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gray plate topped with spaghetti and tomato sauce and breaded chicken topped with cheese

Quick & Easy Healthy Baked Chicken Parmesan

  • Author: Lauren Grant
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Diet: Low Fat

Description

Juicy, moist chicken coated in a light and crispy breading. Topped with melty cheese and served with tomato sauce and pasta—this healthy Chicken Parmesan is a delicious and quick weeknight dinner.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup whole-wheat Panko
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (8-ounces each)
  • Nonstick spray
  • ¾ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella 
  • 1 pound dry spaghetti, optional
  • 1 recipe Quick Red Wine Pasta Sauce, or marinara of choice 
  • Parsley and/or basil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450ºF (232ºC) with racks set in top and bottom thirds. Place a baking sheet on bottom rack while oven preheats. If serving with pasta, bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Combine Panko, Parmesan, oil, and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Lightly beat egg in a second shallow dish.

Halve chicken breasts horizontally into two thinner halves. Cover breast halves with plastic wrap and pound to an even ¼-inch thickness with a meat pounder; pat chicken dry.

Dip chicken pieces in egg, then dip in Panko mixture, pressing to coat thoroughly.

Working quickly, remove baking sheet from oven and coat with nonstick spray. Transfer breaded chicken to baking sheet and bake, on bottom rack, 6 minutes.

Remove sheet from oven, flip chicken pieces, then top each piece with 3 tablespoons mozzarella. Continue to bake chicken on bottom rack until mozzarella melts and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest parts of chicken registers 160°F (71ºC), about 5 minutes.

Transfer sheet to top rack, turn oven to broil and broil chicken until cheese is golden brown and breading is crispy, 1–2 minutes.

Meanwhile, generously season boiling water with salt*, add spaghetti and cook according to package directions.

Drain spaghetti and return to now-empty pot.

Serve chicken over pasta with tomato sauce and parsley and/or basil.



Notes

GLUTEN-FREE: use gluten-free Panko instead of whole-wheat or regular. 

TOMATO SAUCE: when purchasing jarred tomato sauce, look for products with no or little added sugar. I like Rao’s marinara sauce and Lidia’s marinara sauce. 

*Seasoning pasta water: when I say generous, I mean generous. Add 1–2 tablespoons kosher salt. 


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 chicken piece
  • Calories: 305
  • Sugar: 0.5g
  • Sodium: 634mg
  • Fat: 15g
  • Saturated Fat: 5g
  • Carbohydrates: 4g
  • Fiber: 1g
  • Protein: 36g
  • Cholesterol: 132mg

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