Description
This delicious gluten-free chicken parmesan (also known as chicken parmigiana) is the perfect main dish – breaded chicken cutlets baked till golden and spread with a homemade tomato sauce, topped with layers of glorious cheese, sprinkled with dried herbs for flavor.
Thanks to a breading made with almond flour and coconut flour, this is a low carb meal that can easily be made dairy-free too! Serve with a side of salad (or eat it own its own)!
Ingredients
For the Breaded Chicken Cutlets:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 28oz boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp salt divided
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
For the Homemade Tomato Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 15 oz can tomato puree
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup water
For Topping:
- 1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, diced or shredded (use dairy-free if needed)
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese (use dairy-free if needed)
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, for sprinkling on top of cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
- Fresh basil leaves, for garnishing
Instructions
- Grease Baking Tray: Prepare a large baking tray with a drizzle of olive oil. Set aside.
- Slice Chicken Breasts: Slice chicken breast into fillets, making sure they aren’t too thin. About ½-⅓ inch will be ok. Use a paper towel to pat the chicken fillets dry.
- Bread Chicken Cutlets: Beat the eggs in a medium size bowl and add ½ tsp salt. Place almond flour and coconut flour into another bowl and mix well to combine. Dip each chicken fillet with the egg mixture.
- Bread Chicken Fillets: Coat each fillet with the almond flour-coconut flour breading mix, making sure that they are coated evenly all over, shaking any extra breading off. Place breaded chicken in the prepared baking tray. Set it aside.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 400F. Pro Tip: brush breaded chicken fillets with olive oil on both sides for golden-breaded chicken.
- Prepare Tomato Sauce: Prepare the sauce by placing chopped onion in a medium-sized saucepan with a tbsp of olive oil. Sauté until translucent, then add minced garlic and stir until fragrant. Next, add tomato puree, dried Italian herbs, and salt. Cover with a lid and simmer for 5 minutes. Add 1 cup filtered water and simmer over low heat for another 20 minutes.
- Bake Until Golden: Bake chicken on one side for 8 minutes or until golden brown on the base.
- Spread Sauce Over Chicken Fillets: Flip the chicken fillets over and coat them with the prepared tomato sauce.
- Top With Cheese and Bake: Topping with the diced mozzarella and shredded parmesan. Return it to the oven for another 8 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the top of the cheese is golden brown.
- Serve Warm and Enjoy: Serve warm with fresh basil leaves as garnish. Enjoy your chicken parm!
Notes
Olive Oil: I like using extra virgin olive oil, but you may use other vegetable oils if you prefer (such as sunflower oil, corn oil, avocado oil or coconut oil).
Chicken Breast: Since this is a recipe for chicken parmesan, chicken breast is the main ingredient. However, you may also use turkey breast if you prefer. Make sure to pound the chicken cutlets evenly for best results.
Eggs: Eggs are used to help bind the breading to the chicken cutlets. I have not personally made this recipe without eggs, but if you are allergic to eggs, you may use acquafaba or an egg-replacer instead. (If you do make this without eggs, please let me know how it goes in the comments below, I’d love to know!)
Breading: To keep this recipe low-carb, I’ve used a mix of almond flour and coconut flour instead of normal breadcrumbs. Alternatively, you may also use gluten-free breadcrumbs or normal breadcrumbs if you prefer.
Tomato Sauce: I recommend using the homemade tomato sauce in the recipe (see this post for more details on homemade tomato sauce), but you can also use store-bought tomato sauce if you prefer (it won’t be as tasty or flavorful, but you’ll save time).
Mozzarella Cheese: If you are lactose-intolerant, you may use dairy-free mozzarella cheese instead.
Parmesan Cheese: If you are lactose-intolerant, you may use dairy-free parmesan cheese instead.
Italian Seasoning: I like using the blend of Italian seasoning (available at most supermarkets). Alternatively, you may make your own blend by mixing equal amounts of dried basil, dried oregano, dried rosemary, dried thyme, and dried parsley.
Red Chili Flakes: I like sprinkling red chili flakes on top of the cheese for a little pop of color and a kick of heat. Feel free to leave it out if you don’t want heat.
Fresh Basil: You can either top with chicken parmesan with whole fresh basil leaves, or sliced leaves.
Storing: Place any leftover chicken parmesan in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat this chicken parm in the oven at 375F for 5-7 minutes. Note: it won’t be crispy as freshly made. I do not recommend freezing this chicken parmesan.
- Prep Time: 50 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
