Chicken Parmigiana Olive Garden (2024)

ByDonna Elick September 11, 2022October 1, 2023

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Chicken Parmigiana at Olive Garden is certified Italiano from top to bottom!! Juicy cutlets of chicken dredged in Italian herbs are lightly fried and served on a bed of pasta with red sauce. It’s a classic meal, and with my copycat recipe, you can make it easily at home in just 30 minutes!!

Olive Garden™ knows how to do Italian right.

From their cheese stuffed shells to alfredo sauce, and those craveable soft breadsticks, they have Mediterranean flavors that we expect in authentic Italian cooking.

And this Olive Garden chicken recipe is a perfect example! Mouthwateringly moist and fantastically flavorful, you’ll walk away satisfied every time.

Chicken Parmigiana Olive Garden Recipe

The crunchy breaded crust on the chicken is outrageously juicy, and ohhh, that tangy marinara sauce. Or try this Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo Pasta.

And with the melty mozzarella on top, you get a little bit of every texture and flavor you could ever want in each bite!

Want something a little more hands-off? Make your chicken parmesan in the crockpot!

Or, if you’re more of a finger-food type of person, try my breaded parmesan chicken tenders or party sliders.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Boneless Chicken Breasts – You have the option of buying the chicken cut into cutlets, or just slice the skinless chicken breasts horizontally into cutlets of equal thickness.
Flour, Eggs, and Breadcrumbs – These are the ingredients you need to bread the cutlets.
The breadcrumbs will be seasoned with our collection of spices and parmesan cheese.
Alternatively, you can use Italian breadcrumbs and leave out the additional Italian seasoning.
Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheese – Parmesan for the breading and mozzarella for the topping! Romano is a good substitute for Parm, if preferred.
Add as much or as little cheese as you want!
Marinara Sauce – It only takes 5 minutes to make my Simple Pasta Sauce from scratch, but you can use a jarred sauce if that’s easier.
But, for this dish to taste as close as possible to the chicken parmigiana Olive Garden version, be sure to use a good quality sauce.

Tips For Perfect Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Parmesan

Drain the Oil – Be sure to drain the oil used to fry the chicken before returning the chicken to the pan.
Otherwise, the breadcrumbs will get soaked in oil. That’d be pretty unhealthy, not to mention, not scrumptious at all!!
Don’t Forget to Tenderize! Even if you think the cutlets are thin enough, tenderize them anyway!
This will make sure all of the pieces are the same thickness, ensuring even cooking.
Using Thicker Chicken Breasts – If you prefer to use a thicker chicken breast anyway, then don’t worry about cooking them all the way through.
Instead, just fry them until golden, drain the oil, and let them cook the rest of the way through in the oven. This will keep them from drying out!

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Keep your leftover chicken parm in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for a couple of months.

Pro Tip:

To keep the breading crispy, store the breaded chicken and sauce separately in the fridge. This also means, only add sauce to the portions you plan on serving right away.

You can reheat everything in the oven, just like when you initially cooked it.

Chicken Parmigiana Olive Garden FAQ

What’s the difference between chicken parmesan and chicken parmigiana?

Nothing at all! Parmesan is just the English word for Italian parmigiano-reggiano, the kind of cheese that we’re using.

How many calories are in Olive Garden chicken parmigiana?

The original Olive Garden chicken recipe has 1,020 calories per serving. This shouldn’t be too surprising considering the chicken is breaded with flour and breadcrumbs, then fried in oil.

What is parmigiana sauce made of?

The marinara sauce used in this recipe is the same Olive Garden marinara sauce that we all know and love! A simple chunky tomato sauce seasoned with salt, crushed red pepper, black pepper, and garlic.

Other Copycat Chicken Recipes

Chicken Parmigiana Olive Garden

Donna Elick

Chicken Parmigiana at Olive Garden is a fabulous Italian meal, and it’s so easy to make at home with my copycat Olive Garden chicken recipe!

Equipment

Ingredients

▢ 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half horizontally to create cutlets – see Notes
▢ 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
▢ 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
▢ 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
▢ 2 large eggs
▢ 2 tablespoons water
▢ 1 1/2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
▢ 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
▢ 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
▢ 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
▢ olive oil, or other frying oil
▢ 2 cups marinara sauce
▢ 1 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese
▢ 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Using the flat side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin, gently pound the chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap so that they are even thickness all the way across.
Season both sides of all chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
Prepare a dredging station by setting out three shallow bowls or pie plates. Add the flour to one bowl. Add eggs and water to a second bowl; use a fork to beat the eggs and water together. Add the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder to the third bowl and stir to combine.
Dredge one piece of chicken through the flour, coating both sides. Next dip the chicken into the egg mixture and finally, into the breadcrumb mixture. Press the chicken down into the breadcrumbs to ensure they stick. Repeat step with remaining chicken pieces.
To a large, deep, oven-safe skillet over medium high heat, add frying oil to reach ½ inch in depth. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the breaded chicken pieces.
Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, until the breading is deep golden brown and the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F.
Remove cooked chicken and drain any excess oil from the pan. Return the chicken to the pan.
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Spoon marinara sauce over the chicken in the pan. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the marinara sauce. Bake for 5-8 minutes, or until the cheese melts.
Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.
Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Donna’s Notes

If you would like to use thicker chicken breasts, proceed with the instructions to bread and fry them, but you do not have to cook them all the way through. Drain the excess oil from the pan and then bake in the oven the rest of the way until the chicken is cooked through. Then, top with marinara and cheese and pop back in the oven to melt the cheese.

Remember to drain the oil from the pan before adding the chicken back in – we don’t want to eat extra oil with our chicken parmigiana.

You can also pop the dish under the broiler to broil the cheese topping, if you prefer.

Nutrition

All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Originally published September 2022

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