This skinny gluten free chicken Parmesan recipe is easy, healthy and a family favorite! This is lower in calorie and fat, making it a healthy chicken Parmesan recipe. There are instructions included on how to make this gluten free, however you do not need to make it gluten free if that is not a concern.
Healthy Chicken Parmesan
This skinny chicken Parmesan recipe is my favorite to use if I am looking for a dinner option that is filling, yet still healthy. The chicken breast is breaded with a very flavorful Italian breading. The sauce is added after cooking so that you have a crispy chicken breast.
This pairs perfectly with a side of healthy sweet potato fries or asparagus made in the instant pot!
Ingredients Needed
Ingredients Notes
Chicken Breast- look for a chicken breast that is boneless and skinless. Trim off any excess fat. This works best if you pound the chicken breast to about ½ inch thickness using a meat pounder.
Breadcrumbs- use plain breadcrumbs, since you will be adding additional seasonings. You can use seasoned breadcrumbs, and this will just create a stronger Italian flavor to the dish. The recipe calls for gluten free bread crumbs, however you can use regular bread crumbs if you are not worried about making this dish gluten free.
Parmesan Cheese- you can use either the shredded parmesan cheese or the version that is sold in a can. I have made this recipe both ways and they both taste great! I personally prefer the canned cheese for this recipe, however either option will work!
Marinara Sauce-this can also be substituted with spaghetti sauce!
How to Make Healthy Chicken Parmesan Step by Step
Here’s a visual guide on how to make the best healthy chicken parmesan. The full recipe is listed below at the bottom of the page.
Step 1: Prepare the chicken breast. Pound the chicken to about ½ inch thickness. Cut the chicken breasts in half.
Step 2: Prepare the dipping stations. Place the eggs in a bowl and whisk until combined. In a separate bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, parmesan cheese and parsley. Mix until combined.
Step 3: Begin the dipping process. Dip the chicken in the egg mixture. Move it around until all parts of the chicken are covered with egg. Next, dip the chicken in the breadcrumbs until its fully covered. This works best if you use a fork or tongs!
Step 4: Place the chicken on a greased pan and bake for about 20 minutes. Once it’s done cooking, top with marinara and mozzarella cheese. Broil for 2 minutes to melt the cheese. Serve warm!
Leftovers
The leftovers can be refrigerated or frozen.
Refrigerator: Allow the chicken to cool at room temperature for a few minutes after cooking to release all steam. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Divide the leftover chicken into smaller containers to help it cook down quickly. More info on safe food storage can be found here.
Freezer: store in an airtight ziplock bag for up to 3 months. Release all steam before freezing. If possible, leave off the marinara sauce and cheese before freezing. This will prevent the chicken from becoming soggy. You can add it once the chicken has been reheated.
Reheating Instructions: leftovers can be reheated in the microwave for a few minutes or in a sheet pan in the oven at 350 F for 10 minutes or until hot. You can also place them in the frying pan with a little bit of oil to add some extra crispness to the outside. Consider adding an extra spoonful of marinara to the top once reheated.
How to Serve the Chicken Parmesan
Since this is a healthier version of chicken parmesan, I like to serve it with healthier options. You can keep this low carb by using spaghetti squash or zoodles in place of pasta. Here’s a few of my favorite ways to serve it:
- Build a chicken parm bowl: place the chicken parmesan on top of a bed of rice or quinoa. Add extra marinara.
- Serve with noodles, zoodles or spaghetti squash.
- Make a wrap (this works great with leftovers!) Slice the chicken parmesan into thin strips. Place on top of a tortilla, add lettuce and serve.
- Serve the chicken parmesan with a Caesar side salad
- Serve with a side of spinach strawberry salad or cowboy caviar .
Variations
This healthy chicken parm recipe can be modified to meet all dietary needs. It can easily be made gluten free or dairy free with just a couple of quick substitutions. You can double or triple the recipe if making it for a crowd!
Dairy Free- leave out the parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese. Use nutritional yeast in place of the parmesan cheese.
Gluten Free- select a breadcrumb that is labeled gluten free. Double check all other ingredients are gluten free.
Nutrition Information
What makes this a healthier version of chicken parmesan? While the term “healthy” is very broad, here’s a few things that do make it healthier:
- The recipe is baked, not fried. This saves a lot of calorie and makes it lower in fat
- The amount of cheese used in the recipe has been decreased.
- There is the option to serve it over plan based noodles, in place of spaghetti noodles.
One serving (⅙th of the recipe) contains 260 calories, 32 grams of protein and 8 grams of total fat. There are 13 grams of carb per serving. I would consider this a high protein meal.
Ways to make this healthier:
- Add chopped and cooked zucchini to the marinara sauce to sneak in some extra veggies.
- Top with cooked mushrooms.
- Leave off the mozzarella cheese.
- Serve on top of spaghetti squash or zoodles. Or serve with a side of vegetables or salad.
More Healthy Dinner Recipes
- Chili Lime Shrimp Tacos
- Tex Mex Casserole
- Ground Turkey and Sweet Potato Skillet
- Healthy Chicken Burritos
- Avocado Pesto Chicken Pasta
Healthy Chicken Parmesan (Gluten Free)
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds chicken breast skinless & boneless (about 3 medium breasts)
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup bread crumbs gluten free if needed
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon parsley
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 cup marinara sauce
Instructions
- Peheat the oven to 425F. Grease a baking dish or sheet pan and set aside.
- Use a meat pounder to pound your chicken to about ½ inch thick. Cut each chicken breast in half. Set aside.
- Prepare your dipping stations. Place the eggs in a bowl and whisk.
- In a separate bowl, combine, the breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, parsley and parmesan cheese. Mix until combined.
- Use a fork or tongs to dip a piece of chicken into the egg. Flip the chicken over and make sure the entire chicken is coated with egg mixture.
- Remove the chicken from the egg and dip it in the breadcrumb mixture. Flip the chicken until all parts of the chicken are coated with breadcrumbs.
- Place the coated chicken on the prepared baking dish and repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until the temperature of the chicken reads 165F when measured with a meat thermometer.
- Once baked, remove from the oven and top with a heaping spoonful of marinara sauce and a small amount of mozzarella cheese.
- Return to the oven and change the heat setting to broil. Cook for an additional 2 minutes, watching carefully so it does not burn.
- Remove from the oven and serve warm. Serve plain or on a bed of zoodles (zucchini noodles), spaghetti squash or pasta.
Maggie
Yummy - the GF Chicken Parmesan look awesome! Thank you for the recipe!