Chicken Parmesan is one of the dishes at every Italian restaurant in the US. I know why: it's delicious! My low carb keto chicken parmesan recipe is fast, grain free, gluten-free, & and kid-approved!
Chicken Parmesan is one of those dishes on the menu at every Italian restaurant across America. It is a classic and there is a good reason, it's delicious! But... it can be very labor-intensive to make it at home.
I'll never forget one Saturday when we first got married that we invited over some friends for dinner and decided to make chicken parm at the last minute. Not the brightest idea. I was still breading and pan-frying the chicken when the company arrived. And then it needed to bake for 45 minutes. I think we finally ate dinner after 8. Oops!
I promise this baked low carb gluten free chicken parmesan is much easier. It is a perfect easy keto diet dinner and a favorite chicken recipe among my whole family.
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Ingredients
Chicken breasts - If they are very large cut in half into thinner chicken cutlets.
Egg - Egg binds the topping to the chicken.
Grated parmesan cheese - Parmesan replaces the bread crumbs in the traditional recipe.
Dried minced garlic & onion - Feel free to substitute very finely minced fresh garlic and onion or garlic powder and onion powder.
Dried oregano, basil, & parsley - You can substitute an Italian seasoning blend instead of the individual herbs but I prefer to add the ones we like separately.
Freshly ground black pepper & salt - Enhances the other flavors of the chicken.
Marinara sauce - Make your own or check store-bought for added sugar.
Shredded mozzarella - Sliced works too!
Want to try a chicken breaded with ground pork rinds? Try my Keto Breaded Chicken Breast.
How to Make Keto Chicken Parmesan
The lazy way to make chicken parm is to just bread it and then bake it in the oven. Since the coating is flourless you can just bake it without pan-frying it first. That cuts the prep down to about 10 minutes. As much as I enjoy being in the kitchen I also love easy prep meals.
First Step: Dip a chicken breast into the beaten egg mixture. Coat in the parmesan cheese mixture. Place in a greased casserole dish. I normally just drizzle some olive oil in the bottom of my baking dish. Repeat.
Second Step: Bake the chicken at 400 for 30 minutes.
Top Tip💡
This time is for using whole medium-large chicken breasts. If you are making this with thin cutlets or chicken tenderloins only bake for 15 minutes before adding the sauce and cheese. If your chicken breasts are gigantic cut them in half first.
Third Step: After par-cooking the chicken top with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Fourth Step: Bake for an additional 10-20 minutes until the chicken reaches 160 degrees on a meat thermometer and the cheese is melted.
Expert Tip: Broil for 2-3 minutes, watching constantly, to get a nice golden brown look on the cheese.
Keto Chicken Parm Tips
- Do not overcook the keto parmesan chicken. Please buy a digital meat thermometer if you do not own one. This is the key to enjoying tender and juicy chicken. Only cook it until it is 158-160 degrees and then let it rest.
- Use a delicious marinara sauce. Marinara sauce is not all the same. In a simple dish like this, you can really taste the difference between homemade and store-bought and between cheap store-bought tomato sauce and quality sauce. Watch for added sugar in jarred sauces when buying them for keto recipes. Since you only need a little bit this is a time to splurge on the good stuff.
- If you want to give this a kick mix some red pepper flakes into your pasta sauce before adding it.
Common Questions
Is Chicken Parmesan Keto?
Traditional chicken parmesan is coated with flour, egg, and bread crumbs. It is not keto because of the flour and bread crumbs. But it is very easy to swap out those ingredients for keto friendly parmesan cheese in the breading.
How to make Chicken Parmesan without Bread Crumbs
I simply use a combination of parmesan cheese and herbs instead of traditional bread crumb breading in my keto chicken parmigiana. Coconut flour or almond flour will not give the same result. Crushed pork rinds work a bit better than the low carb flours.
Can I use chicken thighs?
Yes, if you want to. I prefer the milder flavor of boneless skinless chicken breasts in this low carb chicken parmesan recipe but boneless skinless chicken thighs will work fine.
Can I make this in the air fryer?
Sure. Just grease the air fryer basket and add the chicken in a single layer. When it is 80% cooked add the sauce and cheese.
What to serve with Baked Chicken Parmesan
Our favorite side dish for keto chicken parmesan is my homemade caesar salad.
Other great side dish options are roasted green beans, garlic broccoli, balsamic mushrooms, cauliflower rice, or zucchini noodles!
Or for a vegetarian version sub the chicken for cauliflower and try my Cauliflower Parmesan.
I hope your whole family loves this lazy baked keto chicken parmesan!
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Keto Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
- 2.5 - 3 lb chicken breast
- 1 egg
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ tablespoon dried minced garlic
- ½ tablespoon dried minced onion
- ½ tablespoon dried oregano
- ½ tablespoon dried basil
- ½ tablespoon dried parsley
- ¼ tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- pinch salt
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 6 oz shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400. Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.
- Beat egg in one small wide bowl. In a second bowl combine the parmesan cheese with all the spices and mix.
- Dip each piece of chicken in the egg and then the cheese, coating both sides. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20-30 min. You want to chicken to be about 145-150 degrees before you add the sauce and the cheese.
- Top each piece with sauce and then shredded mozzarella. Bake for another 5-10 min until the chicken is 160 degrees when checked with a meat thermometer and the cheese is melted and bubbly. You can broil for a minute or two at the end to brown the cheese.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
For more Italian-inspired Keto Dinner Recipes try these:
Originally Published March 7, 2016. Revised and Republished with October 13, 2023.
Lori says
Absolutely D-lish! I accidentally used shredded parmesan instead of grated, but still turned out amazing! I served over spaghetti squash and with green beans. YUM!
Becky says
Made this 8/10/20 - Wow, Wow!!! Another great recipe! Soooo good and I can't remember the last time I made such an easy recipe! This one is going on regular rotation in my house. What I did different: I baked the chicken for 25 minutes (it was done) then I broied it for a few minutes to get the tops browned and crispy. Added the marinara and cheese then broiled again to get the cheese nice and melty. Done and sooo delicious!! Definitely add this one to your favorite recipes.
Alecia says
Made this for dinner! Big hit.
However I tweaked the recipe a little by using almond flour. But it’s a fantastic recipe!
So...To crisp up the chicken...another option to use instead of not bread crumbs’ is:
Almond flour. Mix the herbs and cheese with a little almond flour then coating the chicken in that and bake.
Also, at Costco there’s keto bread now. Could brush bread in butter & garlic before baking the bread into a crisp, then crunching that into breadcrumbs. Just a couple options to change it up a little!
Angela says
This is such an easy and fantastic recipe! Making it again tonight. I also wanted to let you know that your older comments aren't showing up on several recipes on your site. So sorry for leaving another comment. Thank you so much for sharing this delectable recipe!!!
Taryn says
Thank you! I fixed the comment issue 🙂
Rebecca says
My boyfriend and I loved it! Thanks for the great recipe..I know it’ll be something I make often!
Bette Harley says
This is DELICIOUS! I've made it at least half a dozen times and it's always delicious and very satisfying. And not a lot of prep, so quick and easy! Thank you!
Chloe says
Made this for my family and oh my goodness it was amazing!! I used fresh, sliced mozzarella which made the entire thing so much more delectable!! 10/10
SioJor says
Hi I am new to keto. This recipe is soooooooooooooo good. Definitely on the repeat list. Thank you for sharing.
Traci says
I LOVE this recipe, it tastes better than with bread crumbs. My husband really liked it and he's not a keto follower
Michele says
Is this heart healthy and diabetic healthy ?
Taryn says
I think so but I'm not a doctor. It is gluten-free and low carb.
Sheryl says
I am not a medical professional of any kind. I do have Type 2 diabetes, and potential heart problems given my family history so I have done a lot of research on my own and also noticed what kind of diet lowers my triglycerides, cholesterol, and blood sugar. A low carb diet keeps my blood sugar low, and I don't worry about how much of healthy fat (meaning, no corn or soy oil, just olive or avocado oil and of course no transfats) I eat. My blood panels improve markedly when I eat this way, plus my cravings diminish and I lose weight and heartburn disappears.
Janet says
Oh my!
This recipe is perfect. Delicious, low carb, low sugar and easy. Thank you for sharing ❤️
Sharon says
This was simple and awesome! Both my husband and I enjoyed this recipe! Will make again!
Tom says
Thinking that topping with a slice of Provolone instead of shredded mozzarella is what I will be trying.
Leif says
I made this for dinner tonight as well as the garlic broccoli side it was A-mazing!!!!
Stephanie says
Does this work better with fresh Parmesan or the dried kind you buy in a jar?
Taryn says
Either works but should be finely grated, not shredded.
Mary Kay says
I assume this recipe is for 4 people?
Taryn says
It has 6 servings (this is listed at the top of the recipe card near the times).
Janet says
Which marinara sauce do you use?
Taryn says
I normally buy Classico Tomato and Basil or Roasted Garlic. At this time, both of those do not have added sugar. Make sure to check the labels though.
Sarah says
Fantastic! I used those thinly sliced chicken breasts and put these in cast iron. Amazing flavor and SO EASY! Served them with some buttered steamed beans and we’re stuffed. This one is going on heavy rotation in our house!
Mary says
Fantastic recipe. I used thighs (because that’s all I had) and it turned out great. I just cooked it a bit longer. Thanks for sharing!
Karen Pakula says
Delicious. Mixed in crushed pork rind into the Parmesan for crunch (think breadcrumbs) and it worked really well.
Stacey says
The pork rinds don’t go all soggy?
Taryn says
This recipe doesn't use pork rinds. But you can bread chicken with them.
Marcus says
Every time I’ve ever used pork rinds they get soggy and nasty.
Michael says
What’s the serving size
Taryn says
1/6th. That should be one chicken breast with sauce and cheese.