Under-20-Minute Chicken Parmesan Cutlets
Chicken parm, but fast enough for a tired Tuesday.
When you want dinner to feel comforting without spending your whole evening cooking, this is the move. These chicken parmesan cutlets keep the familiar crispy-chicken, red-sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan combo, but they cook much faster than a full baked version. It works best on nights when you’re hungry, low on energy, and want something that feels like a real dinner instead of a compromise. You’ll still get cheesy, saucy, satisfying results, just with thinner chicken and a quick finish under the broiler. Serve it with bread, salad, or a simple pasta if you have the energy, but it’s perfectly fine on its own.
Ingredients
- 1.25 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts — cut horizontally into 4 thin cutlets
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.25 tsp black pepper
- 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 unit eggs — beaten
- 1 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
- 0.25 cup grated Parmesan cheese — plus more for serving
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1.5 cup marinara sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley — optional, chopped
Method
- 1 Heat the broiler and set a rack 6 to 8 inches from the heat. If your chicken breasts are thick, slice them into thin cutlets and season both sides with salt and pepper.
- 2 Set up three shallow bowls: flour in one, beaten eggs in the second, and breadcrumbs mixed with Parmesan in the third. Dredge each cutlet in flour, then egg, then breadcrumb mixture.
- 3 Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Cook the cutlets until golden, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
- 4 Spoon marinara over the chicken, top with mozzarella, and broil until the cheese melts and browns in spots, 1 to 3 minutes.
- 5 Finish with parsley and extra Parmesan. Serve hot.
Variations
- Vegetarian swap — Use thick slices of eggplant or breaded tofu cutlets instead of chicken, then top and broil the same way.
- Faster swap — Use store-bought breaded chicken cutlets; just warm them in the skillet, add sauce and cheese, then broil.
- Substitutions — Swap mozzarella for provolone, use panko instead of Italian breadcrumbs, or add a pinch of garlic powder to the breadcrumb mix.
Notes
Thin cutlets are the shortcut here: they cook quickly and stay juicy. If your broiler runs hot, watch closely so the cheese browns without burning. Serve with a simple side if you want, but this is filling enough to stand on its own.
Equipment that helps
- Oven-safe skillet — Lets you sear the chicken and finish it under the broiler without switching pans.
- Shallow bowls — Makes breading the cutlets quick and less messy.
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