Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Parmigiana is crispy chicken topped with sauce and melted mozzarella. Make this restaurant favorite at home!
When we eat at Olive Garden, I have two things I love to order: fettuccini alfredo and chicken parmigiana! This chicken parmesan recipe is surprisingly easy to make, and my family loves it so much they would happily eat it every week!
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Chicken Parmigiana Ingredients
This Olive Garden Chicken Parmigiana copycat recipe is made with simple ingredients and is easy to assemble and cook. You can use more or less of any of the ingredients depending on what your family prefers.
- Chicken Breasts: We used one pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts to make this recipe, and since they are split in half, you end up getting four servings.
- Breadcrumbs: There are two styles of breadcrumbs in this recipe. The panko-style breadcrumbs are larger in size, as well as crispier and lighter. The Italian seasoned breadcrumbs are traditional breadcrumbs with seasonings added. We love the combination of the two, but you can choose to use only one style if you prefer.
- Parmesan Cheese: For the best results, you’ll want to use freshly grated Parmesan cheese! You can grate it yourself or find it already grated in the deli section of your local grocery store.
- Flour: The all-purpose flour is used to lightly coat the chicken before dipping it in the eggs.
- Eggs: The eggs are whisked with a little bit of water and help the breading stick to the chicken.
- Seasonings: For the seasonings in this recipe, we used garlic powder, sea salt, coarse ground black pepper, and dried parsley.
- Oils: When cooking the chicken, we used a combination of butter and canola oil.
- Sauce: You’ll need some of your favorite red sauce to make this chicken parm recipe. You can use marinara, spaghetti sauce, or even pizza sauce.
- Cheese: And, of course, we need some mozzarella cheese to melt on top!
How To Make Olive Garden Chicken Parm At Home
The two most important things to keep in mind when making chicken parmigiana is that you want to use thin chicken breasts and cook them over medium-low heat. Since the chicken is thin, it doesn’t take long to cook, and you want to keep the temperature low so that you get a perfect golden crust!
Breading: This recipe uses a three-part breading. Start by combining the panko, Italian breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, and garlic powder in a wide, shallow bowl. Whisk the eggs and water together in a separate bowl and put the flour in a third bowl.
Chicken: To make thin chicken cutlets from the chicken breasts, you’ll need to slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally. Then, place them between sheets of parchment paper and pound them until they are an even thickness.
Coat the cutlets in the three-step breading and sprinkle with salt and pepper, if desired.
Cooking: Cook the chicken cutlets in the hot oil and butter over medium-low heat; for about 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown.
Baking: Place the parmesan-crusted chicken on a baking sheet and top it with sauce and a slice of mozzarella cheese. Place the pan under the broiler for a minute or two until the cheese is melted.
More Sauce: If you like more sauce, you can spread pasta sauce in a baking dish and put the chicken on top. Then put additional sauce on top of the chicken and add the mozzarella cheese. Bake it at 400˚F for 5-7 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can bake this Olive Garden chicken parmesan recipe in the oven but keep in mind that it won’t be as crispy. Place the breaded chicken breasts on a greased baking sheet and spray them with olive oil. Bake the chicken at 400˚F for 17-21 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165˚F. Then, top the chicken with the sauce and mozzarella cheese and return to the oven until the cheese is melted.
Chicken parmesan and chicken parmigiana are the same dish! It is crispy chicken with a parmesan breading coated in sauce and mozzarella cheese.
It pairs well with bread, pasta dishes, and salads. For an appetizer, try focaccia bread, garlic knots, garlic bread, or breadsticks. As a side, serve Italian sausage soup and a copycat Olive Garden Italian salad. And for the main dish, serve it on spaghetti noodles, ziti, or spaghetti squash.
Try These Recipes Next
- Serve Honey Garlic Chicken on a bed of rice!
- This Lemon Chicken is ready in only 10 minutes.
- Garlic and Herb Chicken is easy to make on the grill.
- Chicken Alfredo Spaghetti Squash is a family favorite!
Chicken Parmigiana
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts 2 chicken breasts
- ½ cup panko
- ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
- ½ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon water
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- ½ cup spaghetti sauce
- 4 slices mozzarella cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
Instructions
- Split the boneless, skinless chicken breasts in half horizontally.
- Pound the chicken breasts until flattened.
- In a wide, shallow bowl mix together panko, Italian breadcrumbs, garlic powder, and grated Parmesan.
- Put the flour in a wide, shallow bowl and lightly coat both sides of the chicken in flour
- Whisk together the eggs and water. Coat the chicken with the eggs.
- Coat the chicken with the breadcrumb mixture.
- Finally, sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, if desired.
- Heat one tablespoon of butter and one tablespoon of canola oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Carefully add two of the coated chicken breasts and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden brown and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165˚F. Then, add the remaining butter and oil and cook the remaining chicken breasts.
- Place the chicken breasts on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Put 1-2 tablespoons of spaghetti sauce on each chicken breast and top with a slice of mozzarella cheese.
- Broil on high for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is melted. Garnish with dried parsley.
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