With all the flavors of chicken parmesan but with half of the work, this simple ground chicken parmesan recipe is the perfect weeknight dinner! Ready in 30 minutes or less, this easy cheesy ground chicken recipe is also freezer-friendly and reheats wonderfully.
If you’re a fan of chicken parmesan but want a quick weeknight version on a busy night, then you’re in luck! This ground chicken parmesan has all the flavors of chicken parmesan, and even some buttery toasted breadcrumbs to satisfy your craving to bite into something crispy.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s super quick to make! Simply saute everything and let it simmer in the marinara sauce for 10 minutes and you’ll have dinner ready in a flash.
- It’s very easy to make on a busy night. I’m a huge fan of chicken parm, but I’m not a huge fan of breading everything and frying the chicken, so this ground chicken version really hits the spot with half the effort.
- Not just for pasta, you can serve this ground chicken parm over some garlic bread, in a bun, over fries, and more!
Ingredients You’ll Need
toasted breadcrumbs — you’ll need some panko breadcrumbs and butter. I also season them with salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning, but feel free to change them to your favorite seasoning combo.
oil — use olive oil or another neutral oil of your choice.
onions — I’m using a small yellow onion, but you can use whatever onion you have on hand. You can even swap it for shallots!
garlic — the more garlic, the better in my books.
ground chicken — I’m using ground chicken, but any ground meat can work in a jam!
seasoning — I season the ground chicken with salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried oregano.
marinara sauce — I love using Rao’s. I always have a few jars in my pantry from Costco. I believe the jars you can find in a regular grocery store are slightly smaller than the Costco ones, but you can add a splash of broth to make up the difference. You can also use homemade marinara sauce.
parmesan — you can have chicken parmesan without parmesan! I always have the giant block from Costco that I grate myself. I find it melts better than pre-grated parm.
mozzarella — again, shredding your own mozzarella melts better than pre-shredded, but sometimes I buy it pre-shredded since I can find the lactose-free version in a bag.
basil — I add a few sprigs of basil during the simmering process. I also garnish with a bit of basil but that’s optional.
How to Make Ground Chicken Parmesan
- In a large, non-stick skillet over medium-low heat, melt the butter before adding the panko breadcrumbs, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning.
- Spread the breadcrumbs in an even layer, leaving it undisturbed for 30 seconds to 1 minute before stirring. Repeat this process 2 to 3 times or until the breadcrumbs are toasted to a golden color. Set aside.
- In the same non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat before adding the diced onions and ½ teaspoon of salt and saute for 2 minutes. Then add the chopped garlic and saute for another minute.
- Push the onion and garlic to the side of the skillet to make room in the center. Add the ground chicken, salt (½ teaspoon), garlic powder, onion powder, and dried oregano to the skillet. Brown the ground chicken for 4 to 5 minutes, making sure to break up the chicken into small pieces.
- Add the marinara sauce, parmesan, and basil leaves to the skillet. Stir and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove the basil and discard it. Add the mozzarella cheese to the top and let everything cook for another 2 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Sprinkle the toasted breadcrumbs on top or hold off to add them to individual servings. Serve over spaghetti or your pasta of choice. Garnish with more basil, if desired.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- If you are planning on leftovers, I recommend holding off on adding the toasted breadcrumbs to the entire dish. Store the toasted breadcrumbs in their own container in the fridge.
- You can double the recipe and freeze half for a later day! Just make sure you have a skillet that is large enough.
- If you don’t have enough ground chicken, I like to make this with half ground chicken and half ground turkey.
Make Ahead Tips
- Meal prep: once cooled, store the ground chicken parmesan in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
- Freezer: allow to cool before transferring into an airtight container before storing in the freezer. Store for up to 3 months.
Ground Chicken Parmesan Recipe
Ingredients
For the Toasted Breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon butter, unsalted
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
For the Ground Chicken Parmesan
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided in half
- 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 2 pounds ground chicken
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 770 mL marinara sauce, (1 jar Rao's)
- 1 cup grated parmesan
- 2 sprigs basil
- 1½ to 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
For the Toasted Breadcrumbs
- In a large, non-stick skillet over medium-low heat, melt the butter before adding the panko breadcrumbs, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning.
- Spread the breadcrumbs in an even layer, leaving it undisturbed for 30 seconds to 1 minute before stirring. Repeat this process 2 to 3 times or until the breadcrumbs are toasted to a golden color. Set aside.
For the Ground Chicken Parmesan
- In the same non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat before adding the diced onions and ½ teaspoon of salt and saute for 2 minutes. Then add the chopped garlic and saute for another minute.
- Push the onion and garlic to the side of the skillet to make room in the center. Add the ground chicken, salt (½ teaspoon), garlic powder, onion powder, and dried oregano to the skillet. Brown the ground chicken for 4 to 5 minutes, making sure to break up the chicken into small pieces.
- Add the entire jar of marinara sauce, shredded parmesan, and basil leaves to the skillet. Stir and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove the basil and discard it. Add the mozzarella cheese to the top and let everything cook for another 2 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Sprinkle the toasted breadcrumbs on top or hold off to add them to individual servings. Serve over spaghetti or your pasta of choice. Garnish with more basil, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
More Recipes to Try
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