Name: Classic Chicken Parmesan Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds chicken breasts (or three chicken breasts) (- each breast butterflied, and cut in half); salt and pepper (- to taste); 1/2 cup flour; 2 large eggs; 3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs; 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (- freshly grated); 3-4 Tablespoons avocado oil (- or canola oil); 3 cups marinara sauce (- store-bought or try my homemade version); 1 cup ricotta cheese; pasta or veggies (- to serve)

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My Classic Chicken Parmesan Recipe combines lightly breaded chicken breast with a rich tomato sauce, spaghetti noodles, and a dollop of ricotta cheese. This family favorite recipe uses my homemade marinara sauce and is finished off in the oven. Serve this juicy chicken over your favorite pasta or veggies with a little extra sauce on top!

Looking for other chicken recipes that the whole family will love? Try our Grilled Chicken Skewers or these Chicken Hummus Bowls.

Overhead view of a casserole of chicken parm with red sauce.

Chicken Parm Recipe

Italian food is my “second favorite” cuisine after Tex-Mex, but it’s a very close second. I’m pretty sure I could live on pizza and pasta, with some ricotta, parmesan, and mozzarella cheese thrown in for good measure.

I love creating new recipes and sharing with my family, because food is what brings us together. So here you go, fam. Let’s eat the best chicken parmesan (or Chicken Parmigiana, as Giada would say) – our new favorite Italian dish!

This is a classic recipe that I’ve made several times, but just never wrote it down. You will probably see many others that are similar because it is a classic. However, I prefer using ricotta cheese instead of the more classic mozzarella cheese on top.

I recommend making my Homemade Marinara Sauce instead of using store-bought sauce. The flavor is outstanding, it’s quick and simple, and it makes a fairly large amount. Some for this recipe and then some to freeze.

A casserole of six pieces of chicken parm with ricotta cheese on top.

Ingredients needed for Classic Chicken Parmesan:

Chicken – This recipe calls for three boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and cut in half. See pictures below. If you are using extra large chicken breasts, you may want to pound them with a meat mallet to make them thinner.
Flour – Use all-purpose flour.
Eggs – Just two eggs needed.
Bread Crumbs – I used Italian bread crumbs, but you could use Panko, or even a combination. You might also add a little bit of Italian Seasoning.
Parmesan Cheese – For best results, use a block of parmesan cheese and freshly grate it.
Seasonings – Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Avocado Oil – Avocado Oil works best because of its high smoke point. You could also use canola oil.
Marinara Sauce – You can use store-bought sauce, or try my homemade version for a healthier spin.
Cheese – Use either ricotta cheese or a shredded mozzarella cheese.
To serve – This classic dish is normally served over spaghetti, but you could serve it over veggies too like zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash.

How to make Classic Chicken Parmesan:

Step 1
Prep. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a large baking dish with about two cups of marinara sauce. Spread to all sides of dish.

Step 2
Prepare the chicken. Using a cutting board, butterfly the chicken breasts, and then cut in half. You should have six equal sized portions with even thickness. I also recommend using some paper towel to pat dry the chicken as much as possible.

Step 3
Prepare the coating ingredients. n one dish, add the flour. In another dish, add the eggs, and whip with a wire whisk. In a third dish, combine the bread crumbs, freshly grated parmesan cheese, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

Step 4
Coat the chicken. Take one piece of chicken at a time and dip in the flour, coating on both sides. Then dip chicken in the beaten eggs, shaking off excess, and finally, coat in the bread crumb and parmesan cheese mixture. Repeat for all the chicken, and set aside on a separate plate.

Step 5
Sauté chicken. In a cast iron skillet (or any large skillet), add a tablespoon of avocado oil (or canola oil) over medium high heat. Add two pieces of chicken to the pan and cook for a minute or two on each side, or until the chicken is slightly golden brown. Remove browned chicken to the prepared baking dish. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

A casserole of the marinara plus sautéed chicken breasts.

Step 6
Add toppings to chicken. Add a spoonful of marinara sauce to each piece of chicken, followed by either some ricotta cheese or mozzarella cheese. Shredded mozzarella or fresh mozzarella cheese work nicely here too.

A casserole of chicken parm before finishing in the oven.

Step 7
Bake. Bake the chicken parmesan for about 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken is cooked through. A digital thermometer should read 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the chicken.

I normally cook until the meat is at 160 degrees and plan for some carry-over cooking.

Overhead view of a large casserole of chicken parmesan.

Step 8
Serve. Serve the chicken over pasta or veggies of your choice, along with some fresh basil (if available). If you have remaining sauce, serve it alongside the chicken as well.

What to Serve with Chicken Parmesan:

In addition to the bed of pasta or roasted/sautéed veggies, I recommend a salad and some bread of your choice!

Classic Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing – So much delicious flavor in this salad.
Best Italian Chopped Salad – A delicious Italian salad that you should try.
Garlic Sourdough Bread – A fun twist on the classic sourdough.
Chewy French Bread – My momma’s “famous” recipe.

A bowl of pasta with chicken parm on top.

Storing and Freezing Chicken Parm:

STORE the leftover chicken parmesan in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to four days.
FREEZE leftover chicken parm in a container stored in a freezer bag for up to three months. Thaw completely in your refrigerator and then heat up before eating.

Variations to this recipe:

Use other bread crumbs and/or spices – Use whatever bread crumbs you have and spice it up to your liking – use extra Italian spices or make it spicy with red pepper flakes.
Skip the baking – You can continue cooking the chicken on the stove top, instead of finishing it in the oven. Just top with some warm marinara and some cheese.
Add veggies – Instead of pasta, serve this chicken over your choice of veggies – spaghetti squash (our fav!), zucchini noodles, or sautéed mushrooms.

Other delicious pasta recipes for you to enjoy:

Rigatoni Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli – A simple pasta with a healthy spin.
Classic Lasagna Roll Ups – Major portion control with these roll ups. And delish!
Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta – The sauce is extra!
Turkey Lasagna Soup – A healthier spin on lasagna and simple too.

Side view of some classic chicken parmesan.

Kitchen Tools used for this recipe: (Affiliate Links)

Try this chicken recipe next: Crispy Roasted Whole Chicken

xoxo ~Sue