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This healthy chicken parmesan is breaded with almond flour and baked instead of fried. It’s moist, full of flavor and perfect for satisfying a craving for Italian comfort food. Gluten-free + grain-fee.
These baked chicken tenders have become one of my most popular recipes here on EBF and for good reason. They’re easy to make, gluten-free, grain-free and they’re absolutely delicious, not to mention Whole30 approved! I love serving the tenders with baked sweet potato fries or over a fresh salad, but I thought it would be fun to give them an Italian spin by adding a little marinara and parmesan cheese for upgraded healthy chicken parmesan.
Traditional recipes for chicken parmesan are loaded with multiple kinds of cheese, bread (or flour) and sometimes butter. There is nothing wrong with any of those ingredients, but sometimes I don’t want to feel like I need to be rolled away from the dinner table… you feel me? This simple, cleaned-up version is perfect and won’t leave you feeling overstuffed or bloated. The chicken base is coated in egg, almond meal and spices to create a flavorful, crunchy base and then it’s topped with marinara sauce and freshly grated parmesan.
Start by mixing the almond meal and spices in a small bowl. Crack and whisk the egg in a separate shallow bowl. Dredge each chicken breast in the egg bowl, allow any excess egg to drop and then dip the coated chicken into the almond meal mixture, making sure the chicken is fully coated.
To bake in the oven, place the coated chicken on a baking pan lined with parchment paper and bake at 400ºF for 15 minutes. Flip the chicken and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. The chicken is done when it’s golden brown and completely cooked through
tip! For extra crispy chicken, bake the chicken on a wire rack that fits on a baking sheet.
To cook in an air fryer, place the coated chicken breasts in the air fryer basket and cook at 400ºF for 6-8 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Once your chicken is cooked, top each chicken breast with marinara sauce and parmesan cheese. Return to the oven or air fryer and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
I really like doing the cook-once, eat-twice method by making a batch of the tenders on Sunday night. The recipe makes four servings so we’ll have the tenders for dinner on a big salad and then I’ll save the leftovers to make this chicken parm the following night. The only additional items you need to have on hand are a little marinara and fresh parmesan cheese.
The baked chicken breasts will last for 3-4 days in the fridge so make as much as you’d like ahead of time! If you can’t eat them that quickly you can also freeze the baked chicken breasts (without the tomato sauce and cheese) for up to two months.
I love serving this dish with a side of roasted broccoli but there are so many side options! Here are some ideas:
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-4 days. I recommend baking or placing in the air fryer for a few minutes to help the chicken crisp up again! You can microwave if you’re in a pinch but the chicken won’t be crispy.
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You did it again! This was another hit of deliciousness! I did my chicken in the air fryer and it came out so crispy and juicy. I used a gf breading I found because I couldn’t find almond meal. I live on your website. Any time I want to try something new I come straight here!
And I’m having the chocolate peanut butter banana bites for dessert!
Thank you!
Ahhh thank you so much, Tara! Let me know how the banana bites turn out for you. I appreciate your comment and review!
Love this! Quick and easy. I used cassava flour and bread crumbs from TJs. I also used my air fryer. Perfect quick dinner. I added broccoli and someLeftover penne I had.
Hey Amanda! So glad you loved this recipe! How long did the chicken parm take to cook in your air fryer? I’ll have to try that sometime!
Very tasty! This is the first well plated recipe that I have tried and I’m glad I did. Will be trying more recipes in the near future.
Excellent taste, loved the ease of making this recipe and family loved it! Definitely a keeper!
Yay! I’m so glad this recipe worked well for you, Imsen! Thank you for coming back to leave a review and star rating, it means so much to me!
This was so good and so easy! I used breadcrumbs because I had some lying around. It was cooked to perfection! We had ours over a bed of zoodles and the kids had spaghetti. Not a bike left! Another great recipe!
Ah yay! So happy to hear this recipe was a hit, Kelly! Thanks so much for trying it out and coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it!
This was fantastic! Had a good spicy, savory flavor to it. I made it with Zoodles and that was great to keep it low carb. Next time I will definitely use a sheet pan with the grate so it’s a little crispier! Love that it’s GF! Thanks for another good one, Brittany!
Oh yay! Happy to know you enjoyed this chicken parmesan and I love that you paired it over zoodles, so yummy! Thanks for the review, Sarah. It means so much to me!