Go Back
–+ servings

Crispy Baked Chicken Parmesan

This Crispy Baked Chicken Parmesan is everything you love about traditional chicken parm—crispy, cheesy, and full of flavor—but baked instead of fried for an easy, no-mess dinner.
I used a jar of Bertolli marinara sauce to keep it simple, but if you want to make it extra special, you can use my homemade sauce right here.
Serve it with fettuccine tossed in sauce, and you’ve got a cozy, classic Italian dinner that looks like it came straight from your favorite trattoria.
If you love my Italian dishes, check out That’s Amore Chicken Cacciatore, Rigatoni alla Vodka, or Creamy White Bolognese — they’re all total crowd-pleasers.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6 people

Equipment

Ingredients
  

For The Chicken:

  • 6 thin-sliced chicken cutlets scallopini style
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • Pinch of crushed red pepper
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • For the Breading:
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper

For Baking:

  • Olive oil spray
  • Juice of 1 fresh lemon

For Sauce and Toppings

  • 24 oz jarred marinara sauce 1 extra if you have pasta on side
  • ¼ cup Pecorino Romano cheese
  • 8 oz fresh mozzarella sliced
  • Chopped parsley for garnish

For Serving:

  • 8 oz fettuccine cooked and tossed with sauce (Any Type)
  • fresh basil

Instructions
 

Step 1: Preheat & Prep

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil, then place a baking rack on top. Lightly spray it with olive oil spray.

Step 2: Season the Chicken

  • In a large bowl, add chicken cutlets, eggs, olive oil, basil, rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, paprika, crushed red pepper, and parsley.
  • Mix everything together until the chicken is fully coated.

Step 3: Bread the Cutlets

  • In another bowl, combine panko, Italian breadcrumbs, and Pecorino Romano cheese, salt, pepper, parsley. Mix with your hands.
  • Dip each cutlet (letting excess egg drip off) into the breadcrumb mixture, pressing gently to help the coating stick.

Step 4: Bake Until Crispy

  • Place coated cutlets on the prepared baking rack. Spray tops with olive oil spray generously and evenly
  • Bake for 17–20 minutes at 400F, flipping halfway and spraying again.
  • Once golden and crisp, remove from the oven and squeeze fresh lemon juice over the chicken.

Step 5: Make the Cheesy Sauce

  • In an oven-safe pan, pour in the marinara sauce. Sprinkle Pecorino Romano over it and torn up basil leaves, then layer fresh mozzarella slices and a sprinkle of chopped parsley.
  • Place pan in the oven at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melty, BE CAREFUL WITH HANDLE
  • Broil for 2–4 minutes, just until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Step 6: Finish & Serve

  • Add the crispy baked chicken cutlets to a serving dish and spoon the hot cheesy sauce over top.
  • Serve with fettuccine tossed in sauce, and garnish with extra parsley and Pecorino.
Keyword baked chicken parm, chicken melissajo, chicken parmesan, melissajo chicken parm
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!