Want to indulge in chicken Parmesan while still skimping on the calories and fat? Yes please! Skinnytaste’s take on chicken parm is crispy baked chicken breast smothered with a layer of marinara sauce and sprinkled with mozzarella cheese. Oh, and butter is still involved where it really counts. Get started on this kid-friendly dish your whole family will love.
Skinny Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
- Cooking spray or oil mister
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (8 ounces each), fat trimmed
- 3⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1⁄2 cup seasoned whole wheat bread crumbs, homemade (see page 110) or store-bought
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons melted unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups Quickest Marinara Sauce (page 94) or store-bought marinara sauce
- 9 tablespoons part-skim mozzarella cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly spray a large baking sheet with oil.
Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally to make 6 cutlets. Season both sides with salt.
In a shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan. In a small bowl, combine the butter and olive oil. Brush the butter and oil on both sides of the chicken, dredge the chicken in the bread crumb mixture, and put the chicken on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly spray oil on top of the chicken.
Bake until golden on the bottom, about 20 minutes. Turn the chicken over and bake until the center is cooked through and the bottom is golden, 5 to 6 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large, deep covered skillet, cook the marinara sauce over medium heat until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.
Place the baked chicken in the skillet and top each piece with 11⁄2 tablespoons of themozzarella. Cover the pan and cook until the cheese melts, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve hot.
Nutrition Information
Serves: 6 | Serving Size: 1/2 chicken breast
Per serving: Calories: 163; Total Fat: 10g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Monounsaturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 27mg; Sodium: 751mg; Total Carbohydrate: 11g; Dietary Fiber: 3g; Sugars: 5g; Protein: 11g
Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 67mg; Vitamin A: 9%; Vitamin C: 3%; Calcium: 9%; Iron: 4%
Gina Homolka is the founder of Skinnytaste.com, the award-winning blog that’s been featured on Fitness, Better Homes and Gardens, Glamour.com, and FineCooking.com, among other media outlets. She lives on Long Island with her husband and their two children. Look for Gina’s new cookbook, The Skinnytaste Cookbook: Light on Calories, Big on Flavor on sale September 30, 2014.
Photo courtesy of Penny De Los Santos. Original recipe published in The Skinnytaste Cookbook.
