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Cheater's Chicken Parmesan

Cheater's Chicken Parmesan delivers crispy breaded chicken cutlets topped with marinara and bubbling melted mozzarella in under 45 minutes. Instead of messy frying, you sear briefly in a skillet and finish in the oven for an easy weeknight dinner.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Total Time 42 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken cutlets
  • 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts Halved horizontally to make 4 cutlets.
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.5 tsp onion powder
  • 0.5 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
Dredging and breading
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs Beaten.
  • 1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
  • 0.25 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Topping and baking
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup marinara sauce Spoon 2–3 tbsp per cutlet.
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 fresh basil leaves For garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prep the pan and preheat
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with a wire rack, lightly sprayed with cooking spray.
Season the chicken
  1. Season the chicken cutlets on both sides with garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
Set up dredging station
  1. Place all-purpose flour in one shallow dish, beaten large eggs in a second, and mix Italian seasoned breadcrumbs with grated Parmesan cheese in a third.
Bread the cutlets
  1. Coat each cutlet in flour and shake off excess.
  2. Dip each floured cutlet into the beaten eggs.
  3. Press each cutlet firmly into the breadcrumb mixture so the coating adheres.
Sear for crisp edges
  1. Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until hot.
  2. Sear the breaded cutlets 2–3 minutes per side until golden brown.
Bake with marinara and cheese
  1. Transfer the seared cutlets to the prepared baking sheet.
  2. Spoon 2–3 tbsp marinara over each cutlet.
  3. Pile shredded mozzarella on top of each cutlet so it covers the surface.
  4. Bake at 400°F for 15–18 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Finish and serve
  1. Broil for 1–2 minutes until the cheese develops extra golden spots.
  2. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve immediately over pasta or with crusty bread.

Notes

Pro tip: press the breadcrumbs firmly into the chicken so you get a sturdy, crispy crust after baking. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Freezer: no (breaded chicken texture won’t hold up well after thawing). For a dietary swap, use gluten-free all-purpose flour and gluten-free breadcrumbs to keep it breaded without wheat.