Nutrition: 422 Calories | 21.5g Net Carbs | 45.5g Protein | 14.6g Total Fat
Enjoy a quick and easy dinner that’s healthy too with this pan fried chicken parm recipe covered in cheese and marinara sauce along side herby cauliflower rice.
Well, here we are again. Summer is coming to an end, and it’s time to start school. I can’t believe we’re already starting our second year of homeschool. As things get busier at home, I love quick and easy dinners like this one. This healthy version of chicken parm has all the fun and flavor of the traditional dish without the breading and pasta. Plus it only takes about thirty minutes to make.
Prep the Chicken Breast
The first step in this easy recipe is to prep the chicken breast. First, pound out the chicken until it’s about there-quarter inch thick. I like to place the chicken inside a large zip top bag. This helps ensure the raw chicken juice doesn’t splash around the kitchen while I’m pounding out the chicken. Pounding out the chicken helps tenderize it and helps it cook evenly, since it’s all the same thickness. When using a zip top bag, make sure you remove all the air before you start to pound out the chicken.
Here’s a quick video showing you how to easily pound out chicken.
Season the Chicken
After pounding out the chicken, it’s time to season it. So, sprinkle both sides of the chicken breast with dried Italian herbs, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste.
Pan Fry the Chicken
With the chicken seasoned, it’s time to cook it. First, heat a non-stick pan on the stove over medium heat. When the pan is ready, drizzle in some extra virgin olive oil. Then, add the chicken. Cook the chicken until it starts to brown on the bottom and is cooked halfway through. Then, flip the chicken over and cook the other side.
Season and Sauté the Cauliflower Rice
Instead of pasta, cauliflower rice is a great low carb option to soak up all the delicious sauce. While the chicken is cooking, sauté the cauliflower rice too. I used lemon garlic cauliflower rice for more flavor, which is found in the freezer section at the grocery store. If you can’t find it, regular riced cauliflower works great too. First, add the cauliflower rice to a sauté pan. Then, add more flavor to the rice with dried Italian herbs, salt and pepper. Stir the rice to evenly distribute the seasoning. Cook the rice over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it’s cooked through.
Simmer in Marinara Sauce
When the chicken is browned on both sides and cooked through, it’s time to finish it up. First, add marinara sauce to the pan, pouring it around the cooked chicken. Use a spoon to scrape up any browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Once the sauce starts to bubble, reduce the heat to low and let the chicken simmer for about five minutes.
Add the Cheese
After the chicken has simmered for a few minutes, flip the chicken over. Then, put a piece of ultra-thin sliced provolone on top of each piece of chicken. Lastly, sprinkle shredded parmesan on top of the provolone. Turn off the heat, and put a lid on the pan. Keep the pan covered until the cheese melts. If you don’t have a lid for your pan, a piece of foil works well to hold the heat in too.
Once the cheese is melted, your pan fried chicken parm is ready to serve. Put the cooked cauliflower rice on the plate and top it with sauce and a piece of chicken. Fresh basil makes a fun and tasty topping too. Enjoy this quick and tasty version of classic chicken parm.
Other recipes to check out: Olive Garden Chicken Scampi with Zucchini Noodles, Layered Spaghetti Squash Casserole, and Low Carb Philly Cheesesteak Skillet with Cauliflower Rice.
Healthy Pan Fried Chicken Parm Recipe with Cauliflower Rice
Enjoy a quick and easy dinner that’s healthy too with this pan fried chicken parm recipe covered in cheese and marinara sauce along side herby cauliflower rice.
Total Time: 30 min
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 25 min
Ingredients
- 4 Chicken Breast (about 1.5 pounds)
- 24 oz Marinara Sauce
- 20 oz Riced Cauliflower with Lemon and Garlic
- 4 Slices Extra Thin Sliced Provolone Cheese
- 4 Tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp Italian Herb Seasoning, divided
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions
- Place the chicken breast in a zip top bag, remove the air, and seal the bag. Using a meat mallet, pound the chicken until it’s about a 3/4″ thick. Once you have pounded out all the chicken, season it with salt and pepper, garlic powder and 1 teaspoon of dried Italian herbs.
- Heat a non-stick skillet oven medium heat. Drizzle the pan with olive oil, and add the seasoned chicken breast to pan. Cook the chicken for about 5 minutes until it’s browned on the bottom. Then, flip the chicken over and repeat.
- While the chicken is cooking, add the cauliflower rice to a separate pan. Season the rice with salt and pepper and 2 teaspoons of dried Italian herbs. Cook the rice stirring occasionally over medium heat. It’ll take about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat when the rice is cooked.
- Once the chicken is fully cooked, add the marinara sauce to the pan, pouring it around the chicken. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken over in the sauce. Then, top the chicken with the cheeses. Cover the pan with a lid to melt the cheese. Once the cheese melts, remove the pan from the heat. On a plate, serve the cauliflower rice with the sauce on top and the chicken.
Nutrition:
Yield: 4 servings
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 422, Total Fat: 14.6g, Saturated Fat: 4.9g, Cholesterol: 91.9mg, Sodium: 1306.7mg, Carbohydrates: 29g, Fiber 7.5g, Sugars: 13.6g, Protein 45.5g