Keto Chicken Parmesan

Baked Chicken Parmesan is a classic Italian dish loaded with flavor and a surprisingly easy chicken dinner recipe. That’s right, you can enjoy restaurant-quality Keto Chicken Parmesan at home, in less than 30 minutes.

This is one my my favorite recipes and I’ve made it multiple times. It’s also gotten rave reviews from my readers who love it. With less than 15 minutes of hands-on time, common ingredients, and minimal cleanup it’s sure to be a new favorite. 

Even better, this baked Keto Chicken Parmesan Recipe is low-carb, gluten-free, and full of wholesome goodness. It tastes just as good as the classic recipe but uses almond flour instead of breast crumbs. 

I’m a huge fan of baked chicken and excited to share this recipe. I made a double batch of this chicken parmigiana myself and even the leftovers are amazing! If you want more easy chicken dinners, you’ll love my easy baked chicken breast recipe. 

How to Make Keto Chicken Parmesan (step-by-step)

Baked Keto Chicken Parmesan is simple and requires only a few steps. All you need to do is bread the chicken breasts, brown them in a pan, then baked until cooked through. Read on and learn how to make it.

Flatten the chicken breasts 

Cut large chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Place one half in a large Ziploc bag and seal (this reduces splatter and makes cleanup easy). Pound with the flat side of a meat mallet until about ⅓-inch thick and 3 to 4 inches wide. 

Bread the chicken breasts, keto-style

In a large bowl, stir together almond flour, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. You could also add extra seasonings such as onion powder or garlic powder.

Dip and coat both sides of chicken breasts in a bowl of lightly beaten eggs. Dredge into almond flour mixture to coat and season chicken. 

Brown it

Heat oil in a large oven-safe non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add breaded chicken breasts and cook 3 minutes, or until bottoms are golden brown. Rotate and brown other sides. 

Assemble and bake

Remove from heat and pour marinara sauce into the pan, lifting up chicken breasts so they are resting above the sauce.

Spoon remaining marinara sauce over the centers of the chicken. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and remaining Parmesan cheese.

Bake uncovered 17-20 minutes at 400 degrees, or until the internal temperature of chicken reaches 165 degrees.

Serve

Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes on a wire rack. Serve garnished with fresh basil or parsley and desired sides. You’ll find suggested sides to serve with it towards the end of this post.

Answers to common questions:

Keto breading for Chicken Parmesan

Instead of using bread crumbs or Panko crumbs, substitute almond flour. I like to stir in shredded Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and salt to punch up the flavor. It bakes right into the chicken breasts and is amazing.

Pro tip: Be sure to use fine almond flour for best texture. It also sticks to the chicken better.

What size chicken breasts should I use?

Chicken breasts come in a wide range of sizes. I used large 8 to 12 ounces chicken breasts, then cut them in half lengthwise. Once flattened to ⅓-inch, it creates the ideal size and shape for breaded Chicken Parmesan.

Do I need to flatten then chicken breasts?

Yes, this is a critical step for Parmesan chicken. Here are a few reasons why:

• Even thickness allows for even baking and doneness
• Breading on a flat surface browns more evenly
• Thinner chicken breasts create a higher breading to chicken ratio and lovely flavor
• Flattening with a meat mallet tenderizes the meat, making it more moist and juicy. No dry chicken, instead it almost melts in your mouth.

But isn’t it messy? A simple trick is to place the chicken breast in a sealed Ziplock bag or wrap in plastic wrap, then flatten. This will prevent liquids from splattering, is much safer and makes clean up easy.

Do I need to brown the chicken breasts in a pan first?

Although it adds a bit of extra time, it’s highly recommended for the best flavor and texture. The Keto Chicken Parmesan will have much more depth if browned first. To save time, you could simply bake them, but add an additional 4-6 minutes of baking time.

Which pan should I use?

It’s best to use an oven-safe nonstick pan rated for at least 400 degrees F. This way you can brown the breaded chicken breasts then finish baking them in the oven. This makes cleanup easy and allows for one-pot Parmesan Chicken. You could also transfer the chicken parm to a baking dish, but this adds extra cleanup.

How long to bake Chicken Parmesan

Bake Chicken Parmesan uncovered for 17 to 20 minutes at 400° F, or until internal temperature reaches 165°. 

Can I use regular bread crumbs?

If you don’t have almond flour or are allergic to nuts there are a few easy substitutes. Simply substitute 1:1 of any of the following:

• Crushed pork rinds
• Bread crumbs (not keto)
• Gluten-free bread crumbs (not keto)
• Panko crumbs (not keto)

Is marinara sauce keto?

Marinara and tomato sauce often contain added sugar, which definitely is not keto. However, it’s possible to find brands with no added sugars and this is recommended. Tomatoes contain natural sugars and carbs. However, a little bit on top of the chicken Parmesan still keeps this a keto recipe.

What to serve with Keto Chicken Parmesan

These are wonderful on their own simply served with a veggie side. Or serve with some of these sides:

• Keto Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
• Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
• Baked Parmesan Crisps
• BLT Coleslaw Salad
• Avocado Caprese Salad

Classic Chicken Parmesan is often served over pasta noodles. To keep this low carb chicken Parmesan recipe, you could serve over zucchini or spaghetti squash zoodles.

How to store and serve leftovers

• In the fridge: Let cool a bit at room temp, then refrigerate in a sealed container up to 4 days. Reheat the leftovers in a microwave for about 1 minute and 30 seconds.
• Freeze: For longer storage, freeze in a sealed container up to 4 months. Defrost in the fridge before reheating.

More chicken breast recipes you’ll like

• Baked Keto Breaded Chicken Breast
• Moist Baked Chicken Breast
• Grilled Chicken Breast
• Lemon Chicken Pasta with Brocolli
• Slow Cooker Chicken Pho Soup recipe

Leave a comment below and star rating if you made this recipe or want to share your thoughts.

 

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5 from 5 votes

Baked Keto Chicken Parmesan

A classic Italian dish loaded with flavor. This easy Chicken Parmesan recipe is keto and low carb with an almond flour breading.

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Keyword baked chicken Parmesan, Chicken Parmesan recipe, keto chicken Parmesan

Prep Time 7 minutes

Cook Time 23 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Calories 526kcal

Servings 4

Author: Matt Ivan

Did you know? Servings and ingredient amounts can be adjusted on all my recipes. Click the green number above to change.

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 large chicken breasts, about 1 ½ pounds
• ▢ 1 cup fine almond flour
• ▢ ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 2 eggs
• ▢ 1 tablespoon light olive oil
• ▢ 24 ounces marinara sauce, divided (look for a brand with no sugar added)
• ▢ 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• ▢ ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400° F. Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Place one half in a large Ziploc bag and seal. Pound with the flat side of a meat mallet until about ⅓-inch thick and 3 to 4 inches wide. Remove from bag and repeat for remaining breast halves.
• In a large bowl, stir together almond flour, ⅛-cup Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
• Lightly beat eggs in a medium bowl. Dip and coat both sides of a chicken breast, then dredge into almond flour mixture until both sides are evenly coated. Repeat for remaining chicken breasts.
• Heat oil in a large oven-safe non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add breaded chicken breasts and cook 3 minutes, or until bottoms are golden brown. Rotate and brown other sides. Remove pan from heat.
• Reserve 1-cup of marinara sauce. Pour remaining sauce into the pan. Add browned chicken breasts in a single layer, leaving at least 1-inch between them.
• Spoon remaining marinara sauce over the centers of the chicken breasts. Sprinkle with mozzarella and remaining Parmesan cheese.
• Bake uncovered 17-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of chicken reaches 165° F. Remove from oven and let rest 3-5 minutes before serving.
• Serve garnished with parsley and desired sides.

Nutrition Facts

Baked Keto Chicken Parmesan

Amount Per Serving (1 half breast)

Calories 526 Calories from Fat 306

% Daily Value*

Fat 34g52%

Saturated Fat 9g56%

Cholesterol 224mg75%

Sodium 1634mg71%

Potassium 1280mg37%

Carbohydrates 9g3%

Fiber 6g25%

Sugar 9g10%

Protein 48g96%

Vitamin A 1520IU30%

Vitamin C 19mg23%

Calcium 395mg40%

Iron 4.5mg25%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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