Chicken Parmo
Chicken Parmo is the perfect keto dinner. Tender chicken breasts smothered with flavorful sauce and cheddar cheese – what more could you want? From start to finish, this easy chicken parmo recipe is a must-make delight.
I came across this idea by accident on a search site. I saw ‘chicken parmo’ instead of ‘chicken parm’ aka parmesan and was intrigued enough to do some research. Parmo is a British dish from Middlesbrough, England with breaded chicken, white béchamel sauce, and cheddar cheese.
How perfect to keto-fy that dish!? I decided to use crushed pork rinds to keep it low carb and swapped out the bechamel sauce (which normally has milk and flour) for a keto white sauce.
It’s really one of those delicious recipes that have hints of chicken parmigiana and chicken parmesan but with white sauce instead of a marinara. Pair with your favorite side dish to balance out the meal – and enjoy every bite of this golden brown perfection.
I drew inspiration for this recipe from my Skillet Chicken Cordon Bleu and this Keto Breaded Chicken Breast. If you make them, I think you’ll see the connection!
Ingredients
- Chicken breasts – Slice the chicken meat into thin cutlets.
- Crushed pork rinds – This replaces the plain flour and breadcrumbs normally used when breading chicken.
- Grated parmesan cheese – Added to the pork rinds to create a low carb breading
- Heavy cream – Mixed with the egg this helps the breading to stick.
- Egg – Binder to help the coating stay on.
- Salt & black pepper – For flavor.
- Olive oil – To use in the pan for cooking the chicken.
- Cream cheese – To make the creamy sauce.
- Salted butter – Adds richness and smoothness to the sauce.
- Cheddar cheese – For the cheese topping. Shredded cheese or sliced cheese both work.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Chicken Parmo
Step One: Cut the chicken breast into thin cutlets. Depending on how thick the chicken is, you should be able to cut each piece into 2-3 pieces. You’ll need two separate bowls for the next steps. Add the pork rinds, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper into one shallow bowl. In a different bowl, mix the beaten egg and heavy whipping cream. Combine well. Put the chicken cutlets in one at a time, first in the cream cheese mixture, followed by the pork rind mixture.
Step Two: Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan on medium heat. Put the coated chicken breasts in and let the chicken sear before turning.
Step Three: Cook for 4-6 minutes per side.
Step Four: Put the cooked chicken on a large-rimmed baking sheet.
Step Five: To make the sauce, add the cream cheese, butter, and heavy cream to a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking until the cream cheese is melted. The sauce should be smooth in texture. Add salt and pepper to season.
Step Six: Use a large wooden spoon and cover the browned chicken with the sauce.
Step Five: Top with the shredded cheddar cheese.
Step Six: Put the pan in the oven and bake for 5-10 minutes or until the chicken reaches 160 degrees.
Top Tip💡
If you want to brown the cheese, kick on the broiler for 1-2 minutes at the end of the cooking time!
Substitutions
- Panko breadcrumbs – If you don’t want to use pork rinds, you can also use breadcrumbs.
Variations
- Seasonings – You can easily add garlic powder, a little bit of onion powder, or anything else that you want to the coating.
- Tomato sauce – If you want to use tomato paste or tomato pasta sauce instead of white sauce, go for it! You could even use a cheese sauce.
See this Garlic Parmesan Zucchini for a fun and unique side!
Equipment
To make this yummy dish, you’ll want to have a rolling pin ( I use this to crumb up the pork rinds), a baking tray, a chopping board, a meat hammer (if you want to thin out the chicken cutlets), a skillet, and a pot.
You’ll also want a whisk to stir the creamy white sauce.
Storage
Once you make this dish, you may have some leftovers! This means you can save, reheat, and enjoy serving on the dinner table again. Let the chicken cool to room temperature, place it in an airtight container, and store it in the fridge.
You can also freeze leftovers by storing them in a freezer bag. To reheat, let the chicken thaw, and then warm-up in the oven or microwave.
Common Questions
I wouldn’t suggest it. The heavy cream adds a thickness to the sauce and a richness that really can’t be beaten.
Sure! You just need to be sure that you check the internal temperature of the chicken. Baking will take longer, and using a meat thermometer is going to be key to making certain that the chicken is fully cooked. Once the reading is 160 degrees, the chicken should be done cooking and ready to serve. It is important to note that by baking this dish, you will be losing out on some of the crunch that comes to the outer coating by frying it.
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Chicken Parmo Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lb chicken breasts cut into 8 thin cutlets
- 3/4 cup crushed pork rinds ***
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 egg beaten
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- olive oil for frying
Sauce & Topping
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1.5 cups cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Cut each chicken breast into thin cutlets. You will get 2 or 3 per piece depending on their thickness.
- In a shallow dish combine pork rinds, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. In a separate shallow pan combine the beaten egg and heavy whipping cream. Mix well.
- Place chicken breasts one at a time first in the egg cream mixture and then the pork rind breading mixture.
- Heat extra virgin olive oil in a skillet or frying pan on medium heat. Next place chicken breasts in the heated skillet. Allow the chicken to sear well before turning them over. This will take about 4 to 6 minutes per side.
- Transfer the browned chicken to a large rimmed baking sheet.
Sauce
- Meanwhile, add the butter, cream cheese, and heavy cream to a small saucepan.
- Heat over medium heat, whisking, until the cream cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Assembly
- Add the chicken to a large rimmed baking sheet.
- Spoon the sauce over the browned chicken breasts. Top with the cheddar cheese.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 5-10 minutes until the chicken reaches 160.
- Optional: Broil for 1-2 minutes to brown the cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
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I’m from the North East of England where this dish is very popular. I tried this keto… gluten free version last night… it’s a great recipe. I will definitely be making this again. ☺️
Hi Jan, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
So good! Easy to make and delicious.
Oh my I can’t wait to try this! Thanks Taryn 🙂
In the last step, is the oven at 350 degrees to do the final 5- to 10-minute baking?
Yes. I will edit to clarify.
Chicken is the most unsexy food i know but you have give it a new dimension, this is really good and easy to do.
I really love it !