Healthy Baked Italian Chicken could be one of my favorite company meals to make. It’s so comforting, delicious and it comes out perfect every time. This is my take on Chicken Parmesan, but with a baked alternative to frying. The flavors are still there and this is a dish you’d be happy to serve your family any night of the week.
Now you can do a few things for the chicken. I either make my Baked Panko Chicken and serve it like Chicken Parmesan, as shown below, or I just simply roast the chicken cutlets and serve with the sauce.
Healthy Baked Italian Chicken
Cutting chicken breasts in half is a cooking hack I use all the time to ensure even cooking and will double the amount of servings.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons Olive Oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
- 1 box {8 ounces} Panko Breadcrumbs
- 4 tablespoons Parsley, minced
- 2 cloves Garlic, grated
- 1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
- 1 pinch Red Pepper Flake
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Salt
- 1 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
- 4 – 6 whole Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless and butterflied in half lengthwise
- Salt and Pepper, for seasoning
- 2 whole Eggs, beaten
- For the Tomato Sauce
- 1 pint Cherry Tomatoes
- 5 whole Plum Tomatoes, quartered
- 1 head Garlic, cloves separated, skin on
- 1 whole Onion, chopped
- 1 cup Chardonnay
- 2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
- Low-Fat Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese, sliced thin
- Basil, chopped for garnish
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a sheet pan or baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. Start by placing the cherry tomatoes, quartered plum tomatoes, and whole garlic cloves on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in the preheated oven for 15 minutes and roast until skins are bursting and tomatoes are tender. Remove and set aside to cool.
- Step 2 Prepare the tomato sauce. Remove the cooled garlic from the skins and place in a blender or food processor with the tomatoes and any juices accrued in the pan while cooking. Blend until mixture is smooth, set aside until needed. In a medium size sauce pan heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the chopped onion to the pan and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and white wine to the pan. Stir in tomato paste until fully incorporated into the wine. Reduce the wine slightly until the sauce looks bubbly and thick. Add the blended tomatoes and garlic mixture to the pan. Stir in and heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer until ready to use.
- Step 3 Meanwhile, in a medium nonstick pan add 4 tablespoons of olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the panko breadcrumbs and toss until toasted and golden brown. About 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Toss in the parsley, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flake. Season the panko with garlic salt and add the grated parmesan cheese.
- Step 4 After the chicken breasts have been butterflied, use a meat mallet’s flat side to pound the chicken cutlets thin. About 1/4 inch thick. Place panko mixture in a shallow dish and place the beaten eggs in a separate shallow dish. Season chicken cutlets lightly with salt and pepper. Dip chicken cutlets one at a time into the eggs then in the panko mixture until the whole chicken cutlets are coated evenly. Place on the prepared sheet pan and continue coating the remaining chicken cutlets. Bake the chicken for 15 minutes.
- Step 5 Remove chicken from the oven and spoon tomato sauce over the top of the baked chicken. Place the mozzarella slices on top and top with more grated parmesan. Broil in the oven until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove and garnish with basil and serve on top of pasta or with a simple salad.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
Grease a sheet pan or baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Start by placing the cherry tomatoes, quartered plum tomatoes, and whole garlic cloves on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in the preheated oven for 15 minutes and roast until skins are bursting and tomatoes are tender.
Remove and set aside to cool.
Prepare the tomato sauce. Remove the cooled garlic from the skins and place in a blender or food processor with the tomatoes and any juices accrued in the pan while cooking.
Blend until mixture is smooth, set aside until needed.
In a medium size sauce pan heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the chopped onion to the pan and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and white wine to the pan.
Stir in tomato paste until fully incorporated into the wine.
Reduce the wine slightly until the sauce looks bubbly and thick.
Add the blended tomatoes and garlic mixture to the pan. Stir in and heat through. Season with salt and pepper.
Reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer until ready to use.
Meanwhile, in a medium nonstick pan add 4 tablespoons of olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the panko breadcrumbs and toss until toasted and golden brown. About 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Toss in the parsley, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flake. Season the panko with garlic salt and add the grated parmesan cheese.
After the chicken breasts have been butterflied, use a meat mallet’s flat side to pound the chicken cutlets thin. About 1/4 inch thick.
Place panko mixture in a shallow dish and place the beaten eggs in a separate shallow dish.
Season chicken cutlets lightly with salt and pepper.
Dip chicken cutlets one at a time into the eggs then in the panko mixture until the whole chicken cutlets are coated evenly.
Place on the prepared sheet pan and continue coating the remaining chicken cutlets.
Bake the chicken for 15 minutes.
Remove chicken from the oven and spoon tomato sauce over the top of the baked chicken.
Place the mozzarella slices on top and top with more grated parmesan.
Broil in the oven until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Remove and garnish with basil and serve on top of pasta or with a simple salad.
Savor and Enjoy!
Great recipe
Thank you Leah!
Thank You for the recipe, although i am curious what makes this healthy? Have you broken down the Macros for this meal?
Use the freshest ingredients possible, olive oil, and low fat mozzarella. Along with baking the chicken, voila, it’s healthier than your everyday Chicken Parm :)