Baked Chicken Parmesan

 I’ve teamed up with Ragú® Old World Style® for this recipe and post. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Baked chicken parmesan is one of the easiest dinner ideas you’ll ever try!! It’s covered with melted cheese and great served over pasta!

This chicken parmesan dish is one of our new favorite dinner recipes. This recipe is the most classic version, but we also love Chicken Parmigiana and this lighter Skinny Chicken Parmesan.

A Dinner Recipe Everyone Loves

I LOVE chicken recipes! I’m sure you could have guessed that if you’ve been to the site before and have tried one of the many chicken dinner recipes I have on the blog.

Chicken is something we have every week, so I like to change things up a bit and keep it interesting. One of our favorites that we’ve tried recently is baked chicken parmesan.

Let me tell you—it was SO easy and SO delicious!! We’ve actually had it twice since then because my family loved it so much. The best part? It takes just a few minutes of prep time!! I think I can speak for everyone when I say that delicious recipes that require little work are always the best.

How to make chicken parmesan

As I mentioned, this baked chicken parmesan recipe is very simple, AND not too many ingredients are needed here. Just a few steps are required to make this delicious dish.

PREP. Preheat oven to 400°F.

Place panko, parmesan, and salt in a gallon-size Ziploc bag or in a small pan. Set aside.

COAT. Melt butter in a medium bowl. Dip each chicken breast into the melted butter until well coated and place in Ziploc bag. Shake until coated and place in a greased 9×13 pan. Repeat this process for each chicken breast.

BAKE. Spray chicken lightly with olive oil spray and bake for 25-30 minutes.

PASTA. While chicken is baking, cook pasta as directed on box.

COOK. When chicken is done, pour about ¼ cup of Ragú Sauce onto each chicken breast along with ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese and a little bit of basil.

Cook an additional 4-6 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve over warm pasta.

Using an Air Fryer

You can use an air fryer if you like, however, the air fryer basket isn’t very large and you’ll have to fry the chicken in batches.

PREP. Heat your air fryer to 400°F. Spray the basket and chicken with cooking spray and place the chicken in a single layer in the basket. Make sure the chicken is not touching.

BAKE. Fry for 12 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Sprinkle on some cheese, and fry for a few seconds until melted. Top with warm Ragu sauce.

Recipe Tips

Chicken parm is a simple dish. Just be sure to prep to make it run smoothly.

Prepping the chicken. You will want to use tender chicken cutlets to make chicken parmesan. You can often find them precut at the grocery store or you can use 2 larger chicken breasts and cut them in half.

1. Lay the larger chicken breast flat on the cutting board.
2. Use one hand to gently hold down the chicken while using a chef knife or boning knife cut horizontally through the center of the chicken. Start on the thicker side and avoid sawing as it can cause jagged edges.
3. Place the cutlet in between two pieces of plastic and using a meat mallet gently but firmly pound the cutlet to an even ¼ inch thickness throughout. If you pound too vigorously it will cause the chicken to shred.

Breadcrumb mixture. I like the crispy texture of Panko bread crumbs, but regular breadcrumbs and even gluten-free crumbs can also be used. For added flavor, you can season the panko with salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder.

Other toppings. Once the sauce and cheese have been added, you can also add a layer of cooked bacon bits or ham. You can also change things up by replacing the mozzarella with provolone cheese. Fresh basil would make a great topping!

Serving + Storage Info

Easy baked chicken parmesan is hearty and delicious, but here are some tasty ideas for pairing with your main dish!

Serving suggestions:

• Parmesan Crusted Zucchini
• Creamy Pesto Dressing
• Cheesy Garlic Bread
• Mozzarella Sticks

STORE. Keep leftover easy chicken parmesan in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

FREEZE. To freeze, place completely cooled crispy chicken parmesan in a freezer-safe airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.

To reheat chicken parmesan, preheat the oven to 350°F, place the chicken in an oven-safe baking dish, and cover. Bake for 15-20 minutes, remove the foil, and bake for another 5 minutes to crisp up the coating. 

Making a freezer meal. Coat the chicken pieces as directed, but do not bake. Instead, place them all on a baking sheet and then into the freezer. Once solid place the amount of chicken for the different meals in different freezer Ziploc bags. Measure out 1 cup of sauce and pour it into its own freezer bag and then insert it in the same bag as the chicken pieces.

Label and freeze for 2-3 months. When you’re ready to bake place the frozen pieces of chicken on a baking dish and place the Ragu sauce on the counter and let them thaw for 1-2 hours before baking.

Recipe FAQ

For More Baked Chicken Recipes, Try:

• Baked Chicken Fingers
• Ritz Cracker Chicken
• Baked Parmesan Crusted Chicken
• Creamy Swiss Chicken Bake
• Baked Pesto Chicken
• Baked BBQ Chicken

For even more delicious Ragú recipes be sure to check out their Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.