Pesto Baked Chicken Parmesan Recipe — Salt & Wind Travel (2024)

Okay, true, maybe it’s a stretch categorizing this Baked Chicken Parmesan Recipe as a super healthy dish, but it’s waaay healthier than the classic Chicken Parmesan.

Not that I got anything against a traditional Chicken Parm! I just had more than my quota during college when I’d hit up the famous upstate New York food truck Louie’s Lunch on the regular.

Healthier Baked Chicken Parmesan Recipe

Here one of the most beloved Italian-American dishes — Chicken Parm — gets a healthy twist thanks to being baked, and the addition of pesto makes it even more flavorful.

So, these days I use more egg whites than eggs, and oven bake it but, I’m sorry, I just can’t cut out the cheese – I am Italian-American after all!

Oh, and my favorite part? This is actually a twice sauced Chicken Parm as it’s topped with both tomato sauce and pesto. Try this Baked Chicken Parmesan recipe once and then tell me: it’s habit-forming, isn’t it? Of course, if you just want one or the other for the sauces — that’s a-ok too.

True, this is by no means a classicItalian recipe, so you’d never come across it when you travel to Italy; however, there’s something to be said for these Italian-American dishes that are all parts delicious and comforting!

Tips For Baked Chicken Parmesan Recipe

Here are a few key tips for making this dish:

• Use Panko For Crunch: You could use homemade breadcrumbs or the Italian-style breadcrumbs but we are biggest fans of using Panko-style breadcrumbs. Buy gluten free ones if you want this dish to be gluten-free.
• Fat Is Your Friend:We say it so much around here that we should probably tattoo it on ourselves but, yes, fat is your friend to help carry flavor and keep things juicy, which is why there is oil or some other form of fat (i.e. whole eggs or cheese) in various parts of the recipe.
• Let The Coating Sit:Let the chicken sit with the coating on for at least 15 minutes before you cook it. This will help it adhere and stay on better.
• Cook Just Until The Juices Run Clear: Sure, we gave you a precise temperature to cook this Baked Chicken Parmesan to but really you don’t need a thermometer to tell it’s ready. Simply insert a knife in the thickest part of the chicken then pull the knife out. If the juices run clear, your chicken is done. If not, it needs to cook longer.

Gostock up on all your cooking essentials,then head into the kitchen, make this, and share it with us bytagging@saltandwindand#swsocietyon social!