Chicken Parmesan (Freezer Friendly)

Traditional and comforting, our chicken parmesan recipe enables you to have fancier food at home. While this dish is usually time consuming, we turn it into a freezer meal so you can pull it out and bake it without any extra work the next time you need food fast.

One of my favorite things about freezer meal cooking is that we take all of the time-consuming prep work out of our busy work weeks and move it to a Saturday once a month. Work with a friend to make it a fun social occasion and make precious memories!

By pounding out this chicken for this recipe during your meal prep sessions, you can streamline the process and make several bags of it at once to use over the next few months. If you want more ideas for freezer meals, be sure to check out our Freezer Meals 101 Club.

Chicken Parmesan Recipe

Ingredients for Chicken Parmesan

• 4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless pounded flat
• 1/3 cup flour
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 4 slices mozzarella cheese
• 2 cups Red Sauce or pasta sauce
• 1 large (gallon) freezer bag or reusable silicone bag
• 2 medium (quart) freezer bag

Ingredients for the Day of Cooking

• One Box of Pasta

How to Make Chicken Parmesan

Assembly Instructions

1. Spread the flour on one plate, the breadcrumbs mixed with Italian seasoning on another, and the beaten eggs in a shallow dish.
2. Flatten each piece of chicken by pressing down on the thickest part or by laying the breast between two pieces of plastic wrap and pounding it with a meat tenderizer or a cooking pot.
3. Coat each piece of chicken with flour, dip in the beaten egg, and coat with the seasoned breadcrumbs.
4. Place the breaded chicken on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and place in the freezer for an hour or two.
5. Transfer the chicken to a large resealable freezer bag. Remove the excess air and seal.
6. Fill one quart-sized (medium) freezer bag with the mozzarella slices and place the red sauce in another quart-size bag. Staple the three bags together above the seal.
7. Freeze.

Cooking Instructions

1. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Place chicken in a single layer on a greased baking dish.
3. Bake uncovered at 375°F for 20 minutes.
4. Pour the red sauce over the chicken and bake for another 10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°.
5. Place a slice of cheese on top of each piece of chicken and bake until melted.
6. Serve with pasta and additional red sauce.

What kind of pasta should I use for chicken parmesan?

While Chicken Parm is traditionally served over spaghetti or fettuccini, any type of pasta is perfectly fine. Suit your taste and pick your favorite!

Why do you dip the chicken in flour first?

When coating meat, wet sticks to dry and dry sticks to wet. Since the chicken starts out wet, dipping it straight into egg doesn’t work. If you dip it into the flour first, then the egg, the egg will stick and so will the heavier breadcrumbs next. Going straight into the breadcrumbs at the beginning also doesn’t work, because the wetness of the chicken isn’t strong enough for the heavier coating.

Can I use boneless chicken thighs for chicken parmesan?

Yes. Chicken breasts are traditional and work really well. I actually prefer thighs for many of our freezer meal recipes because they don’t dry out as easily. But, chicken parmesan is one of those recipes where the chicken breasts don’t dry out and are a preferred texture after baking. The bottom line is, thighs will work but if you have a choice get boneless chicken breasts instead.

Chicken Parmesan Recipe Ideas

If you want to brown the cheese, switch the oven to broil for the last one or two minutes. This isn’t purely necessary, but it does give it a more traditional appearance. Once on broil, it must be watched very closely, so I usually don’t bother.

While we have linked to our homemade red sauce in the recipe, you can use your favorite jarred sauce for convenience. Marinara is traditional but you can serve chicken parmesan over an Alfredo sauce, too.

To crisp up the breading, give it a light spritz with an olive oil spray before baking and bake it without the sauce. Then add the sauce at the end when you add the cheese.

Add a little flair to your breading by mixing in a 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese. You can also sprinkle parmesan over the mozzarella before melting the cheese.

Other cheeses work. You can use sliced provolone or shredded cheeses such as mozzarella or an Italian blend.

How do I store Chicken Parmesan

Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days and reheated in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. The chicken should reach 165ºF when reheated. Don’t cook it for too long in the microwave, though; it will become chewy.

Leftovers can be frozen in an airtight container for up to three months in a side-by-side or six months in a deep freeze.

What to Serve with Chicken Parmesan

Perfectly lovely with a bright salad for contrast and a loaf of garlic bread, our freezer-friendly chicken parm is also weighty enough to stand alone as a meal. I like to use bagged salad for convenience and speed. If you have more time, you can toss green beans, asparagus or broccoli in a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, then roast for ten minutes at 400ºF on a sheet pan for an easy but tasty green vegetable side dish.

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Chicken Parmesan Freezer Meal

Prep Time

45 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

Total Time

1 hr 5 mins

 

Calories: 522 kcal

Ingredients

For the Freezer Meal Bags

• 4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, pounded flat
• 1/3 cup flour
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 4 slices mozzarella cheese
• 2 cups Red Sauce or pasta sauce

For the Day of Cooking

• 1 box pasta, any type

Instructions

Assembly Instructions

1. Spread the flour on one plate, the breadcrumbs mixed with Italian seasoning on another, and the beaten eggs in a shallow dish.

2. Flatten each piece of chicken by pressing down on the thickest part or by laying the breast between two pieces of plastic wrap and pounding it with a meat tenderizer or a cooking pot.

3. Coat each piece of chicken with flour, dip in the beaten egg, and coat with the seasoned breadcrumbs.

4. Place the breaded chicken on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and place in the freezer for an hour or two.

5. Transfer the chicken to a large resealable freezer bag. Remove the excess air and seal.

6. Fill one quart-sized (medium) freezer bag with the mozzarella slices and place the red sauce in another quart-size bag. Staple the three bags together above the seal.

7. Freeze.

Cooking Instructions

1. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

2. Place chicken in a single layer on a greased baking dish.

3. Bake uncovered at 375° for 20 minutes.

4. Pour the red sauce over the chicken and bake for another 10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°.

5. Place a slice of cheese on top of each piece of chicken and bake until melted.

6. Serve with pasta and additional red sauce.