Olive Garden Chicken Parmigiana Recipe

This addictive Olive Garden chicken parmigiana is coated in crunchy parmesan breadcrumbs, topped with marinara sauce, and smothered with rich, melty mozzarella cheese. It's exactly like the chicken parmesan Olive Garden serves, so it's restaurant-quality yet easy enough to make for a weeknight dinner!

THE BEST CHICKEN PARMIGIANA RECIPE

Chicken parmigiana is a staple Italian meal that is just so delicious.

My grandma was Italian and she was a pretty tough food critic, but she loved the chicken parmigiana Olive Garden serves. And, well, because she loved it so much, I knew I had to make my own version of their chicken parmigiana recipe at home!

This Olive Garden chicken parmigiana recipe is juicy and flavorful, coated in a golden parmesan crust and covered with savory marinara sauce, plus melty mozzarella cheese on top. Not to mention, it's super easy to make, and can be done and on the table in as fast as 30 minutes! 

Serve it with this fried spaghetti and garlic bread and you've got a winning combination that'll have everyone at the table asking for seconds.

INGREDIENTS

In addition to being really easy to make, this chicken parmesan Olive Garden recipe also has super simple ingredients that you can find anywhere.

So, here's a closer look at everything you'll need:

• 2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, pounded
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• ½ cup marinara sauce
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated (or asiago cheese)
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• parsley, chopped, for garnish
  

Another thing to love about this dish is that you can use most of these same ingredients to make some more Olive Garden recipes throughout the week - like these cheese stuffed shells and crispy lasagna fritta.

Oh, and this chicken parm recipe will make 2 pieces of chicken. So if you want more for a family dinner, just double or triple the amount of ingredients above.

HOW TO MAKE OLIVE GARDEN CHICKEN PARMIGIANA

So, the key to keeping this chicken parmigiana nice and crunchy - even after smothering it in tomato sauce and mozzarella - is pan frying the chicken before baking it.

But, don't be intimidated, though this recipe uses both the stove and oven, it's surprisingly quick.

From start to finish, this chicken parm recipe should only take about 30 minutes.

So, gather up your ingredients, and let's get into this recipe!

STEP 1: BREADING THE CHICKEN

 First, prepare three shallow bowls for the breading ingredients.

In the first bowl add the flour.

In the second bowl combine the milk and eggs.

Then, in the third bowl mix the breadcrumbs and grated parmesan.

Next, season the pounded chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper.

To bread the chicken, start by coating it in the flour, making sure to get all sides covered. Follow that up by dipping the coated chicken in the milk and egg mixture.

Lastly, coat it evenly with the breadcrumbs, gently pressing them into the chicken so it gets evenly covered. 

STEP 2: PAN FRYING THE CHICKEN

Now, preheat the oven to broil or around 500°F (260°C) and prepare a sheet tray lined with tin foil.

Then, heat some oil in a cast-iron pan over medium heat. Once the oil is heated, fry the breaded chicken for about 5 minutes on each side, or until it’s fully cooked through and golden brown.

Now, set the chicken on a plate lined with a paper towel to soak up any excess oil.

STEP 3: BROILING THE CHICKEN

Next, place the fried chicken in a single layer on the lined sheet tray. Then, cover each piece with the marinara sauce and the mozzarella cheese to create the chicken parmesan. 

Now, once that's all set, broil it in the oven until the cheese is melty and slightly golden, around 2-3 minutes.

Finally, garnish the finished chicken parmigiana with fresh parsley and serve with spaghetti or your choice of sides.

Enjoy!

MAKING CHICKEN PARMIGIANA IN THE AIR FRYER

This chicken parmigiana recipe can also be adapted for the air fryer!

Instead of frying the chicken on the stovetop, spray both sides evenly with oil and air fry at 390°F (200°C) for 10-12 minutes. Around 7 minutes in, flip the chicken and spray any dry spots with oil - if necessary - and continue cooking.

For broiling the cheese, set your air fryer to the broil function or around 450°F (230°C), and broil the chicken until the mozzarella is melted and toasty - about 2-3 minutes.

And, of course, if your air fryer is on the smaller side you can do both these steps in batches.

STORING LEFTOVER CHICKEN PARMIGIANA

Ok, so we rarely have leftovers of this chicken parmigiana in the Cunningham household because we always end up finishing every bite. 

And, truth be told, I think this chicken parmigiana is at its crunchiest and tastiest when it's freshly made.

But, if you do happen to have leftovers, you can store the chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To reheat this Olive Garden chicken parm, put it on an oven-safe dish and cover it loosely with tin foil.

Bake at 350°F ( 160°C) for about 15 minutes or until the chicken is warm throughout and the cheese remelts.

Then, uncover it and bake for another 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and melty again.

FAQS ABOUT THIS OLIVE GARDEN CHICKEN PARMIGIANA RECIPE

WHAT IS CHICKEN PARMIGIANA IN OLIVE GARDEN?

The chicken parmigiana on the Olive Garden menu consists of two parmesan-breaded chicken breasts topped with marinara sauce and melty Italian cheeses, plus a side of spaghetti. What makes it unique from any other Italian dish is the sauce and melted cheese on top of the breaded chicken. Spaghetti parmesan is another popular dish, and it's pretty much the same thing, minus the breaded chicken.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CHICKEN PARMESAN AND CHICKEN PARMIGIANA?

Chicken parmesan and chicken parmigiana are essentially the same thing. Chicken parmigiana was the original name, and the name was then shortened to chicken parmesan. Another common name for this delicious meal is chicken parm. So if you see Olive Garden chicken parm, that is exactly what this delicious recipe is!

WRAPPING IT ALL UP

So, that is how to make chicken parmesan Olive Garden style!

If you love eating chicken parmigiana at the restaurant, then you need to try this recipe for dinner.

It's spot-on like the one the restaurant serves, and something about it tastes even better made fresh at home. Plus, it's always a super popular meal with both kids and adults.

Anyway, I hope you like this Olive Garden chicken parmigiana recipe as much as my family and I do.

If you make it, be sure to leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Oh, and don't forget to check out our YouTube channel for more quick and easy recipes. We post new videos on there almost every day!

MORE COPYCAT RECIPES

If you liked this recipe and want to recreate some more popular meals at restaurants, we have a bunch on the blog that I think you'll like!

Give some of these a try next:

• Olive Garden crispy chicken fritta
• Olive Garden asiago tortelloni
• Longhorn Steakhouse parmesan crusted chicken
• Cheesecake Factory pasta carbonara
• Cheesecake Factory truffle honey chicken

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