed vegetables.
- Mashed potatoes.
- Zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice for a lighter option.
Looking for a low carb Chicken Parmesan? Try this Easy Mozzarella Chicken Recipe (Low Carb Chicken Parm)!
Crispy Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
For The Chicken:
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- Salt and pepper to season
- 3 large chicken breasts halved horizontally to make 6 fillets
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (Italian or golden)
- 1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic or onion powder
- 1/2 cup olive oil for frying
For The Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 14 ounces (400 g) tomato puree (Passata)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
For The Topping:
- 8 ounces (250 g) mozzarella cheese sliced or shredded
- 1/3 cup fresh shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil or parsley
Instructions
For The Chicken:
- Preheat oven 430°F | 220°C. Lightly grease an oven tray (or baking dish) with non stick cooking oil spray; set aside.
- Whisk together eggs, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Add chicken into the egg, rotating to evenly coat each fillet in the mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes (or overnight night if time allows for a deeper flavour).
- When chicken is ready for cooking, mix bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and garlic powder together in a separate shallow bowl. Dip chicken into the breadcrumb mixture to evenly coat.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Fry chicken until golden and crispy, (about 4-5 minutes each side).
- Place chicken on prepared baking tray / dish and top each breast with about 1/3 cup of sauce (sauce recipe below). Top each chicken breast with 2-3 slices of mozzarella cheese and about 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with basil or parsley.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling and melted, and the chicken is completely cooked through.
For The Sauce:
- Heat oil in a medium-sized pot. Fry onion until transparent (about 3 minutes), then add the garlic until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
- Add the tomato puree, salt and pepper to taste, Italian herbs and sugar (If using). Cover with lid to simmer for about 8 minutes, or until sauce has thickened slightly. Taste test and adjust salt and pepper, if needed.
Priscilla Katuramu says
Made using thighs instead of breasts and mixed mozzarella and cheddar and it was soooo tasty! Really happy I came across this recipe which will definitely be added to the regular rotation. Thanks for another fantastic recipe Karina
Linda says
This recipe was fantastic! Made this in the middle of sheltering in place, and I felt I was eating at a fancy Italian restaurant. I did not change any ingredients but I did use a cast iron skillet to crisp the chicken and then bake it. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe. Be safe. Be well. Good health to you.
Tom K says
Really tasty recipe! Thanks.
Tiffany says
This was the best my family and I loved it so much and I followed the recipe as is! Delish!
Sofia ODonnell says
I used chicken thighs instead of breasts, as they have more flavor. Recipe came out so amazing and delicious!
Michelle Cannon says
Lorelai LOVES chicken parm! I’ll make this for her.
Chris says
Followed this recipe almost to a tee. Only difference was I pounded out the chicken before placing in the egg wash. And let it marinade overnight. Salt up the egg wash decently. Its an excellent time to add the flavor into the meat along with the garlic. And I deep fry the chicken. It cooks faster and I can do more than one piece at a time. Crispy for sure. And a nice amount of parmesan cheese on top of the sauce before the mozzarella. I get requests for this often. Thank you!
Matica says
The coating technique gave me the results I’ve been trying to achieve; crispy, golden and delicious. I was pressed for time and had to cut some corners. The ratio of Panko to breadcrumbs wasn’t one of them and the outcome made up for the jarred ‘meh’rinara I used. I’ll follow the recipe with the suggested ingredients next time— as a novice, the texture of the breading made me feel it was a success..Thank you.!
Shanye horne says
This tastes awesome! I used shredded cheese (I’ll be using sliced next time for sure) but it was good! I marinated the chicken for maybe an hour, added a little chicken bullion to the marinade mixture and the flavor was amazing!
I wish you had an app that I could create an act on, that would awesome! Please consider it!
Helen E Dominguez says
You killed it with this recipe. Thank you so much it came out perfect!
Allison MacPherson says
I’ve made the recipe about 4-5 times now. My daughter would not eat chicken parmesan until she had this recipe, and now she loves it! When we have chicken parmesan at restaurants, she always compares it to this recipe, and each time the restaurant doesn’t win. Truly a great recipe!!!
Valerie Treichel says
This was amazing. Very, very good. I had 4 breast so 8 total pieces. Had plenty of breading to do that. Used a lot less oil to fry. It was lovely. Thanks for a great recipe.
Amrit Rooprai says
This was the best chicken parmigiana recipe I have ever made! Everyone should make this!
Adrian R.B. says
Great simple recipe, thank-you. The Chicken was so moist, the crust was crisp – perfect.
One small change though, I ran out of Panko and substituted stuffing mix! Two seconds in the blender I had lovely smooth garlicky breadcrumbs – perhaps a little saltier because of this, but hey sometimes you just have to MacGuyver it, even in the kitchen!
Chris Carbone says
Can I make ahead and freeze.
Gerri says
SKinless chicken breasts?
Amy says
I didn’t have all the ingredients on hand so made a simplified version. I used dried parsley and oregano instead of fresh and had some leftover tomato sauce and juice to use up and only marinated about ten minutes. It was still very good. Can’t wait to make it again.
Brosiabroskie says
This was the best chicken parm I’ve ever had. Super easy! My daughter doesn’t even eat meat and she LOVED it!
Marc says
Great Parma! Added chili flakes and capsicum powder to the bread crumbs for a bit more spice. And added avocado on top, underneath the cheese. Gosh, it was a delicious dinner!
Maureen Lang says
Chicken parm is one of my faves but I wanted to try a slightly different preparation (specifically a more seasoned and flavorful egg wash). This dish did not disappoint!! My kids and my husband said it is the best chicken parm I have ever made.
Definitely 5 star worthy. Thanks so much!!
Bekah Howard says
Amazing! My family loved it! I’ve made several chicken parm recipes but this is the best.
Korie says
Excellent! Followed recipe except I used jarred sauce (time crunch). Second recipe I’ve tried from this website. Both have been absolutely delicious. I’m impressed and thankful for some new favorites that I can add to the rotation. Thank you
Tracey smallman says
I’ve done this recipe now a few times and each time it’s been delicious, I don’t measure the ingredients any more, yep I’ve made it that much lol, I’ve marinade over night and 15mins or a few hours just super, thank you so much for the recipe, also it’s as good the day after too, I’d like to know if you can freeze it too? ?
Lisa says
Excellent, easy recipe. Loved it!
Melissa Brown says
Made this for my lactose intolerant family and it was a hit! I skipped the parm (but had some on the table, and used lactose free mozzarella) and used almond flour instead of all purpose. And I was lazy with the egg wash/marinade and just used eggs, salt, and pepper. Despite the ingredient meddling, I followed the method exactly and ended up with pure chicken parm bliss! I’m always worried about chicken breasts turning out dry or overcooked, but this recipe turned them out juicy and succulent on the inside with a perfect crust around the outside, cheese browned and gooey on top. I used up some noodles I had in the cupboard to serve it over and bam! Dinner is served! Thank you!
Abdul says
Just one word……., marvellous
Deanne says
So so yummy! This will become a regular in our household!
Holly says
Wondering if I could coat, and brown the chicken in the skillet a day ahead of time?
Making this for a crowd and would like to save some time. So on the day of I can just put sauce and cheese on top and pop in the oven.
Linde says
Delicious!!! I used my favorite jarred marinara instead, but stuck to the remainder of the recipe as is. Will absolutely be putting this in the rotation from now on. Thank you!!
Sandra M says
First time ever making! It was simple and the Panko crumbs give it an amazing crunch. Definitely the best chicken parmesan I have ever had. I made extra for left overs! We had with pasta but also great as a sandwich!
June Ginsburg says
This chicken parmesan was very good and easy enough. My husband doesn’t like chicken but he enjoyed it. I only substituted provolone for the mozzarella. Thanks June
Shells says
Had been craving this for awhile, decided to try it….put it in on Google search and this was the first recipe that came up….bought everything on the list and made this recipe as it is…. it was so delicious…..I will be making this again
Linda J says
Just made your Crispy Chicken Parmesan for dinner. It was absolutely delicious!!! I have made this dish with other recipes for years but yours it the best one I have ever made . Looking forward to make other recipes from Cafedelites !!
Helen Wassmer says
Just made this recipe exactly as writtten…husband loved it! He’s a chicken parmesan guy…going for seconds at the moment! Will make again! Thanks..hlen
Cheryl says
My husband is a super picky eater this is his favorite meal. We’ve made it a few times it never disappoints. Made it for dinner tonight two ways, as directions stated for my husband and for me I skipped the frying and cooked mine i the air fryer. Yummm! Thanks for the easy and delicious recipes
Lisa Coulter says
This was delicious! My daughter that does not like any type of Italian sauce loved it. I will definitely make this again!
Patricia White says
I followed this recipe exactly and it was REALLY good!!!! We served it over our homemade pasta and with garlic bread on the side. The chicken is so crispy (I did pound it flat, which shortened the cooking time) — it makes this dish. Very excellent recipe, thank you! Will definitely keep this one in the rotation! Thank you!
Cortney says
I hardly ever leave comments but this was not only one of the best chicken parms I’ve ever tasted but one of the best dishes I’ve ever made period. I think what makes it so good is the homemade sauce and marinating the chicken. I marinated the chicken for 45 mins and only used Italian bread crumbs because that’s all I had on hand. I doubled the mozzarella and also the tomato puree so there was extra sauce for the fettuccine noodles I made with it. I thought using a whole onion for the sauce was going to be too much and overpowering but it wasn’t. Baked for 17 mins and it came out perfect. My boyfriend kept telling me over and over it was the best he had ever had and he was going to have to keep me around now 🙂
Sheila says
After chicken is browned, before putting sauce and cheese on can I wait before putting in oven.
John Lines says
Made this tonight. … lots of prep time but turned out amazing!… didn’t deviate from recipe but used cast iron skillet
Marissa says
I made this and it was amazing! I am making it a second time and want to use my cast iron skillet. Can you recommend cooking time and temp based on using a cast iron skillet in the oven?
Spencer says
Best chicken Parm I’ve had the pleasure to make! Worth the couple extra steps in my opinion.
Jack says
How much salt and pepper do you add when your whisking the stuff that marinates at the start? Also if I marinate it overnight, will it be okay to cook the next evening after, a whole 24 hours later? And lastly, how much oil do I put in the pans when in frying the chicken? I don’t want to put too much or too less. Please get back soon, because I’m going to be making it within the week! Thanks 🙂
Sue says
I’m wondering the same thing. What did u do?
Carly Coffey says
I would just season it lightly with salt and pepper or to your liking and then I would use about 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil and I like to use 2 to 3 tablespoons of Butter for flavoring some recipes call for anywhere from a 1/2 cup to a whole cup of oil for frying but not only will you have Burns bits and should do in 2 separate batches but it will be really soggy an oily in my opinion. Hope that helps
Beatrice says
Can you make this recipe without the 15 minutes of marinating?
Beth Green says
This recipe e sounds delicious. Are there any health risks marinating raw chicken in eggs overnight? I want to serve this to a pregnant woman and her 2 year old daughter and I want to be careful.
Thanks
Karina says
Hi Beth,
I understand your concern, however we are not professional health consultants and would strongly advise you in asking your doctor.
Dee says
You are going to be cooking it thoroughly, twice, at high temperatures. Pregnant women have eaten Chicken Parma for decades with no problem!
Chris says
Fantastic!
First time I’ve ever made Chicken Parm and it won’t be the last, great recipe thank you!
I used my own sauce just because it’s a staple of mine and I’ve been making it for years. I used 2 large breasts and only partially pounded them out so they took a bit longer to cook (which I anticipated). 4-5mins a side to brown the crust, 5 mins in the oven then I topped with sauce and cheese and went another 15 (430 on convection), came out PERFECT!
I served on a bed of angel hair with some extra sauce on top, a side of nice warm bread and a tall ice cold glass of milk – mmmmmm, mm!! Yes I ate too much but it was Christmas Eve so I’m allowed 🙂
Thanks again, I’ve saved this recipe as a favorite
Janet says
I have used several recipes to make this, but this one is the best by far. I substituted one of the eggs for some unsweetened almond milk. Served it over some thin no-yolk noodles. Good x 10. 🙂
Tera Taylor says
I made this recipe the other night for dinner and I really appreciated the breakdown for the cooking of the chicken. I have never made chicken parm before, and I found the breading to be the perfect mix of crispy and flavor.. I only did three minutes of frying on each side and 20 minutes in the oven to bake which delivered tender and juicy chicken. I will be using the recipe to make chicken parm again!
Karina says
Tera!
Thanks for the comment. I am so happy that you like it. Thanks for following along with me! xo
Joni Gardner says
Can I just use the Italian breadcrumbs I dont have panko crumbs or Ritz crackers either
Karina says
Hi Joni…absolutely!
Sally says
Made this tonight, my first time ever making Chicken Parmegan and the fam thoroughly enjoyed and approved! A must make again recipe! I did make extra sauce and adjusted accordingly as my crew love their pasta and seen that it freezes well, but there will be none to freeze ? Totally 5 stars! Bravo!! and a BIG thank you for sharing this recipe!
Karina says
Sally!
Thanks so much for the comment! I am so happy to hear that your whole crew loved the dish. It really is so delicious. Thanks for following along with me! xo
Nona says
I’d like to make this for Christmas Eve. Are you using fresh mozzarella, or slices off of a block, or pre-shredded from a bag? Looks like round slices in one of the photos (meaning fresh?) but I couldn’t tell for sure.
Karina says
Hi Nona,
That sounds wonderful. You are welcome to use which ever is more available to you. I recommend sliced or shredded. It will not change the taste. Thanks for the questions and for following along with me!! xo
Andy says
I did 15 min instead of overnight, and it was great. The whole family ate it all. I’ll be using this one from now on. Thanks.
Karina says
That sounds great! Thank you for sharing! XO
Cheryl says
I would like to use thighs for this recipe. Can you suggest how many pounds would be equivalent to the chicken breast? Thanks.
Karina says
With this recipe the chicken breast tastes a little better but you are more than welcome to try it with thighs. This is what I found for the substitution: Chicken thighs can range in size, but for typical grocery store brands, figure that four bone-in, skin-on thighs will weigh about 1 ½ pounds. But each of those thighs will yield about 2 ½ to 3 ounces of meat (the rest of the weight is skin and bone). I generally figure on two thighs per person.
Michelle says
This chicken parmigiana is the best I’ve ever made. Chicken moist and crunchy
LaShunda says
This chicken parmesan receipe is awesome. I was scared in the beginning but it came out great. I even made the sauce. I will br trying more receipes.
Carol L says
What a terrific recipe! I had my doubts because a lot of the recipes you get from the web just don’t taste good. What a wonderful surprise this turned out to be. Easy as could be with ordinary ingredients. This will become a staple in my recipe repertoire. Good job!
Kerry says
Am I able to fry the chicken in the morning put in fridge then bake at dinner time? Would I need do bake for a little longer?
Thanks sounds yummy!
Karina says
Yes, that sounds great! Enjoy! XO
Kassidy says
Made this for my boyfriend and I and it was the most amazing chicken Parm I’ve ever made!
Kelly says
If you are planning to serve this with spaghetti, do you make more of the same sauce to go on the pasta??
Karina says
You can, there may be enough to spread it along depending on how much sauce you love on you chicken and spaghetti. It is a great sauce to freeze or use again throughout the week though if needed.
Nicole says
Hi are you able to just bake it in the oven without frying at all??
Karina says
Hi Nicole! Absolutely. They will need more time in the oven (about half an hour depending on your oven).
I spray the chicken with a little olive oil spray before putting them in to get them crispy on the outside.
Helene says
Omg! Best ever! The home made sauce really is key. Ive triend many chicken parm recipes…this was by far the best!!!!
Noreen Gamble says
This recipe is absolutely spot on and delicious! Thank you so much!!
Karina says
That is great to hear! I am so glad that it is so good! Thank you so much for following along with me! XO
Michee says
I have a confession. I’m Italian, and despite cooking most things from scratch I’ve never in my life made chicken parmesan. ? I know, I know, right!? Probably because I have an aversion to frying things. I mean who likes getting popped by hot oil, amiright? Anyway, I made this at the behest of my boyfriend last night. I only had italian breadcrumbs, no panko, so I smashed up some Ritz crackers and swapped them in for the panko to add that texture and volume. Works great in a pinch. Other than that I followed everything exactly other than using canned sauce instead of my famous homemade recipe (I usually keep batches frozen in zip locks in the freezer, but supply is low atm and I wanted to pull dinner together quickly). Let me just tell you, he and his son about lost their minds over dinner. ? Winning! Great sunday night football meal that everyone enjoyed. Thanks and kudos! I’ll be back soon to try more of your recipes for sure.
Kim says
Thank you so much for this recipe!! I made it last night for my mom’s 69th birthday dinner and she loved it! She’s a tough critic, but praised this meal. Chicken parmigiana is her favorite.
Everyone else loved the meal too. I made homemade tomato sauce too. I couldn’t find the link to your recipe, but found another.
The chicken breast was so tender and I only marinated it for about 30mins.
THANK YOU cafedelites.com !!!
Natalie Pouy says
Hi there! So I made this last night for my employers.
I used chicken thighs instead as they were on hand.
I have never made any breaded meats without first dredging the meat in flour before the egg mixture. I also have never “marinated” the meat in the egg mixture either. I can say that the chicken thighs were so flavourful and delightfully crispy. I panfried the chicken and sauced them up and topped with cheese and left my employer to finish in the oven. Oh my word. My employers found the chicken to be “so good, that even the burps taste good”.
Very cool method that I’ll employ at my house. So very happy to have found this recipe via google. It’s a killer recipe, thanks.
Kathy Hunt says
Delicious! Forgot to use the Italian seasoned breadcrumbs…still came out great!
Aubrey says
I really want to make try this recipe, but my boyfriend is allergic to eggs. Do you have any other recommendations to get the breadcrumbs to stick to the chicken?
Thanks!
Karina says
Hi Aubrey! You can sub with 1/3 cup olive oil. They come out even crispier ?
Lorna says
Hi. My son is allergic to eggs and I use heavy whipping cream. Because it makes the breadcrumb mixture stick together, I usually mix it in one bowl then split it in half in two separate bowls. Works great and my boys love it.
Rebecca says
This recipe was fabulous!!! Thanks so much! The chicken has so much depth of flavour! Am saving it to make again!
Maria says
This is by far the most elegant and sophisticated chicken parm recipe I’ve ever come across. And the results were incredible. I made the sauce the day before and marinated my chicken in the seasoned eggwash overnight (something I’ve never thought to do in all my life). I loved the ease of throwing it into the breading mixture the next night when I got home from work, ladling on a little sauce with a slice of mozz and having dinner in just a few minutes. And an absolutely delicious dinner, at that! Even the leftovers were to-die-for. I will never make chicken parm any other way ever again. Thank you, Karina. Your recipes are always a pleasure to make and eat!
Karina says
That is so sweet of you! I am so glad that you have found recipes that you love and that have turned out so well for you! Thank you so much for sharing and following along with me! XO
ROSE says
I can’t find passata can I substitute tomato paste?
Karina says
Yes, of course! You are welcome to make any recipe your own. Hope you enjoy!!
Steve Taylor says
This is the second recipe I’ve made from your blog and the second time it was a home run. Very easy to make and it was oh so good. You’ve got a fan/follower for life!!
Karina says
That is great to hear! I am so glad that you enjoyed both meals! Thank you for sharing and following along with me!
Dwayne Coleman says
Karina,
You are awesome!! I have followed quite a few food blogs and websites over the last few years and tried a lot of their recipes but yours are by far the best! I have tried three of your recipes and they have all been fabulous! The Food Network stars don’t have anything on you. I’m always anxious to see what the next great recipe is going to be sent to my email, keep those delicious recipes coming!
Dwayne
Karina says
Thank you so much! That means a lot to me! You are so nice! Thanks so much for your support and following along with me!
Dina says
U are one of the best cooks I’ve ever seen…alll ur recipes are out of this world. ….amazing….thank u…for ur effort and for sharing all this beauty with us. ..I reaally appreciate that
Karina says
Oh Dina thank you so much for your kind words and beautiful comment! You’ve seriously made my day. With all my heart, thank you so much! Xx