Quinoa Chicken Parmesan
With an amazingly crisp quinoa crust, you’ll never guess that this is actually so healthy and packed with tons of protein!
I had a random craving for chicken parmesan the other night so I set out to the kitchen to whip up my favorite baked chicken parmesan recipe. But I quickly realized that I was out of breadcrumbs, so I took a risk and tried out a quinoa crust instead – and boy, was I in for a treat.
I was definitely a bit skeptical about the use of quinoa but it worked out so well. With a simple flour-egg-quinoa prep, the quinoa is baked to a wonderful crispness right in the oven. And when you slather on that melted mozzarella and marinara sauce, you’ll completely forget that this is actually completely healthy and nutritious!
Quinoa Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut crosswise in half
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup marinara sauce, homemade or storebought
- ¼ cup basil leaves, chiffonade
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.
- In a large saucepan of 1 1/2 cups water, cook quinoa according to package instructions. Stir in Italian seasoning.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Working in batches, dredge chicken in flour, dip into eggs, then dredge in quinoa mixture, pressing to coat.
- Place chicken onto the prepared baking sheet. Place into oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Top with cheeses and marinara. Place into oven and bake until cheeses have melted, about 5 more minutes.
- Serve immediately, garnished with basil, if desired.
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I am DEFINITELY going to make this, I love quinoa and am constantly looking for new ways to incorporate it in my recipes. Thank you for the brilliant idea!
I tried this recipe last night, and let me tell you i was shocked that this actually tasted good. I accidently purchased quinoa with brown rice in it, thinking it would mess up the whole recipe, it didnt. I looooove parmesan chicken and i am very happy to have found a healthier and good version of this fantastic dish. Thank you Thank you.
Also i tried your amazing orange chicken recipe as well, and let me tell you i will never order take orange chicekn again (unless I am to lazy to cook lol). Another excellent recipe!!!
The quinoa in here sounds so good!!! Love it.
This is revolutionary. I think I’m just going to roll everything in quinoa and see how it turns out. It seems to be quite the miracle! This dish looks amazing.
Pinning!
I have tried several quinoa recipes but have not been thrilled. This looks like the delicious comfort food I love though so I’m willing to give it a try!
Looks delicious! This might be a stupid question…but is the quinoa cooked or raw when making this?
Not a stupid question at all! The first step of the recipe is to cook the raw quinoa. From there, you can go ahead and dredge the chicken.
Haha, I didn’t even notice that! Thank you so much. What a doofus! 🙂
By the way, I LOVE your site. I’m getting married this December and this is the perfect place for me to find easy, healthy, diesel-mechanic-friendly recipes! Keep up the good work!
I just made this last night and it was delicious! The quinoa was perfect for that crisp outside. Thanks so much for the recipe, I will definitely make this again!
Love this idea! I know what I’m making for my boyfriend next time I have a craving for a veggie quinoa salad 🙂
I’ve been wanting to try quinoa as a breading! Looks so good!
That quinoa crust is brilliant!
Sounds deeeelish! Can’t wait to to try!
Looks wonderful. I would sub in corn flour to make it gluten free!
Was just wondering what I can use to make it wheat and gluten free. Forgot about cornflour. Thank you
Wonderful, wonderful idea!
A little different. Sounds healthy. Thanks so much.
I never would have thought to use quinoa instead of breadcrumbs! I’ll definitely be trying this!
Okay, I admit, I’ve been a little skeptical when hearing of the myriad of ways people are using quinoa, but this looks ridiculously delicious!! Given quinoa’s soft, fluffy texture when cooked by itself, I wouldn’t have thought it could end up being a crispy coating, but I stand corrected – I’ll definitely have to give this a try!
I love your blog and think you are a creative cook. I’ve tried your recipes, and they are good~very!
Question, when I bake chicken, it never gets crispy. Always a bit soggy. Would you tell me a few do’s and don’ts’s–such as, oven rack positions, techniques, and equipment? Thanks!
Kolene, I recommend using the middle rack when baking, and rotating the pans midway of cooking time. It is also helpful to bake the chicken on top of a cooling rack, which allows more air to circulate and crisp up the chicken.
I am in luuuurrrvee with this chicken recipe! I love me some chicken parm (who doesn’t) and I have been wanting to make some sort of quinoa recipe, that isn’t a side dish. You NAILED IT! Pinned 🙂
This both looks and sounds absolutely divine! I love the combination 😀 I made a big batch of spiced quinoa yesterday, soooo tasty, having leftovers for lunch today, yum! I hope you are having a great week so far! x
What a great idea! I love the idea of using quinoa instead of like Panko and great to know it gets crispy! So clever!
This looks amazing! I wouldn’t agree that its necessarily “healthy” because its high in carbs and calories but its a unique idea just like all your others. I’ll give it a try soon!