Gluten-Free Chicken Parmesan

If you're looking for an easy weeknight meal the whole family will love, try this gluten-free chicken parmesan recipe! Crispy, tender chicken is topped with marinara sauce and melty cheese for a flavorful meal that is so easy to make, too!

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Why this recipe works

Chicken Parmesan is one of the most popular chicken dishes to order in restaurants around the world. And it’s no wonder, with its crispy coating, flavorful marinara sauce, and creamy cheese topping.

But why order chicken parmesan from a local Italian restaurant when you can easily make it at home? This recipe will give you the best gluten-free chicken parm every time and it only takes 30 minutes. Plus, it’s completely gluten-free! If you’re on a gluten-free diet, no need to worry about cross-contamination at a restaurant that is full of flour, because this is so easy to make at home.

Serve on top of a bed of gluten-free pasta, a big salad, or some mashed potatoes for an easy weeknight dinner the whole family will love. It’s sure to become a family favorite!

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

• Chicken breast – It’s best to use boneless skinless chicken breasts that are all approximately the same size for this recipe to ensure even cooking.
• Gluten-free flour – I used Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking flour in this recipe. You can use any gluten-free flour that is meant to be used as a 1-to-1 swap with all-purpose flour. You can also use white rice flour in its place in this recipe. If you don’t need your chicken parm to be gluten-free, you can simply use regular all-purpose flour.
• Gluten-free panko breadcrumbs – Ian’s Gluten-Free Panko Breadcrumbs are my favorite breadcrumbs to use for this chicken parmesan recipe. You can use your favorite gluten-free panko bread crumbs or regular gluten-free breadcrumbs. The size of the panko from Ian’s is perfect for this recipe.
• Marinara sauce – You can use your favorite store-bought sauce or homemade sauce for this recipe. To keep things simple since I like to make this easy recipe for weeknight dinner, I use Rao’s Marinara. But, use your favorite brand!

Step-by-Step instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400F (200C). Slice the chicken breasts in half to create a total of four cutlets and pound chicken with a meat mallet until it is about 1/3-inch thick. Pounding the chicken into even thickness is important so that it cooks evenly and will result in the most tender chicken! Season both sides of the chicken breasts with ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper, or to your tastes, and then set aside.
2. Place the gluten-free all-purpose flour, salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning in a shallow bowl and whisk until combined.
3. Add the egg to a second bowl, and whisk until just combined and smooth.
4. Add the gluten-free breadcrumbs and 1/3 cup of the parmesan cheese to a third bowl, and whisk until combined.

5. Dip the chicken breast cutlets in the gluten-free flour mixture, making sure to coat all sides. Shake off any excess flour before moving on to the next bowl.
6. Place the flour-coated chicken breast into the egg mixture, and then let any excess egg drip off.
7. Cover the flour and egg-coated chicken breast in the gluten-free breadcrumb mixture, making sure it is completely covered and no bare spots remain. Press the breadcrumbs into the chicken if need be to make sure it adheres.
8. Add the vegetable oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Let the oil heat for a few minutes until very hot. Place the breaded chicken into the hot oil and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165F (74C).

9. Place the breaded chicken on a baking sheet.
10. Top each breaded chicken cutlet with a few tablespoons of marinara sauce, leaving the edges of the chicken free of sauce. 
11. Place a slice of fresh mozzarella cheese and a sprinkle of the remaining 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese atop the tomato sauce on each chicken breast.
12. Bake at 400F (200C) for 10 minutes until the cheese is melted. Alternatively, you can place the chicken cutlets in your air fryer at 400F (200C) for 3-4 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Top with fresh parsley or basil if desired and serve immediately.

Expert Tips

• Using chicken breast pieces that are roughly the same size and thickness will ensure that your gluten-free chicken parm cooks evenly.
• You can easily use your air fryer to melt the mozzarella in Step 12 instead of the oven. After pan-frying the chicken cutlets, top them with the marinara, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. Place the chicken into your air fryer basket and fry at 400F (200C) for 3-4 minutes until the mozzarella is bubbling. 
• Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and should be consumed within 3 days.
• To reheat any leftovers, set a skillet to medium heat and fry your gluten free chicken parmesan for 5-6 minutes until warmed through. Another method for reheating (my favorite) is to use the air fryer. Place the cutlets in the air fryer at 350F (175C) for 3-4 minutes until warmed and cheese is melted. 

Recipe FAQs

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Gluten-Free Chicken Parmesan

If you're looking for an easy weeknight meal the whole family will love, try this gluten-free chicken parmesan recipe! Crispy, tender chicken is topped with marinara sauce and melty cheese for a flavorful meal that is so easy to make, too!

4.60 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Italian

Diet: Gluten Free

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 836kcal

Author: Megan

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1.5 lbs (2 ct) boneless skinless chicken breasts (sliced in half to create a total of 4 cutlets)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt (divided)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon black pepper (divided)
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
• ▢ 1/2 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour (72g)
• ▢ 2 eggs
• ▢ 1 cup gluten-free panko breadcrumbs (157g)
• ▢ 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (divided (60g))
• ▢ 1/2 cup vegetable oil (113g)
• ▢ 1 cup marinara sauce (250g)
• ▢ 4 oz fresh mozzarella (roughly torn or sliced (112g))

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400F or 200C. Cut the chicken breasts in half and pound with a mallet to 1/3-inch thickness. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper, or to your tastes. Set aside.
• Place the gluten-free all-purpose flour, salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, and italian seasoning in a shallow bowl. Whisk to combine.
• Add the eggs to a second bowl. Whisk until combined.
• Add the gluten-free breadcrumbs and 1/3 cup of the parmesan cheese to a third bowl. Whisk to combine.
• Dip the chicken breast cutlets first in the gluten-free flour mixture, making sure all sides are coated. Shake off any excess.
• Then, place the chicken breast into the egg mixture, let any excess drip off.
• Finally, cover in the gluten-free breadcrumb mixture, making sure it’s completely covered and no bare spots remain. Press the breadcrumbs into the chicken if need be to make sure it adheres.
• Add the vegetable oil to a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Let the oil heat for a few minutes until very hot. Place the breaded chicken into the hot oil. Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, until golden and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165F or 74C.
• Place the chicken on a baking sheet.
• Top each piece of chicken with a few tablespoons of marinara sauce, leaving some part of the chicken free of sauce.
• Then, top with fresh mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with the remaining 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese.
• Bake at 400F for 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Alternatively, you can place the chicken cutlets in your air fryer at 400F for 3-4 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Top with fresh parsley or basil if desired and serve immediately.

Notes

• It’s best if your chicken breasts are roughly the same size to ensure even cooking.
• I used Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking flour in this recipe. You can use any gluten-free flour that is meant to be used as a 1-to-1 swap with all-purpose flour. You can also use white rice flour in its place in this recipe.
• I used Ian’s Gluten-Free Panko Breadcrumbs for this recipe. You can use your favorite gluten-free panko bread crumbs or regular gluten-free breadcrumbs. I think the size of the panko from Ian’s is perfect for this recipe.
• I used ½ cup of vegetable oil to fry the chicken cutlets. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need more or less oil. You will want to make sure that the oil covers the bottom of the pan and goes up about ¼-½ inch. We are not deep frying so it does not need to go several inches up the pan.
• You can also use your air fryer to melt the mozzarella if you don’t want to turn on the oven. After pan-frying the chicken cutlets, top them with the marinara, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. Place the chicken into your air fryer basket and air fryer at 400F for 3-4 minutes, until the mozzarella is bubbling and melted.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Reheat in a skillet over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, or until warmed through. My favorite way to reheat it in the air fryer at 350F for 3-4 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 836kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 54g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 200mg | Sodium: 1708mg | Potassium: 907mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 723IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 371mg | Iron: 3mg

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I’m Megan

A gluten-free food blogger from Chicago and lover of all things food, showing you gluten-free can be easy and delicious, too. Let’s make gluten-free stress free together! Read more…