Healthier Baked Parmesan Chicken

This is a riff on one of my favorite dinners that my mom makes. Healthier Baked Parmesan Chicken relies on pantry staples, is under the table in 30 minutes, and it’s a total crowd pleaser!

We ate a lot of chicken growing up. And by a lot, I mean a lot. It graced our table multiple nights a week. We rarely had fish or red meat and had pork every once in awhile. I don’t remember it getting old though. My mom had a ton of chicken recipes she made and rotated them often enough that my brothers and I never got bored.

One of my favorite recipes she use to make- and still does- is a baked parmesan chicken recipe. Not to be confused with chicken parm that you might find at an Italian restaurant, this a lighter baked chicken. My mom dips the chicken breasts in butter (yup!) and rolls them in a mixture of bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and fresh herbs. It’s super simple, super buttery and is always a crowd pleaser.

This recipe is my healthier take. I think her version might call for a full stick of butter. You all know that I love butter but in this case, I think less is more! I swapped out regular bread crumbs for panko- I think they add more texture and I use fresh parsley instead of dried. I also like to use chicken cutlets or pound my breasts super thin- thick chicken eeebs me out. My mom always bakes the chicken in a 9×13 but I think spreading the chicken out on a baking sheet keeps the coating crispy.

My mom always serves the chicken with mashed potatoes and whatever green veggie is in season. It’s classic comfort food and my dad’s most requested meal. I follow her lead and serve it the same way. I mean who doesn’t love a big ‘ol bowl of mashers, am I right? The chicken itself makes for great leftovers- my husband eats it cold right from the leftover container. I often slice it and put it over greens for a quick salad and I also love it on a sandwich with just a tiny smear of mayonnaise and some spicy greens like arugula. My kids take it as is in their lunchbox with some ketchup for dipping.

No matter how you serve it, it’s sure to become a family favorite! I’ve been loving seeing the recipes you’re making on social media. Keep sharing them on Facebook and Instagram and tagging them #mountainmamacooks.

As always, thanks for reading and have a wonderful rest of the week! xo, Kelley

photos by Kellie Hatcher/ recipe by Mountain Mama Cooks

Healthier Baked Parmesan Chicken

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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Kelley
• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 15
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 4-6 1x

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Description

A lightened up baked chicken recipe with parmesan and bread crumbs.

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (about 4–5 small breasts)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400F degrees.
2. Put the olive oil and melted butter in a small bowl.
3. In a shallow bowl or pie plate, combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, chopped parsley, salt and pepper.
4. Brush each cutlet with some of the olive oil an butter mixture. I think a pastry brush works for best for this. Dredge each cutlet in the parmesan/bread crumb mixture. Gently press onto each side.
5. Place chicken on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment. Repeat with all the chicken cutlets. Drizzle any extra olive oil/butter over the chicken.
6. Bake chicken in a preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until chicken is cooked through. If chicken isn’t browned on top, use the broiler to brown the chicken for 1-2 minutes until golden.
7. Serve with slices of lemon.