This Skillet Chicken Parmesan is a quick, one-pan version of the Italian classic with no breading required. It starts on the stove and finishes in the oven for a delicious dinner in just 30 minutes.
If you’re craving Chicken Parmesan but short on time or just not in the mood to deal with breading and frying, this stove to oven method is the perfect solution. It has all the classic flavors you love in a simplified, one-pan recipe that’s ready fast and easy to clean up.
This recipe has become a reader favorite since it was first published, and for good reason! It’s quick, easy, and the result is surprisingly delicious.
If you’re looking for a more ways to make chicken parm, try my Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan for a crispy, lighter version or go all-in with my classic Crispy Chicken Parmesan. Both are delicious and well worth the extra effort.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken: You’ll need thin-sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. If you’re starting with thicker breasts, carefully slice them in half horizontally to create two thin chicken cutlets. Thinner pieces cook quickly and stay more tender through the fast stovetop and oven process.
- Dried herbs: Like many of my recipes, the key to the flavor in this dish is a simple combination of dried herbs. In this case, it’s thyme, rosemary, and oregano. I love the punch that dried herbs add, but feel free to substitute fresh if you have them on hand. Just be sure to double or even triple the amount, since fresh herbs are milder in flavor.
- Marinara sauce: Grab a jar of your favorite brand. I am loving Mutti Marinara or Tomato Basil at the moment.
- Mozzarella cheese: Sliced fresh mozzarella melts over the top.
- Breadcrumb mixture: The crispy topping consists of seasoned (Italian-style) panko breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and a little olive oil.
How to Make Skillet Chicken Parmesan
Before you’re ready to cook, you’ll need to prepare the seasoning and breadcrumb mixtures.
- In a small bowl, combine the dried herbs with some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- In a separate bowl combine the breadcrumbs with grated Parmesan cheese, and a little olive oil.
- In a large, heavy skillet, brown the chicken in olive oil on both sides, seasoning it with the dried herb mixture. It’s not necessary to cook the chicken through at this point.
- Pour the marinara sauce around the chicken and ladle a little over each piece.
- Add a slice of fresh mozzarella to each piece of chicken. I give you my permission to add more cheese if you’d like. More cheese is never a bad idea.
- Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the top and pop it in a preheated 475 degree F oven until the cheese has melted, the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, and the breadcrumbs are browned.
Valerie’s Tips
Make More Servings: This recipe calls for 4 pieces of chicken but you could easily throw in a another piece or two if you’ve got a big skillet and more people to feed.
Stove to Oven: Transferring the skillet to a hot oven to finish the cooking process is the key to creating a nicely browned, crispy breadcrumb topping.
Fresh Garnish: If you happen to have some fresh basil or parsley on hand, garnish the finished recipe with it. Adding fresh herbs after it comes out of the oven adds some nice flavor and brightens up the dish.
Add Pasta: I like to serve this Skillet Chicken Parmesan over a mound of rigatoni and sprinkled with a generous amount of grated Parmesan. A substantial pasta like rigatoni pairs well with this dish but any pasta you love or that you happen to have on hand will work. Cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente, toss it with a bit of olive oil to prevent it from sticking together, and toss it with some grated Parmesan cheese.
More Serving Suggestions: Looking for some simple side dish ideas? My Cheater Garlic Bread and Butter Lettuce Salad with Grapes and Gorgonzola would round out this meal in a delicious way!
Storage Tips: Store any leftover chicken and sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you’re serving it with pasta, store the pasta separately to prevent it from soaking up too much sauce. Reheat both gently in the microwave or oven until warmed through.
Sign up for my free newsletter for all the latest recipes and join me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for more cooking inspiration!
Skillet Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
- 12 ounces pasta, like rigatoni or penne, optional
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon fine ground sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup seasoned (Italian-style) panko bread crumbs
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 ½ pounds thin-sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 24 ounce jar marinara sauce
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
- Additional olive oil and Parmesan cheese to toss with cooked pasta, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
- If serving with pasta, boil it according to package directions for al dente and allow it to cook while preparing the chicken.
- In a small bowl combine salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary, and oregano. Set aside.
- In a separate small bowl combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Set aside.
- Coat the bottom of a large, deep, oven-proof skillet with about 2 tablespoons olive oil and place over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. Cook the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes per side, seasoning each side with the spice mixture. Cook just until nicely browned but not cooked through.
- Pour the marinara sauce in the pan around the chicken, ladling some of the sauce over the top of each piece. Top each piece of chicken with a thin slice of fresh mozzarella and sprinkle the breadcrumb topping over the top.
- Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake it uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F., the cheese has melted, and the breadcrumb topping is browned.
- After draining the pasta, toss it with a little olive oil to prevent it from sticking. Then, toss it with a little Parmesan cheese.
- Serve the chicken and sauce over the prepared pasta, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
More Chicken Parmesan Recipes
This post was originally published on July 8, 2013. It has been updated with new text and images.
Even though I just had lunch when I was reading this recipe, it made me hungry all over again. Delicious photos! I can only imagine what scents floated in your kitchen that day. Are there any leftovers? 🙂
These is no greater comfort food for me than Chicken Parm.
Love when you take something that can be so complicated and make it so easy! What a great dish!
I made this last night and it was awesome!!
This looks like an awesome recipe for chicken parm, can’t wait to try it
Valerie, your Chicken Parmesan recipe looks fantastic. I will be making this for our company coming next weekend.
I have been doing a lot of your recipes and they are so delicious. This is just anothsr one that I will do. I am mostly pleased and thank you for the rexipes that you post. Thank you sooo much.
Oh, man. Valerie, this chicken parmesan looks sooo scrumptious! You really “get” Italian comfort food! Thanks for sharing!
Your Chicken Parmesan looks absolutely delicious and I will be trying it soon.
Your chicken parm looks wonderful and not heating up the house with the oven would make it perfect for this time of year. We’re already tiring of cold dinners and burgers!
Love the idea of not breading the chicken parm.I just made some this weekend and my beautiful crust was mush after putting it in the sauce.
Ooooh this chicken parm looks so hearty and classic and perfectly delicious!