This Gluten Free Chicken Parmesan combines boneless chicken breasts, lightly breaded with a healthy grain-free crust made from ground almonds and topped with buffalo mozzarella and my homemade cherry tomato and basil sauce. If you’re looking for a quick dinner recipe, it bakes on a sheet pan in the oven in less than 30 minutes!
I still have a little guilty conscience when it comes to dairy products. I talk a little bit about that in my book, The Wellness Project. For anti-inflammatory reasons, these days I try to eat less of it than I used to and eat organic whenever possible. But when it comes to cheesy favorites like lasagna, pizza, and, yes, GF Chicken Parm, I can’t quite resist.
During the years of suffering stomach pains due to an undiagnosed severe gluten intolerance, I assumed dairy was the cause. But as it turns out, the flour in my beloved lasagna, pizza, and chicken parmesan, not the cheese, was the problem.
I know it’s not good for me, but since my body hasn’t been shown to reject it completely, I’m having a hard time taking cheese off the table entirely. Especially since I’m married to a boned cheese bitch who ate a whole loaf of stinky Camembert for dinner. So my take on gluten-free dinner ideas today is to keep some feel-good foods in my diet, but use a little less cheesy delights than usual. That’s exactly what I did for this Gluten Free Chicken Parmesan Recipe.
What kind of cheese can you use for this Gluten Free Baked Chicken Parmesan?
For some reason, people seem to digest cheese made from non-cow milk, such as sheep, goat, and buffalo milk, better. I felt all the more justified and less embarrassed when I added a few slices of buffalo mozzarella to this gluten-free chicken parmesan. It’s a little more expensive than regular fresh mozzarella, mostly because it’s imported from Italy, but you can rest assured that it’s hormone-free, grass-fed (which isn’t the case with most American cheeses) and it tastes great Just better.
If you can’t find buffalo mozzarella, regular mozzarella is fine, but look for the soaked whole milk variety at the cheese counter and not hard, semi-skimmed mozzarella.
Can you make chicken parmesan without breadcrumbs?
To do that gluten free Chicken Parmesan, I replaced the usual breadcrumbs with a mixture of ground almonds (you can use almond flour) and parmesan cheese. Both are high in fat and can brown and crisp even when baked in the oven (instead of pan fried).
One of my other favorite breadcrumb replacement tricks I use in this gluten-free breaded chicken fillet recipe is to coat the baked chicken with GF cornflakes or other breakfast cereal!
How to make chicken parmesan without flour
The other gluten element of most chicken parmesan recipes, aside from breadcrumbs, is flour for dredging before washing the eggs. In this case, the almond flour replaces both the flour and the breadcrumbs since it is a hybrid in texture. I don’t think you need to double-coat the chops, but if you want a thicker gluten-free crust, you can do that.
For a nut-free twist, you can use pulsed rolled oats (my favorite for gluten-free chicken meatballs!), gluten-free breadcrumbs, or even cornmeal for that sandy texture!
With fresh tomato sauce from scratch
To keep the chops from getting soggy and to take advantage of the fresh tomatoes available at the farm stalls, I topped the gluten-free baked chicken with a homemade chunky sauce made from a mix of cherry and heirloom tomatoes and a few thin slices of buffalo mozzarella .
But to save the time, you can easily use store-bought jarred tomato sauce—just pour it sparingly over the chicken.
What kind of chicken do you use for this Chicken Parmesan?
I like it when you use whole chicken breasts that are butterfly brushed or pounded thin so they almost cover the entire plate – a bit like a Milanese then topped like a pizza! Alternatively, you can cut them completely into two thin strips widthwise, or buy strips at the store.
Can this gluten-free baked chicken also be low-FODMAP?
Many of my gluten-free dinner ideas can also be adapted as low-FODMAP recipes. To prepare this low-FODMAP GF Chicken Parmesan, you must limit each serving of mozzarella to under 1.5 ounces per serving, or 6 ounces for the entire recipe. Then simply omit the garlic from the sauce or use a Sensitive Formula tomato sauce.
If you haven’t had a weekend of jam-packed, cheesy, wholesome hedonism of your own, consider treating yourself to this Gluten Free Chicken Parmesan to start the week off right!
With health and hedonism,
Phoebe
30 Minute Gluten Free Chicken Parmesan (Baked)
portions 4
Ingredients
- olive oil
- 2 cups Almond flour or ground almonds
- 2/3 Cup finely grated parmesan cheese plus more for garnish
- sea salt and pepper
- 2 Big Eggs
- 2 Pound Boneless skinless chicken breast Halve lengthwise, top with butterflies or pound thin (you can also buy schnitzel)
- 2 large cloves of garlic thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon red chilli flakes
- 1 1/2 Pound mixed fresh tomatoes (old, vine tomatoes or cherry tomatoes) roughly chopped
- 1/2 Cup roughly torn basil leaves
- 8th ounces buffalo mozzarella thinly sliced
instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
-
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drizzle with a thin layer of oil and rub with your fingers or a brush to grease the pan.
-
In a shallow bowl or plate, combine the ground almonds, parmesan, and 1/2 teaspoon salt with a fork. In a second shallow bowl, whisk the eggs. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Dip each breast in the eggs and then in the almond mixture. Press the crumbs into the chicken, making sure the breasts are well coated. Shake off excess material. Place on the greased baking sheet.
-
Bake the chicken for 10 to 15 minutes until the bottom crust starts to brown (you will see that any crumbs on the pan have turned golden brown). Using two flat spatulas, gently flip the chops and continue cooking for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until the coating is golden brown and firm.
-
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan. Cook the garlic and chilli flakes, watching constantly, until they are sizzling and beginning to turn golden, 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and 1 teaspoon of salt. Simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until tender and most of the liquid has come out, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in half the basil and set aside.
-
Top the baked chicken with the mozzarella slices, tear into smaller pieces with your fingers, then add the tomato sauce. Try to keep the loose pan juices in the pan so the chops don’t get too mushy. The remaining sauce can be served as a side dish. I like to leave some crust on the edges – like a pizza!
-
Return to the oven and cook for another 5 minutes until the mozzarella is melted.
-
Garnish with the remaining basil and additional Parmesan, if you like. Serve warm from the pan along with the remaining sauce!
Nourishment
Portion: 4G
If you do, tag @phoebelapine and #feedmephoebe – I’d love to see it!