---

Chicken parmesan is a classic, comforting dish that pairs perfectly with pasta. Skip the trip to Olive Garden and make this simple chicken dish straight from home!

This crispy chicken parmesan has a nice crunchy coating on the outside with a moist, juicy piece of chicken breast on the inside. It is perfect for serving with a serving of spaghetti or in a roll for a parm sandwich. Slice it into strips for your little ones and they’ll be sure to devour it!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Here is what you’ll need to make this crispy chicken parmesan:

• Chicken Breast: I always use thinly sliced chicken breasts in this recipe. This ensures a crispy chicken parm and I love how quickly the chicken cooks compared to thick-sized breasts. If you only have normal-sized chicken breasts, pound them down or slice them to get them as thin as possible.
• Parmesan Cheese: The main star of this dish! The parmesan cheese adds flavor to the breadcrumb coating and also helps to achieve that golden brown color.
• Flour: Used as a layer to coat the breasts.
• Eggs: Used to help seal in moisture within the chicken. Also used to help the breadcrumbs stick to the chicken breast.
• Panko Breadcrumbs: I use plain flavored panko breadcrumbs in this recipe.
• Mariana Sauce: Layered on the chicken breast. I love using a good-quality marinara sauce to bring this crispy chicken parmesan to the next level!
• Mozzarella Cheese: Sprinkled on top of each chicken breast for that cheesy top coating.
• Salt/Black Pepper: Used to season the chicken. You may omit the salt on a few pieces for a baby.
• Oil: To pan-fry the chicken breasts.

PROCESS

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Pat the chicken breast dry and season them with a little salt and pepper to taste.
3. Dip each piece of chicken into the flour, shake off the excess flour, and set aside.
4. Whisk together the eggs until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs and ½ cup of parmesan cheese until combined (reserve the other ¼ cup of parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top).
5. Dip each floured piece of chicken breast into the egg mixture and shake off any excess. Immediately dip the egg-coated chicken into the breadcrumb cheese mixture, making sure to firmly pat the breadcrumbs into the chicken so that they stick. Repeat with each piece and set them aside. Let the chicken sit and rest for 10 minutes.
6. As the coated chicken pieces are resting, heat a pan with oil on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken breast pieces and pan-fry them for a few minutes per side. This is mainly to obtain the golden brown color and the chicken will continue to cook in the oven.
7. Once each side is golden brown, transfer the chicken pieces to a pan and layer each piece with a few tablespoons of marinara sauce, a few tablespoons of mozzarella cheese, and a few teaspoons of grated Parmesan cheese. If you’d like, sprinkle a little Italian seasoning on top of the cheese.
8. Bake the breasts for 8-10 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and bubbly.

SUBSTITUTIONS

• Chicken breast: The chicken breast may be substituted with chicken thighs or chicken tenders. Regardless of the type of chicken you use, make sure to use thinly sliced pieces, or pound the meat down so that it is as thin as possible.
• Cheeses: Dairy-free cheeses may be used as alternatives in place of the mozzarella and parmesan.
• Panko breadcrumbs: The panko breadcrumbs may be replaced with normal breadcrumbs. I find that panko breadcrumbs yield more crispy chicken pieces.
• Eggs: I would recommend using either melted butter or heavy cream in place of the eggs. These options will both help to seal moisture within the chicken and allow the breadcrumb cheese mixture to stick to the breasts.

RECIPE NOTES

• Make sure that the chicken is fully cooked and reaches an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F before removing it from the oven. If your chicken breast pieces are not thinly sliced, you may need to bake the pieces a few minutes longer.
• If you prefer a more moist, saucy chicken parmesan, add a thin layer of sauce to the bottom of the pan, add the pan-fried chicken pieces, and coat with extra sauce and cheese. This might be a good option to soften chicken pieces for a younger baby.
• Use a good quality marinara sauce as it really helps to bring this chicken parm to the next level! I love using Rao’s homemade classic marinara sauce.
• I like to slice the chicken pieces into thin strips to make it easier for my little ones to hold, but you can feel free to serve it in small squares or as is!

Here are some other dinner recipes that you may like!

• Creamy Mushroom Chicken
• Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry
• Oven-Baked Meatballs