Herb-Marinated Chicken Parmesan
I love crispy chicken parmesan, but wanted to try making a healthier version, so I made this herb-marinated chicken parmesan. The marinade made the chicken flavorful and paired nicely with the marinara and cheese without being heavy and greasy. We all enjoyed this chicken and thought it paired well with a steamed artichoke and my house salad.
Herb-Marinated Chicken Parmesan
Marinade:
- 4-5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of extra fat
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp fresh basil, finely chopped
- 2 tsp fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, smashed
Remaining Ingredients:
- Marinara sauce
- Mozzarella cheese, shredded
- Parmesan cheese, shredded
- Fresh parsley, chopped
How to Make Herb-Marinated Chicken Parmesan
Combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, chopped herbs, smashed garlic cloves, and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes in a zip-lock bag. Mix until well combined.
Add the trimmed chicken thighs to the bag, then seal and refrigerate for 5-6 hours. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 20 minutes before cooking.
Coat an oven-proof pan over medium-high heat with cooking spray. Season both sides of the chicken with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.
Place the chicken thighs into the HOT pan for 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown.
Flip the chicken over, then spoon some marinara over the top.
Sprinkle a bit of mozzarella and parmesan on top of the marinara.
Cover with a lid or tin foil and place into the oven for 20 minutes.
Remove the foil, then cook for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the chicken is cooked through.
Place onto a serving tray, sprinkle the top with fresh chopped parsley, and serve immediately. Enjoy.
Equipment
Ingredients
Marinade:
- 4-5 boneless skinless chicken thighs trimmed of extra fat
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp fresh basil finely chopped
- 2 tsp fresh Italian parsley finely chopped
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves finely chopped
- 1 tsp fresh oregano leaves finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic smashed
Remaining Ingredients:
- Marinara sauce
- Mozzarella cheese shredded
- Parmesan cheese shredded
- Fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, chopped herbs, smashed garlic cloves, and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes in a zip-lock bag. Mix until well combined. Add the trimmed chicken thighs to the bag, then seal and refrigerate for 5-6 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 20 minutes before cooking.
- Coat an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat with cooking spray. Season both sides of the chicken with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Place the chicken thighs into the HOT pan for 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Flip the chicken over, then spoon some marinara over the top.
- Sprinkle a bit of mozzarella and parmesan on top of the marinara, then cover with foil and place into the oven for 20 minutes.
- Remove the foil, then cook for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the chicken is cooked through.
- Place onto a serving tray, sprinkle the top with fresh chopped parsley, and serve immediately. Enjoy.
My mouth waters terribly! They look so good, Pam.
Looks totally delicious Pam. Did you get the message I sent you?
I bet this version was delicious – it sure looks like it.
It smells south of Europe and dolce vita, great!
frankly, this sounds better than traditional chicken parm! nicely done!
I usually think of chicken parm as such a heavy dish, the herbs definitely lighten it up!
What temp should the oven be set to?
Ashley,
Thanks for letting me know it was missing from the recipe. I have since corrected the error. You preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Thanks,
Pam
I made this tonight, and it was delicious! I doubled the marinade because I had a lot of thighs, and cooked as directed. Very moist with cheesy, tomato goodness!
I was a little skeptical since chicken parm is one of my favorites, but I made this the other night and it was so good! Very moist and flavorful. Thank you!
Pam I love this chicken parmesan ! I pin this!
Fabulous! And such great flavors! I don’t mind the unhealthy version, but I like what you did here!
Can you make this with dried herbs? And if doc should you use same amount or less?
Sydney,
Normally you would swap a teaspoon of dried herbs per tablespoon of fresh herbs. I would use 1/4 teaspoon of parsley & basil & 1/8 teaspoon of the thyme & oregano for this recipe. I hope this helps.
-Pam
Oh, My!!! This is a great recipe!
My Bride hates Dark-meat Chicken so I pounded out 3 boneless chicken breasts. Fantastic flavor and I made her some fettuccine noodles to accent it with a little extra marinara! So ‘low-cal’ if you don’t do noodles!
Greg,
Sounds like a delicious meal! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
-Pam