Light Parmesan Chicken Recipes

HEALTHY CHICKEN PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees, with rack in upper third. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; set aside. In a food processor, place bread, Parmesan, oil, and a pinch each salt and pepper. Pulse until coarse crumbs form; transfer to a shallow bowl. Place flour in a second shallow bowl; season with salt and pepper. Place egg white in a third shallow bowl, and beat with a fork until frothy.
• Dip top side of a chicken breast in flour, shaking off excess. Dip same side in egg white, letting excess drip off, then in breadcrumbs, pressing to adhere. (Do not bread other side.) Repeat with remaining chicken and transfer, breaded side up, to prepared baking sheet. Bake until breadcrumbs are crisp and browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven; sprinkle with mozzarella. Continue baking until chicken is opaque throughout and cheese is lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, place tomatoes, breaking them up with your fingers. Add garlic; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until sauce has thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Serve chicken with a generous amount of tomato sauce.

LIGHT CHICKEN PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F, with rack in upper third. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; set aside.
• In a food processor, place the bread, Parmesan, oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Pulse until coarse crumbs form; transfer to a shallow bowl. Place the flour in a second shallow bowl; season with salt and pepper. Place the egg white in a third shallow bowl, and beat with a fork until frothy.
• Dip the top side of the chicken breast in flour, shaking off excess. Dip the same side in egg white, letting excess drip off, then in breadcrumbs, pressing to adhere. (Do not bread other side.) Repeat with remaining chicken and transfer, breaded side up, to your prepared baking sheet. Bake until the breadcrumbs are crisp and browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven; sprinkle with mozzarella. Continue baking until chicken is opaque throughout and cheese is lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, add the tomatoes, breaking them up with your fingers. Add the garlic; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the sauce has thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Serve the chicken topped with a generous amount of tomato sauce. Garnish with basil, if desired.

COOKING LIGHT MAGAZINE'S CHICKEN PARMESAN

Steps:

• Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; flatten to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin.
• Dip chicken in egg; dredge in crumbs.
• Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat; add chicken, and cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned.
• Pour spaghetti sauce over chicken. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle with cheeses. Cover and simmer 5 more minutes or until cheese melts.

LIGHTER CHICKEN PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler to medium. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Combine the marinara sauce and balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a shallow dish, combine the breadcrumbs, half the Parmesan, half the parsley and some salt and pepper. Put the beaten egg whites in a separate shallow dish. Coat the chicken tenders in the egg whites first, then dredge in the breadcrumb mixture.
• Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package instructions.
• Heat the oil in a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Pour the tomato sauce over the chicken, scatter the mozzarella and remaining Parmesan evenly over top and broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 2 minutes.
• Drain the pasta. Serve with the chicken and garnish with the remaining parsley.

CHICKEN PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Place chicken breasts between two sheets of heavy plastic (resealable freezer bags work well) on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound chicken with the smooth side of a meat mallet to a thickness of 1/2-inch. Season chicken thoroughly with salt and pepper.
• Beat eggs in a shallow bowl and set aside.
• Mix bread crumbs and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese in a separate bowl, set aside.
• Place flour in a sifter or strainer; sprinkle over chicken breasts, evenly coating both sides.
• Dip flour coated chicken breast in beaten eggs. Transfer breast to breadcrumb mixture, pressing the crumbs into both sides. Repeat for each breast. Set aside breaded chicken breasts for about 15 minutes.
• Heat 1 cup olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer. Cook chicken until golden, about 2 minutes on each side. The chicken will finish cooking in the oven.
• Place chicken in a baking dish and top each breast with about 1/3 cup of tomato sauce. Layer each chicken breast with equal amounts of mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, and provolone cheese. Sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese on top and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is browned and bubbly, and chicken breasts are no longer pink in the center, 15 to 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

SPICY AND LIGHT CHICKEN PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Set up 3 large plates side by side. Next to the plates, set up a cookie sheet with a rack in it. This will allow the chicken to get crispy on both sides. Rub olive oil on the rack. In the first, combine cornstarch or flour, 1/3 Tbsp of salt, a few grinds of pepper, and paprika. In the second bowl, whisk egg, 1/3 tbsp salt, a few grinds of pepper, and water. In third bowl, combine parmesan, panko, remaining salt, red pepper flakes, parsley, and basil. Pat pounded chicken with paper towels to ensure dryness. Season chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in flour mixture, then egg, then panko, and then place on prepared sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Top with fresh mozzarella and place back in oven. Change oven setting to low broil and cook for another 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and beginning to brown.
• While chicken is baking, add all sauce ingredients except basil, into a blender and blend until smooth. If you have a high powered blender such as a vitamix, you can blend on high setting and leave on for 5 minutes until steaming hot. If you do not have a high powered blender, pour blended sauce into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer for 15 minutes. Add basil to sauce afterward.
• Prepare salad by mixing together all ingredients. Dress with balsamic vinegar.
• Serve chicken with topped with sauce and the salad on the side. Garnish with fresh parsley.

QUICK BAKED CHICKEN PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• Whisk water and egg together in a bowl until smooth. Combine bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, oregano, basil, thyme, and garlic powder in a separate bowl.
• Dip each chicken breast in egg mixture, allowing excess egg to drip back into bowl. Coat each chicken breast in bread crumb mixture, shaking off excess. Repeat dipping each coated chicken breast in the egg mixture and the bread crumb mixture for a double-coating and place in the prepared baking dish. Spray breaded chicken breasts with cooking spray.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Pour spaghetti sauce over each chicken breast and top each with mozzarella cheese and remaining Parmesan cheese. Continue baking until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the cheeses are melted, about 15 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).