Gluten Free Chicken Parmesan

A week after going gluten-free, I went to an Italian restaurant for a party. It was my first experience disclosing that I have dietary restrictions and requesting a gluten-free option. 

I was excited when told the chef could make a gluten free Chicken Parmesan. Unfortunately, I got served a grilled piece of bland chicken with melted cheese on top served with mushy gluten-free noodles covered in plain tomato sauce. 

I’m sure the chef gave it their best effort, but it was a far cry from the crispy delicious Chicken Parmesan that I looked forward to getting. 

This was my first experience at what others considered “good enough” or acceptable” gluten-free options, especially at an Italian restaurant.

After this experience, I knew I could do much better creating a Gluten-free Chicken Parmesan recipe that tasted like the classic restaurant style I loved.

Reasons This Recipe Works

• Easy to prepare. It’s so simple to make but will taste like you spent all day in the kitchen.
• Easy to make gluten-free. Gluten-free Italian cooking doesn’t need to be complicated. Swap in gluten-free breadcrumbs and GF flour to make the delicious crispy gluten free breaded chicken cutlet and then bake with spaghetti sauce and cheese.
• Delicious. Everyone will love this gf chicken parmesan, and nobody will guess it’s gluten-free. It is easy enough to serve during the week and just the right amount of fancy to make for company.
• Make-ahead. You can have all of the components ready a day or two ahead of time, so all you have to do is assemble the chicken parmesan on cooking day.

Ingredients.

• Gluten flour. I’ve used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour and Bob’s Red Mill all-purpose gluten-free flour. Both work great in this recipe, but any gluten-free flour will work, so use what you have.
• Eggs and milk to help the bread crumbs stick to the chicken.
• Unseasoned bread crumbs and seasonings. I use a blend of grated parmesan, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to create delicious homemade gluten-free Italian seasoned breadcrumbs.
• Boneless skinless chicken breasts. For the best results, I highly recommend using high-quality chicken breasts.
• Olive oil to fry the pieces of chicken in. 
• Spaghetti sauce. Any high-quality gluten-free spaghetti sauce will work. I often use homemade gluten-free Marinara sauce, but you can use leftover Sunday Sauce or keep it easy with jarred sauce. Of course, if you’re using jarred sauce check the labels for any hidden gluten ingredients. My favorite jarred sauce is Rao’s, Wegmans Organic Marinara, or Thrive Market Sicilian Gravy.
• Mozzarella cheese. To get the best ooey gooey flavors, I recommend using whole milk mozzarella and shredding it fresh. You can also use fresh mozzarella. If using fresh, then I suggest cutting into slices.

Supplies

• Mixing bowls
• Large skillet
• 9 x 13 ceramic baking dish

How to make Gluten free Chicken Parmesan

• Start by making the gluten free breaded chicken cutlets. Place the chicken breasts between pieces of plastic wrap, and using a meat mallet, pound the chicken breasts until about ½ inch thick. You can also use a sharp knife to cut the chicken breasts in half to make cutlets.
• Salt and pepper the chicken cutlets.
• Next, put together your dredging station. Place the gluten-free flour on a plate or shallow bowl. In a second shallow bowl, mix the eggs and milk, and in the last bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and seasonings to make the italian breadcrumb mixture.
• Dip one chicken cutlet into the flour, shaking off any excess flour. Then dip it into the egg mixture, and last, dip it into the breadcrumb mixture. Set the breaded chicken on a plate and continue with the rest of the chicken cutlets. Discard any unused flour, breadcrumbs, and egg mixture. Note: I like to prepare all the breaded cutlets before heating the oil; this makes it easier for me to concentrate on the chicken as it’s cooking.
• Over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottom saucepan until hot and shimmering. This means the oil is hot but not smoking hot. Fry the breaded chicken cutlets in the hot oil. Don’t crowd the pan, so if you can only fit 1-2 cutlets at a time in the pan, that’s fine. Cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side until the coating is golden brown. 
• As you fry the cutlets, you might need to add a little more oil in between frying. If you need to do this, make sure the oil is hot before adding in the next round of cutlets. 
• Remove the cutlets from the pan and place them on a plate while you cook the rest of the chicken.

• Assemble the rest of the ingredients for the Chicken Parmesan.
• Spread about ½ cup or so of sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. You don’t want a lot of sauce because this can cause the crispy coating to come off the chicken. Use just enough sauce to cover the bottom of the dish lightly.
• Place each breaded chicken cutlet on the sauce and then spoon about 1-2 tablespoons of sauce over each chicken breast. Again, you don’t want to use a lot of sauce because gluten-free breadcrumbs can become mushy when submerged in too much sauce.
• Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the chicken.
• Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until cheese melts and the sauce, and chicken are hot. If you want the cheese to brown a little, place it under the broiler and broil for 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh basil or parsely.
• Serve over your favorite gluten-free pasta with extra sauce if desired.

Serving suggestions

Our favorite side to go with Gluten free chicken parm is gluten-free pasta with extra sauce. Of course, with a side of tasty gluten-free garlic bread and caesar salad.

Or, if you want to add veggies, then make some roasted or steamed vegetables. You can also serve this gluten free chicken parmesan recipe over zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash.

Storage.

For the week

• You can dredge the chicken ahead of time in the breadcrumbs and then store it in a container in the refrigerator for two days. When you’re ready to make the chicken parmesan, continue with the recipe.
• This GF chicken parm recipe is best served hot out of the oven, but it can also be made entirely ahead of time and stored in an airtight container for four days. 
• When you’re ready to eat the chicken, warm it up for 2-3 minutes in the microwave.

To freeze

• You can also freeze chicken parmesan. Cool completely and freeze into portions. Or prepare the chicken cutlets entirely and then freeze. Thaw chicken overnight in the fridge and then continue with the recipe.

Cooking tips

• Make sure to salt and pepper the chicken before dredging it in flour and breadcrumbs. I find this tip to help give the chicken more flavor.
• I don’t recommend using gluten free panko breadcrumbs because they tend to fall off the cutlets as they fry in the pan or get mushy when placed in the sauce. Shar unseasoned bread crumbs work the best in this recipe.
• If you don’t have Italian seasoning, then use a mix of dried oregano and dried basil. You can also purchase gluten-free seasoned breadcrumbs, but I highly recommend making them homemade.
• For a healthier version, You can also bake the chicken cutlets instead of frying. Coat a sheet pan with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and then bake the chicken breasts for 20 – 25 minutes in a 400-degree oven, flipping halfway through. Then continue with the recipe. I give more tips for baked chicken parmesan on my sister site, Organize Yourself Skinny.
• Since we are using both flour and breadcrumbs in this recipe, I find it necessary to use the egg to help bind the ingredients together and create a thicker coating. However, I’ve made breaded chicken many times using just breadcrumbs. So, if you want to leave the egg and flour out, you can.
• If you like saucy chicken parmesan, then serve extra spaghetti sauce on the side.
• For a dairy-free chicken parmesan, use nutritional yeast instead of parmesan cheese and use dairy-free mozzarella cheese.