Grilled Chicken Parmesan

Learn how to make a summery version of Chicken Parmesan that is grilled instead of fried.

Chicken Parmesan doesn’t have to be a heavy, wintery food. For today’s recipe we’ve taken the classic flavors and made it all fresher.

What About The Crunchy Breading?

The key here is that we’re grilling the chicken breasts. I know you’re probably wondering, “If they’re grilled, how do we get a nice, crunchy breaded crust?” Never fear, grasshopper. We’ve got you covered.

What you do is to mix some panko breadcrumbs with Parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Then you toast that all up in a small skillet. After you’re done grilling the chicken, you sprinkle on the crumbs for a final touch. You get some crunch, without all the effort of breading.

OK, you understand about the breadcrumbs now (awesome idea, right?). What else is going on here?

How To Make Grill Chicken Parmesan

First, you flatten 4 chicken breasts to an even thickness. This is so that when you grill them, they cook evenly and don’t end up cooked and dry in some places while still rare in others.

Then you grill them on one side. Flip them over. Top them with deliciousness, in this case tomato slices and mozzarella cheese. Continue to cook until chicken is 165°F inside and the cheese is melted. Take them off the grill and then go in with those breadcrumbs.

Serve with a nice simple salad and enjoy!

Grilled Chicken Parmesan

Contributor: Christine Pittman

Learn how to make a summery version of Chicken Parmesan that is grilled instead of fried.

• Author: Christine Pittman
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Entrée
• Method: Grilled
• Cuisine: American

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs. total)
• ½ cup panko bread crumbs
• ½ cup finely shredded (not grated) parmesan cheese
• salt
• ¼ tsp. garlic powder
• coarse black pepper
• 1 large tomato, sliced into 8 slices
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 8–12 fresh basil leaves

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Instructions

1. Prepare grill for direct cooking on medium-high heat.
2. Flatten the chicken breasts: Put one breast into a large ziptop bag but keep it unzipped. Use a flat mallet or heavy rolling pin to hit the chicken breast at the thickest part. Continue to do so, moving around a bit, until the chicken is of an even thickness of approximately 3/4-inch. Remove chicken from bag and repeat one at a time with remaining breasts.
3. Into a small skillet measure the panko, Parmesan, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, ¼ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder. Put over medium-low heat and stir frequently so that the Parmesan doesn’t clump up as it melts. Stir and cook until toasted to a golden crunchy brown, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer immediately to a large plate so that the crumbs stop cooking and cool. Set aside.
4. Sprinkle chicken lightly with salt and pepper on both sides. Transfer breasts to prepared grill. Cover and cook until there are nice dark grill marks, 3-4 minutes. Flip the breasts over. Top each one with 2 slightly overlapping slices of tomato, ¼ cup of the shredded mozzarella and ¼ of the bread crumbs. Cover and cook just until breasts are cooked through and cheese is melted, 3-4 minutes longer. Transfer to serving plate and top each breast with 2-3 basil leaves.

This post originally appeared in June 2017 and was revised and republished in August 2022.