• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
freebie! download my top 8 dessert recipe ebook

Join my newsletter for latest recipes!

Erin Lives Whole

Healthy Eats + Delicious Treats

  • Recipe Index
    • Course
      • Appetizers
      • Breakfast
      • Lunch & Dinner
      • Dessert
      • Soup
      • Sides
      • Drinks
      • Snacks
      • Sauces & Dips
    • Dessert Type
      • Bars & Balls
      • Breads & Muffins
      • Brownies
      • Cakes
      • Candy
      • Cookies
      • Frozen
      • Pie & Cobbler
      • Other
    • Diet
      • Dairy-Free
      • Gluten-Free
      • Nut-Free
      • Paleo Friendly
      • Vegan
      • Vegetarian
    • Method
      • 30 Minute or Less
      • Air Fryer
      • Grill
      • Instant Pot
      • Meal Prep
      • No Bake
      • One Pot/Pan
      • Oven
      • Stove Top
    • Season
      • Fall
      • Holiday
      • Winter
      • Spring
      • Summer
    • Recipe Filter
    • All Recipes
  • Ebooks
  • Shop
  • Lifestyle
  • About
    • Work With Me
    • Contact
  • Subscribe to receive latest recipes

    Join my newsletter for latest recipes!

  • Browse by Diet
    • Gluten-Free
    • Dairy-Free
    • Nut-Free
    • Paleo Friendly
    • Vegan
    • Vegetarian
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch & Dinner
  • Drinks
  • Snacks
  • Dessert
  • Appetizers
Home By Meal Lunch and Dinner

Healthy Baked Chicken Parmesan

★★★★★ 29 Reviews Recipe Print
gf nf
By: Erin9/20/20

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

healthier chicken parm
healthier chicken parm

Healthy Baked Chicken Parmesan combines healthily breaded chicken breasts and indulgent marinara and mozzarella for a top notch flavor combo. Prepare in less than an hour for the ultimate crowd pleasing meal!

chicken parmesan on plate

The chicken parmesan of your (and my) dreams

Pasta is delicious, and breaded chicken is delicious. Combine the two together with a generous portion of marinara and a little more mozzarella than what’s socially acceptable, and you have one mouth watering meal on your hands.

That describes this healthy breaded chicken parmesan to a T! The recipe consists of thin chicken breasts breaded with crushed almond flour crackers (a better alternative to white flour crackers), and baked to crispy goodness. Eat over a plate of pasta with your favorite side salad, and ta-da!

It’s basically a giant chicken tender eaten over pasta with marinara and lots of cheesiness. That, my friend, sounds like a happy dinner to me!

Chicken parmesan is a great meal for serving to company or at family and friend-filled events. It’s a savory crowd pleaser sure to leave everyone’s bellies feeling full, satisfied, and like you’re the best host ever!

chicken parm on plate

Ingredients used in baked parmesan

This recipe uses ingredients that we all know and love like chicken, breadcrumbs, marinara, and mozzarella. Each bite of this deliciously breaded chicken parmesan is filled with incredible flavor thanks to Italian seasoning and parmesan cheese!

  • Chicken breasts (Cut the chicken breasts in half longways, and pound them thinly to half an inch of thickness)
  • Eggs
  • Crushed crackers or breadcrumbs (I used almond flour crackers)
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Italian seasoning
  • Marinara sauce
  • Mozzarella log (Slice into 1/2 inch thick slices)

Tools used to create this recipe

From start to finish, baked chicken parmesan will only require four different tools. Don’t forget to grab your measuring cups!

  • Baking sheet
  • Aluminum foil
  • Meat pounder
  • Two mixing bowls
  • Measuring cups: 1/2 tsp, 1/2 cup, and 1 cup
chicken parmesan on plate

How to make healthy baked chicken parmesan

If you’ve ever breaded anything, this recipe will be cake to you. Even if you haven’t, it’s still a simple recipe that requires no more than 10 minutes of prep time and 25 minutes of baking time! Feel free to add extra mozzarella if that’s your thing.

Begin by preheating the oven to 350F and lining a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Your chicken should be pounded to 1/2 inch in thickness.

In two separate bowls, whisk eggs and pour cracker crumbs. To bowl with cracker crumbs, add parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.

Coat the chicken in egg on both sides, then dip it into cracker crumbs, coating both sides very well.

Lay on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken.

Bake for 15 minutes, then take out of the oven. Top each piece with marinara and a slice of mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 5 more minutes and then broil for 3-4 minutes, keeping an eye on the cheese so it doesn’t burn.

Remove from the oven, serve over pasta, and enjoy!

breaded chicken on baking sheet

Chicken parmesan tips

Here are some chicken parmesan recipe tips. Still have questions? Leave them in the comments below!

Chicken parmesan vs chicken parmigiana
Spoiler alert, there’s no difference! Both dishes are the same and hail from Italy. Enjoy it the same way no matter what you choose to call it.

Vegetarian chicken parmesan options
If you’ve been salivating at this recipe but wondering if you can use a veggie alternative, the answer is yes! Feel free to use eggplant in this recipe, or substitute the chicken with a plant-based “meat.”

Sides dishes for pairing
Some of my favorite chicken and pasta sides include Zucchini Salad with Walnut Pesto, Avocado Corn Salad, and Pear Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette.

Cooked temperature
When checking the temperature of your chicken, be sure that it reaches 165F internally before consuming.

Storing baked parmesan
Store breaded chicken and all toppings and ingredients in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. Reheat by placing in the microwave in 15 second intervals, or by baking until warmed. I recommend storing the chicken separate from the other ingredients.

chicken parmesan on plate

Some more must-try hearty recipes

Love a good chicken-based dinner? Try some of these! Chicken is a great source of protein, and each of these meals are filled with rich flavor and lots of nutrients!

  • Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
  • Buffalo Chicken Sweet Potato Casserole
  • Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup
  • Healthy Chicken Lettuce Wraps
  • Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken
chicken parmesan on plate
★★★★★ 5 from 29 reviews

Healthy Baked Chicken Parmesan

Healthy Baked Chicken Parmesan combines healthily breaded chicken breasts and indulgent marinara and mozzarella for a top notch flavor combo. Prepare in less than an hour for the ultimate crowd pleasing meal!

Prep: 20Cook: 25Total: 45
Yield 6 servings 1x
Print Pin it Rate

Ingredients

  • 3 large chicken breasts, cut in half long way, pounded thin to half an inch thickness.
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup finely crushed cracker crumbs or breadcrumbs (I used almond flour crackers pulverized in a food processor)
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 2 cups marinara sauce
  • 8 oz log of mozzarella, sliced into 1/2 inch thick slices

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F and line baking sheet with aluminum foil.
  2. Make sure your chicken is pounded thin to 1/2 inch thick. 
  3. In one bowl, whisk eggs and in another bowl, pour cracker crumbs into it. To the bowl with crackers crumbs, add grated parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Mix it up.
  4. Coat chicken in egg on both sides, then dip into cracker crumbs, coating both sides very well.
  5. Lay on baking sheet and repeat with remaining chicken.
  6. Bake for 15 minutes, then take out of oven, top each piece with about about 1/3 cup marinara, then a slice of mozzarella cheese.
  7. Bake for 5 more minutes, then broil for 3-4 minutes, keeping an eye on it so cheese doesn’t burn.
  8. Remove from oven and serve over pasta!
  9. Enjoy!
Author: Erin MorrisseyCategory: dinner, lunch, gluten-freeMethod: bakeCuisine: AmericanDiet: Gluten Free
chicken parmesan on plate

Did you make this?

Leave a comment below and tag @erinliveswhole on social media!

erinliveswhole

There may be affiliate links in this post! By purchasing a product I recommend, I may receive a small compensation. However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use myself. Thank you for supporting Erin Lives Whole, it helps keep this blog afloat 🙂

You May Also Like...

  • Healthy Apple Chicken Sausage Stuffing
  • One-Pan Baked Chicken Fajitas
  • cashew chicken
    Healthy Cashew Chicken
  • air fried chicken nuggets chickfila
    Healthy Chicken Nuggets (Baked and Air Fried)
chocolate chip cookies
free ebook

get my free top 8 desserts ebook!

A dessert lover’s heaven – six healthier sweet treats all made with six ingredients or less!

download now

Join my newsletter for latest recipes!

Previous Post
Next Post

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Have a question? Use the form below to submit your question or comment. I love seeing what you made!

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Amanda m says

    Posted on 12/4 at 5:20 pm

    Delish!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 12/5 at 2:33 pm

      Hi Amanda, so glad you loved it!

      Reply
  2. melissa says

    Posted on 11/13 at 10:32 am

    Made for a friend’s birthday dinner because chicken parm is her favorite meal, she loved it! Bonus that it’s incredibly easy to make

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 11/14 at 7:58 pm

      Hi Melissa, so glad you enjoyed it!!

      Reply
  3. Rachel says

    Posted on 8/8 at 8:03 pm

    Fantastic and so easy to make! The broil is what really adds the restaurant quality

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/9 at 4:43 pm

      Hi Rachel, so happy you loved it!!

      Reply
  4. Julia says

    Posted on 4/28 at 6:58 pm

    My husband is diabetic person it was perfect for his diet 🥰 thanks

    ★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 4/29 at 5:11 pm

      Hi Julia, so glad you both loved it!!

      Reply
  5. Steph says

    Posted on 4/26 at 4:54 pm

    Any substitute for egg as a binder?

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 4/27 at 3:54 pm

      Hi Steph, you can use a flax egg!

      Reply
  6. Katie Hooper says

    Posted on 1/11 at 8:06 pm

    Granted I have never made another Chicken Parm recipe before….this one is amazing! And easy! Ever since I first made this almost a year and a 1/2 ago, I continue to make it 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 1/12 at 10:57 pm

      Hi Katie, so glad you loved it so much!!

      Reply
  7. Meg says

    Posted on 12/8 at 3:29 pm

    Thank for this recipe! It’s so easy, quick and incredible. We really loved it.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 12/9 at 1:13 pm

      Hi Meg, so happy you loved it! 🙂

      Reply
  8. Kamie says

    Posted on 11/11 at 9:09 pm

    10/10 for this meal. It was so good! It’s a new family favorite.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 11/12 at 12:41 pm

      Hi Kamie, so happy you enjoyed it!!

      Reply
  9. Danielle says

    Posted on 8/10 at 3:08 pm

    This recipe is the best!! I’ve always been a huge fan of chicken parm but not the way it makes me feel after. Erin’s recipe is light but filling and absolutely delicious! Taste is not compromised. Husband approved too! Thank you!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/10 at 3:57 pm

      Hi Danielle, so happy you both loved it!!

      Reply
  10. beth says

    Posted on 6/24 at 7:26 pm

    this looks so good! could I sub almond flour for the almond flour crackers or would it not work well? I don’t have any on hand!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 6/27 at 8:07 pm

      Hi Beth, thanks and hmm they should. I haven’t it with them, so let me know!!

      Reply
  11. Megan says

    Posted on 6/22 at 6:51 pm

    So easy and so yummy!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 6/22 at 8:33 pm

      Hi Megan, so glad you loved it!

      Reply
  12. Meg says

    Posted on 6/22 at 4:29 pm

    my favorite healthy way to have chicken parm! I love it! Thanks Erin, you’re the best !

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 6/22 at 8:32 pm

      Hi Meg, so glad you loved it!!

      Reply
  13. ERIN N says

    Posted on 4/15 at 2:33 pm

    Love this lightened up version of Chicken Parm! I can’t really eat fried foods so it’s super nice that this a baked chicken 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 4/16 at 5:32 pm

      Hi Erin, so glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

erin in front of a building

Hey there!

I’m Erin. Creator of Erin Lives Whole, a food blog with delicious and easy healthy recipes that will leave you feeling good. We’ve got everything from wholesome baked goods to comforting savory dishes. I can’t wait to see what you whip up! Read More...

grocery lists

Shop My Grocery Downloads

Do you head to the grocery store and feel overwhelmed with all of the options? Well, I've created FIVE downloadable and printable grocery lists from five different and popular grocery stores. All of my absolute must haves from Whole Foods, Target, a regular grocer, Trader Joe's, and Costco!

Shop Now

Popular Posts

chickpea brownie on a tray

Chickpea Brownies

bite out of healthy cookie dough ball

Healthy Cookie Dough Balls

cauliflower wings on plate

Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

pouring syrup on stack of oatmeal blender pancakes

Oatmeal Blender Pancakes

chocolate chip cookies

get my free top 8 desserts ebook!

A dessert lover’s heaven – six healthier sweet treats all made with six ingredients or less!

Download Now

Join my newsletter for latest recipes!

Trending Recipes

avocado corn salad

Avocado Corn Salad

cilantro lime shrimp on plate

Cilantro Lime Shrimp with Coconut Cauliflower Rice

paleo cookie skillet with ice cream

Healthy Cookie Skillet

banana bread muffin on a rack

Paleo Banana Bread Muffins

Featured On

good housekeeping logo
parade logo
feed feed logo
business insider logo
everyday health logo
country living logo
bar desserts
truffles
bar desserts
bar desserts
muffins
vanilla birthday cake with chocolate icing

Get latest updates To your inbox!

Back to Top
© 2023 Erin Lives Whole
  • Privacy Policy
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled