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Grain Free Chicken Parmesan

Crispy oven fried chicken layered with marinara and cheese, then broiled to bubbly perfection. A grain free twist on a classic dinner favorite!
Servings: 6
Calories: 385kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 1/2 cup nutritional yeast*
  • 1 tsp dried Italian herb blend
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
  • 1 cup shredded cheese omit for Whole30
  • chopped fresh basil optional garnish
  • olive oil or olive oil spray

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
  • Lay out two shallow bowls large enough to fit at least one piece of chicken at at time. In one bowl, add the two eggs and whisk. In the other bowl, combine the almond flour, nutritional yeast, herbs, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
  • Pat the chicken pieces dry, then coat them one at a time, repeating until all of the chicken is breaded:
    Dip the chicken into the egg, then flip to coat on both sides.
    Transfer the chicken to the breading mixture, pressing to coat both sides.
    Gently shake off any excess, then lay onto the lined baking sheet.
  • Give all of the chicken an even mist of olive oil spray to help the breading crisp up and brown. If you don't have a mister, lightly drizzle a small amount of olive oil over top.
  • Bake for 25 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted to the largest part of the chicken reads 165ºF. Remove from the oven, and turn the oven up to "broil".
  • Season the cooked chicken with a little salt, then layer with marinara sauce and a sprinkle of cheese. Return to the oven, and broil just a few minutes - until the cheese melts and bubbles. Keep an eye on the dish making sure the parchment doesn't burn (I place my baking sheet at least 6"+ away from the broiler to be safe)
  • Serve warm with roasted veggies or your favorite pasta. Enjoy!

Notes

  • If you don't have (or like) nutritional yeast, you can substitute tapioca flour, shredded coconut, or parmesan cheese.  I like the slight cheesy flavor the nutritional yeast adds - but any of these will give the texture and crispy factor you want for this recipe.
  • Want to make this dairy free?  Skip the shredded cheese, or opt for a dairy-free version like almond cheese, and you're good to go!
  • There are so many great marinara options out there now.  We have been loving the Kirkland's brand organic marinara from Costco that's a great price for a three pack, and super flavorful with no sugar or soy - just simple, clean ingredients.  
  • Want your chicken to be *extra crispy*?  Before baking, pan-fry the chicken in batches (so that the chicken isn't touching/over-crowded in the pan) for 2-3 minutes per side, just until golden.  Transfer to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes to finish cooking.  This will give you an extra crispy breading!