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Enjoy this crispy, gluten-free chicken parmesan in no time at all, made with only a few simple ingredients.
Want an easy and delicious dinner that can make any night of the week taste like you went out to eat? Then you need to make this gluten-free chicken parmesan recipe. Whether you call it chicken parmigiana or chicken parm, it doesn't matter. It has juicy marinated chicken inside, crispy gluten-free breading, topped with a delicious marinara, and lots of melted cheese. It's like you went to an all gluten-free Italian restaurant for dinner.
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Is chicken parmesan gluten-free?
Chicken parmesan that you would get at an Italian restaurant is not gluten-free. It can easily be made gluten-free with a few simple ingredient swaps.
Ingredients.
To make gluten-free chicken parmesan, we need to marinate some chicken and coat it with a gluten-free breading to make a gluten-free breaded chicken. Then we will top it with marinara sauce and lots of cheese. Thankfully we only need a few simple ingredients to do this.
- Chicken Breasts - Boneless, skinless.
- Gluten-free Bread Crumbs - You can also use gluten-free panko breading if you want your chicken parm to be extra crispy. Using crushed pork rinds to coat the chicken, you can make this a low-carb, keto chicken parmesan.
- 1:1 Gluten-free Flour
- Egg
- Olive Oil
- Lemon Juice
- Mince Garlic
- Gluten-free Marinara Sauce - You can make your own or use your favorite store-bought variety.
- Mozzarella Cheese
- Parmesan Cheese
- Spices
- Oil for Frying
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Steps.
Making gluten-free chicken parm is super simple with just a few steps.
Step 1. Prep the chicken.
- Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make them thinner.
- If needed, carefully pound the chicken until it has an even thickness of about a quarter of an inch.
Step 2. Marinate the chicken.
Step 3. Coat the chicken in the gluten-free breading.
Step 4. Pan fry till crispy.
Step 5. Top with a gluten-free marinara and cheeses, then broil till it's melty.
Alternate cooking methods.
You can cook this gluten-free chicken parm recipe in the air fryer instead of using the stove and oven.
- Prep the chicken.
- Marinate the chicken.
- Bread the chicken.
- Cook the breaded chicken in the air fryer at 375 degrees for about 10-12 minutes, flipping it halfway.
- Once the chicken is cooked, top it with the sauce and cheeses.
- Place it back in the air fryer for another 5-7 minutes until the cheeses are nice and bubbly.
Tips and tricks.
- Cut and prep the chicken so that all the pieces are about equal in size and thickness. This will help ensure that all your pieces cook evenly.
- Don't skip the marinating. It doesn't take long since it has lemon, but it adds so much extra flavor to the chicken.
- Use a gluten-free marinara sauce you like. I tend to use whatever sauce I am pairing with some gluten-free to serve with this gluten-free chicken parm.
- I prefer less sauce and more cheese because I like the crispiness of the chicken to shine more. The more sauce it has, the less crunch the final chicken tends to have.
Chicken parmesan FAQ.
Nothing, these are the exact same dish. There are two names because chicken parmesan is the English version of the name, and chicken parmigiana refers to the Italian, which translates to a cooking style "in the style of Parma." It is also commonly confused with melanzane alla parmigiana (eggplant parmigiana).
Make/ prep ahead.
You can make this gluten-free chicken parm recipe ahead of time to make it come together even faster when you are ready to eat it.
- Follow the chicken parm recipe up to the point of the chicken being breaded and cooked.
- Let the chicken come to room temperature.
- Place it in a container in the fridge for up to three days.
If you want to freeze your chicken parm.
- Let the chicken come to room temperature.
- Place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
- Freeze the breaded chicken for about two hours.
- Transfer the frozen chicken to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to two months.
To thaw and reheat.
- Let the chicken thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Transfer the chicken to a baking pan.
- Top with the sauce and cheeses,
- Bake as you would with it fresh until the chicken reaches 165 degrees.
Storing and reheating leftovers.
- If you have leftovers of this gluten-free chicken parm, it can be stored in a container in the fridge for up to three days.
- To reheat, place it in the oven at 375 degrees for about 10-15 minutes or until it is warmed through.
How to serve chicken parmesan.
You can serve this gluten-free chicken parmesan by itself with a simple gluten-free caesar salad, veggies, or over some gluten-free noodles. It's even delicious over some mashed potatoes or rice.
More gluten-free chicken dinner recipes.
Crispy Gluten Free Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
For the chicken parm.
- 2-3 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 1 Cup Gluten-free Marinara Sauce
- 1 Cup Sliced or Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- 1 Cup Sliced or Shredded Parmesan Cheese
For the chicken marinade
- 3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 2-3 Cloves Garlic Minced
- ½ Cup Olive OIl
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- ¼ Teaspoon Pepper
- ¼ Teaspoon Parsley
For the gluten-free breading.
- 1 Cup 1:1 Gluten-free Flour I use King Arthur 1:1 blend.
- 2 Large Eggs
- ⅓ Cup Water
- 1 ½ Cups Gluten-free Bread Crumbs
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- ¼ Teaspoon Pepper
- ¼ Teaspoon Parsley
- ½ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- Oil for Frying
Instructions
Prep the chicken.
- Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make them thinner.2-3 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
- If needed, carefully pound the chicken until it has an even thickness of about a quarter of an inch.
Marinate the chicken.
- Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and parsley into a shallow dish or ziplock bag.3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice, 2-3 Cloves Garlic, ½ Cup Olive OIl, ½ Teaspoon Salt, ¼ Teaspoon Pepper, ¼ Teaspoon Parsley
- Add the chicken and let it marinate for at least 10 minutes, up to 30 minutes.
Coat the chicken in the gluten-free breading.
- Add the gluten-free flour to a shallow dish.1 Cup 1:1 Gluten-free Flour
- In another dish, add the eggs and water and whisk to make an egg wash.2 Large Eggs, ⅓ Cup Water
- In a third dish, combine the gluten-free bread crumbs and spices.1 ½ Cups Gluten-free Bread Crumbs, ½ Teaspoon Salt, ¼ Teaspoon Pepper, ¼ Teaspoon Parsley, ½ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- Dredge the marinated chicken into the flour, then the egg wash, and finally into the seasoned bread crumbs.
- Repeat with all the other pieces of chicken and set them aside.
Pan fry.
- Add enough frying oil to a skillet, so it is about half of an inch deep.Oil for Frying
- Warm the oil over medium-high heat.
- Pan fry the pieces of breaded chicken for about 3-4 minutes per side until the outside is nice and golden.
- Transfer the cooked pieces of chicken to a baking pan or dish.
Top, bake and enjoy.
- Preheat the oven to 375 °F.
- Top each piece of chicken with about ¼ of a cup of the marinara sauce.1 Cup Gluten-free Marinara Sauce
- Add the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses over the sauce on the chicken.1 Cup Sliced or Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, 1 Cup Sliced or Shredded Parmesan Cheese
- Bake the chicken for about 10-15 minutes or until the cheeses are fully melted and bubby.
- Serve as desired and enjoy.
Notes
- Prep the chicken.
- Marinate the chicken.
- Bread the chicken.
- Cook the breaded chicken in the air fryer at 375 degrees for about 10-12 minutes, flipping it halfway.
- Once the chicken is cooked, top it with the sauce and cheeses.
- Place it back in the air fryer for another 5-7 minutes until the cheeses are nice and bubbly.
- Cut and prep the chicken so that all the pieces are about equal in size and thickness. This will help ensure that all your pieces cook evenly.
- Don't skip the marinating. It doesn't take long since it has lemon, but it adds so much extra flavor to the chicken.
- Use a gluten-free marinara sauce you like. I tend to use whatever sauce I am pairing with some gluten-free to serve with this gluten-free chicken parm.
- I prefer less sauce and more cheese because I like the crispiness of the chicken to shine more. The more sauce it has, the less crunch the final chicken tends to have.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don't forget to tag a photo #grainfreetable or @grainfreetable on Instagram. I'd love to see what you come up with!
Let me know what you think or if you have any questions.