Chicken Parmigiana Olive Garden Copycat Recipe
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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!! Even a picky eater will love the bold flavor.
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.
The crispy chicken has so much flavor and is a delicious copycat recipe.
You have to make this copycat Olive Garden Chicken Parmigiana recipe – If you’re a fan of Olive Garden recipes, you won’t want to miss this!
Table of Contents
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.
For more Olive Garden goodness, try my cheesy fried Eggplant Parmesan!
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.
No matter what you’re craving, this crispy parmesan-breaded chicken breasts recipe is the best!
It’s like having a part of Olive Garden at your house – and it’s the only way that I care to make this delicious chicken parm recipe.
My taste buds agree and crave it all the time. I keep the printable recipe card handy for when I’m craving this chicken parmesan recipe.
You’ll love the extra flavor of this simple dish and how perfectly golden brown it turns out!
Add a bit of fresh parsley on top, pair it with some garlic bread, and you’ve got quite a serving of food!
You’ll want a second bowl (or third bowl) right away!
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! I’m a huge fan of melted mozzarella cheese!
It’s the best way to enjoy this delicious copycat recipe of a restaurant favorite! You can also easily change up and add different Italian cheeses to go with this hearty meal. - 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.
A great sauce paired with those crispy chicken cutlets creates the ultimate comfort food.
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.
For the best results and for food safety, be sure to reheat and check the internal temperature of the chicken.
Chicken should be heated and cooked to 165 degrees for safe eating.
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
Nothing at all! Parmesan is just the English word for Italian parmigiano-reggiano, the kind of cheese that we’re using.
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.
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.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Chicken Parmigiana Olive Garden Copycat Recipe
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
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.
Originally published September 2022, updated and republished March 2024
Disclosure: Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link your price will remain the same and The Slow Roasted Italian will automatically receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting us, it helps us keep creating new recipes.
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We’re Donna and Chad, the dream team behind The Slow Roasted Italian. Our focus is on taking complicated OUT of the kitchen. Life is busy enough, making meals should be fast and easy, to help make your life as simple as possible. Read More >>
I go to olive garden a lot, which isn’t too great for my bank account. This is my go-to order and I might even like it better than olive garden! This will save me so much money
This Chicken Parmigiana recipe from The Slow Roasted Italian is a game-changer! So easy to make, and it tastes just like the restaurant version. 5 stars!
Hi Zoe!!
We’re glad you enjoyed the recipe!
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn
Donna and Chad have done it again with this amazing Chicken Parmigiana recipe. It’s a breeze to make, and the flavors are out of this world. 5 stars!
Hi John!
We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe!!
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn
Made this for dinner last night. It was the first time I have ever made parmesan chicken and it tasted just like Olive Gardens, it was fabulous so easy, everyone loved it. Best recipe I have ever used. I am looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
Hi Lois!
We’re so glad that you enjoyed the recipe.
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn
This recipe is SO GOOD! I followed it exactly as written. I used Rao’s marinara and served with a side of linguini with marinara. My husband (who I very picky) and I both loved it!
Hi Hope!
So glad that you two enjoyed!
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn