Fast and Crispy Chicken Parmesan Recipe (2024)

If you love chicken parmesan, try this fast and crispy chicken parmesan recipe. It yields golden crispy chicken cutlets without pounding, breading, and less mess that goes with it. Top with your favorite pasta sauce, Italian cheeses, and it's ready to serve in about 30 minutes. The whole family will love it. It’s the answer to what’s for dinner and a new family favorite. Leftovers make a terrific chicken parmesan sandwich.

Crispy chicken parmesan is not a classic breaded parmesan chicken recipe. It's faster, lighter, and easier using chicken cutlets, pasta sauce, and Italian cheeses. It's less messy, as you don't have to set up a 3-stage breading station with egg wash and bowls. Try this quick method for the best chicken parmesan. I think you'll like it.

I’ve taken two of my basic recipes, theGolden Chicken Cutletsandmy easy 30 Minute Pasta Sauce and combined them to make this easy chicken parmesan.

Why You'll Like This Recipe

• Chicken parmesan is an easy, family pleasing recipe.
• It's a lighter faster way to make chicken parmesan; no heavy breading,
• No frying, no pounding, and a lot less dishes than the chicken parmesan traditional recipe.

For another fast and easy recipe using boneless, skinless chicken breasts, try this chicken salsa verde. Use a jarred sauce or homemade.

Recipe Ingredients

For Crispy Chicken Parmesan, here is what you need.

• Chicken breasts: choose boneless chicken breasts. Buy them by weight versus by the the piece. Choose big ones as they will be sliced in half horizontally to make cutlets (1 ½ pounds for 2 chicken breasts).
• Seasoning: sea salt, ground black pepper, and granulated garlic or powdered garlic.
• Flour: Instead of a breadcrumb mixture, all you need is flour for a light crispy crust. For gluten-free choose coconut flour, brown rice flour, cassava flour, or GF blend. If you are not GF, I like white wheat all purpose flour. Choose what works for you.
• Cooking fat: extra-virgin olive oil or butter. The combination of the two is nice.
• Cheeses: for speed use pre-grated or shredded mozzarella cheese. For the Parmesan cheese, get a chunk of the real deal and grate it fresh, or get a container of fresh grated. Not the powdered stuff. You can use fresh mozzarella but it is harder to grate as it's very soft.
• Sauce: use your favorite rich homemade tomato sauce or good store-bought sauce.
• Herbs: fresh chopped basil, oregano, or parsley for garnish and flavor.

Please see the recipe card for quantities and seasoning like salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Chef's Tip: Buying boneless, skinless chicken breasts. If the chicken breasts are small and not big enough to slice into cutlets, do this instead. With the smooth side of a meat mallet or pounder, gently pound the chicken breasts to a thinner, more even thickness. They might take a few extra minutes of cooking but not much longer. For a more detailed explanation, see this grilled chicken post.

Substitutions and Variations

• Use other Italian cheeses or non-Italian cheeses for a twist on the traditional. Look for cheese that will grate and melt well. Swap monterey jack for mozzarella. For more ideas see the recipe FAQs section near the end.
• Crispy chicken cutlets can be topped with other sauces such as green enchilada sauce for a Mexican twist (with jack cheese), a tropical pineapple mango salsa, and many others. Chicken cutlets make a terrific basic recipe.
• Another option, use a grated packaged Italian cheese blend.

Recipe Instructions

Pre-heat your broiler or oven to finish and melt the cheese at the end before serving.

Serving Suggestions

Serve crispy chicken parmesan (also called chicken Parmigiana) with a side of steamed broccoli, broccolini, green beans, zucchini noodles, or your favorite pasta and a simple green salad with this easy homemade Italian dressing.A little garlic bread is good too if you're not concerned about carbs. And be sure to serve extra sauce on the side.

For garnish use a little chopped fresh Italian parsley or fresh basil leaves.

Can you freeze chicken Parmesan? Yes you can freeze it. After freezing and thawing it may not be as crisp, but it will still taste good. Freezing the cutlets covered in sauce protects the chicken. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then preheat an oven to 350°F, line a baking sheet with foil, and bake until chicken is hot.

Cooking for a date night? You might need dessert to go with this Italian-style meal, try this gluten-free lemon olive oil cake made with raw almonds.

Recipe FAQs

More Chicken Recipes

And for a few more Italian-inspired recipes ideas try lemon garlic shrimp scampi or these braised Italian chicken thighs.

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If you make this crispy chicken parmesan recipe, please comment and let me know, and if you loved it, please give it a 5 star rating! They really help other readers.

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