Lightly floured and sauteed chicken fillets are topped with a light marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese before baking. While this dish is lower in calories than most, it’s bursting with flavor.
Chicken Parmesan is a dish that has evolved from a classic Italian dish called Eggplant Parmigiana. Typically, the chicken is breaded and sauteed then topped with a simple marinara sauce and lots of cheese. Oftentimes, it is served with a big side of pasta. However, I find this to be overwhelming and heavy. I prefer to serve this dish with a big green salad and crusty bread.
Lighter but Flavorful
This recipe for Chicken Parmesan is a departure from most, as the chicken is floured rather than breaded. Also, the chicken is dipped in lemon juice rather than eggs. I love the way the lemon juice adds a zippy flavor to the chicken. Most recipes also call for the chicken to be topped with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. While this tastes delicious it adds a lot of unnecessary calories to the dish. I prefer to top the chicken with a few tablespoons of good parmesan cheese and skip the mozzarella.
A 4-5 ounce serving of chicken breast with sauce and cheese is 4 WW Smart Points.
A 4-5 ounce serving of chicken breast with sauce and cheese is 356 calories.
While any tomato sauce will do, this brand is my favorite. Over the years, I have tried a variety of brands. However, the Muir Glen tomatoes never fail to disappoint me. The tomatoes are always sweet and delicious. This makes cooking a joy, as there is never a concern about my sauce being acidic in taste.
Buon Appetito!
PrintChicken Parmesan
Chicken cutlets dressed with tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese and baked.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6 Servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stovetop and Oven
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients
- 6 Skinless Chicken Breast Cutlets, about 2 pounds
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 3/4 cup Flour
- 1 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
- 1/2 teaspoons Pizza Seasoning or Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 cup Lemon Juice
- 6 teaspoons Olive Oil
For Sauce:
- 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup Carrots, shredded
- 1 Can (15 ounce) Muir Glen Tomato Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper or Calabrese Pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2 ounces Parmesan Cheese, grated finely
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine flour, seasoned salt and pizza seasoning in a dish or bowl.
- Place the lemon juice in another bowl.
- Lightly season the cutlets with a sprinkling of kosher salt and pepper.
- Dredge chicken in flour mixture, then dip in lemon juice. Dredge in flour mixture once more and place on a baking sheet until ready to cook.
- Repeat with remaining chicken cutlets.
- Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray (Bak Kleen ZT) and heat over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Once the oil begins to shimmer, place 3-4 pieces of chicken in the pan and brown, about 3 minutes. Turn and continue to brown on the second side, about another 2-3 minutes, adding an additional teaspoon of olive oil if necessary.
- Place browned chicken on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet. (Placing the breaded chicken on a rack will keep it from steaming and help the coating to keep from getting soggy. However, this step maybe skipped and the chicken can be placed directly into a baking dish or pan.)
- Repeat until all chicken has been browned.
For the Sauce:
- Heat another teaspoon of olive oil in the skillet and add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute.
- Add the shredded carrots and cook for about 6-7 minutes, until carrots soften.
- Add the tomatoes, salt, red pepper flakes and black pepper, let simmer for 8-10 minutes.
- Remove from heat.
Finish and Bake:
- If the chicken was cooling on a rack, transfer to a baking sheet or baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Place the cutlets in a single layer.
- Pour 2 Tablespoon of sauce over each cutlet.
- Sprinkle each cutlet with 1 1/2 Tablespoons of Parmesan Cheese.
- Bake in the oven for about 10 – 12 minutes, until a digital thermometer reads 145 degrees.
- Remove from oven and serve.
Notes
A 4-5 ounce serving of Chicken Parmesan with sauce and cheese is 4 WW Smart Points.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5 ounce
