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Crispy Baked Chicken Parmesan

This baked chicken parmesan and easy homemade marinara sauce makes a delicious comfort-food dinner. Three secret tricks make it extra crispy in the oven.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Baked Chicken Parmesan, Chicken Parm in oven, Chicken Parmesan in oven
Servings: 4
Author: Jennifer Pallian

Ingredients

For Sauce

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 cup finely chopped onion
  • 4 large garlic cloves minced
  • 1 28- oz can unsalted diced tomatoes
  • 1 tsp kosher salt

For chicken

  • 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
  • ½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 ½ lbs chicken tenders or fillets
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 heaping cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • Cooked spaghetti to serve (optional)
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450º (on convection, if you have it). Place an oiled wire rack inside a baking sheet.
  • To make sauce, heat olive oil over medium in a medium saucepan. Cook onion until translucent, about 10 minutes, then add garlic and cook a minute more. Stir in tomatoes and salt, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree, or carefully blend in two batches in a regular blender.
  • In a shallow baking dish, whisk breadcrumbs with parmesan, olive oil, and salt. In a separate dish, beat the eggs. Dip chicken first in the beaten egg, then in the breadcrumb mixture and place on the prepared rack. Bake chicken for 10 minutes, then remove and turn on broiler. Top chicken with mozzarella, then return to oven and broil until golden and bubbly, and chicken reaches 165ºF, about 4 minutes more. Serve atop tomato sauce with hot, cooked spaghetti, if desired.

Notes

Wire Rack: This is non-negotiable for crispy baked chicken. The rack lifts the chicken off the pan so heat circulates underneath. Without it, the bottom steams and turns soft.
Olive Oil in the Panko: Mixing olive oil directly into the breadcrumbs is what makes them go golden and crispy without frying. Don't skip this step.
Convection Setting: If your oven has convection, use it. It circulates hot air and significantly improves the crust compared to standard bake.
Chicken: Stick with tenders or thin fillets. Thick chicken pieces take too long to cook through, and the breading over-browns in the meantime.
The broiler works fast. Check the mozzarella at 3 minutes. It can go from perfect to burnt very quickly.
Marinara: A good quality store-bought marinara works fine here. Use it if you're short on time.
Storage: Store chicken and sauce separately in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat chicken on a wire rack at 400°F to restore crispiness. Avoid reheating in the microwave.