Chicken parmesan is the dish that turns an ordinary Tuesday into Italian night, and this baked version keeps everything people love about it — the crisp, golden crust, the bright tomato sauce, the blanket of bubbling mozzarella — without a skillet of frying oil or a stovetop covered in splatters. The chicken bakes on a rack so the panko crust crisps on every side, and the sauce goes on only at the end, so nothing steams soft.
Serve it over spaghetti with extra sauce, tucked into toasted rolls with a handful of arugula, or simply alongside a big green salad and garlic bread. It is a recipe that looks like company food and behaves like weeknight food, which is exactly the combination that earns a permanent place in a family's rotation. Our kids request it by name; we suspect yours will too.
Even thickness, even cooking
Chicken breasts are naturally lopsided — thick at one end, thin at the other — and that is why home chicken parmesan so often comes out dry at one end and underdone at the other. Slice each breast in half horizontally into two cutlets, or pound them gently between sheets of parchment to an even half-inch. Even cutlets cook at the same rate, stay juicy, and give you more of the crisp crust everyone fights over. A few minutes of prep buys you a completely reliable result.
Sauce last, cheese hot
The two rules that keep the crust crisp: sauce the chicken only after it has baked, and use just a spoonful or two per cutlet rather than drowning the pan. Too much sauce, too early, and the crust you worked for turns to paste. Finish with the mozzarella under a hot broiler for the final two minutes, watching closely — the cheese should be melted and spotted with gold, not browned all over. A shower of fresh basil at the table adds the bright, fresh note that makes the whole dish sing.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken cutlets, about 1 1/2 lb total (680 g), pounded to an even 1/2 inch
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (6 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (1.5 g)
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (60 g)
- 2 large eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (60 g)
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan (45 g), divided
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (2 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (1.5 g)
- Olive oil spray
- 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce (360 ml), warmed, plus more to serve
- 6 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced or torn (170 g)
- Fresh basil leaves, to serve
- Cooked spaghetti, to serve (optional)
Amounts are for the yield below. US customary measures first, grams in brackets for scale users.
Step-by-step instructions
- Heat the oven and prep the pan. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Set a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet and spray the rack lightly with olive oil spray — baking on a rack is what crisps the underside of the crust. Season the cutlets on both sides with the salt and pepper.
- Set up the breading stations. Put the flour in one shallow dish. Put the beaten eggs in a second. In a third, stir together the panko, half the Parmesan, the Italian seasoning and the garlic powder.
- Bread the chicken. Coat each cutlet first in flour, shaking off the excess, then in egg, letting the extra drip off, then press firmly into the panko mixture on both sides so the crust adheres in an even layer. Lay the breaded cutlets on the prepared rack.
- Bake until crisp. Spray the tops lightly with olive oil spray. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until the crust is deep golden and crisp and the chicken reads 165°F (74°C) at the thickest point.
- Sauce and cheese. Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of warm marinara over each cutlet, leaving the edges of the crust bare. Top with the mozzarella and the remaining Parmesan.
- Broil and serve. Broil on high for 2 to 3 minutes, watching closely, until the cheese is melted, bubbling and lightly golden in spots. Rest for 3 minutes, scatter with basil, and serve over spaghetti with extra sauce alongside.
Nutrition estimate
| Nutrient | Per serving |
|---|---|
| Calories | 460 kcal |
| Protein | 42 g |
| Carbohydrates | 28 g |
| Fat | 19 g |
| Saturated fat | 7 g |
| Sodium | 880 mg |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
Nutrition figures are estimates calculated from standard ingredient data for the yield stated. Your actual values will vary with brands, substitutions and portion sizes — treat them as a guide, not a guarantee.
Storage & reheating
Leftovers keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat, uncovered, in a 375°F (190°C) oven or the air fryer for 8 to 10 minutes so the crust re-crisps — the microwave softens it. Breaded, uncooked cutlets can be frozen on a tray, then bagged, for up to 2 months; bake from frozen at 400°F (200°C), adding about 10 minutes, and sauce and cheese as directed.
Easy Chicken Parmesan
Crisp panko chicken, bright marinara, bubbling mozzarella — the Italian-American favorite, baked.
Ingredients
Tick ingredients off as you prep — it is the easiest way to never miss one mid-recipe.
Instructions
- Heat the oven and prep the pan. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Set a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet and spray the rack lightly with olive oil spray — baking on a rack is what crisps the underside of the crust. Season the cutlets on both sides with the salt and pepper.
- Set up the breading stations. Put the flour in one shallow dish. Put the beaten eggs in a second. In a third, stir together the panko, half the Parmesan, the Italian seasoning and the garlic powder.
- Bread the chicken. Coat each cutlet first in flour, shaking off the excess, then in egg, letting the extra drip off, then press firmly into the panko mixture on both sides so the crust adheres in an even layer. Lay the breaded cutlets on the prepared rack.
- Bake until crisp. Spray the tops lightly with olive oil spray. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until the crust is deep golden and crisp and the chicken reads 165°F (74°C) at the thickest point.
- Sauce and cheese. Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of warm marinara over each cutlet, leaving the edges of the crust bare. Top with the mozzarella and the remaining Parmesan.
- Broil and serve. Broil on high for 2 to 3 minutes, watching closely, until the cheese is melted, bubbling and lightly golden in spots. Rest for 3 minutes, scatter with basil, and serve over spaghetti with extra sauce alongside.
Tested in the FryDaily kitchen, October 2026. Printing? This card is designed to print cleanly on its own.
