Tender rigatoni pasta, robust marinara sauce, perfectly breaded and fried chicken, and plenty of cheese bake together to create the most incredible Chicken Parmesan Casserole. This family-friendly weeknight dinner recipe is a guaranteed hit!
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Why We Love This Chicken Parmesan Casserole Recipe
This homemade casserole is everything we love about classic chicken parmesan, baked into one satisfying dish. Easy enough for weeknights but fancy enough for Sunday night dinners, everyone loves this layered baked pasta.
Variations on Parmesan Chicken Casserole
Pasta: Instead of rigatoni any kind of smaller pasta like bowtie, penne, ziti, or fusilli works great.
Chicken: Using cooked chicken (leftover or rotisserie) is a wonderful shortcut. Instead of coating and frying chicken strips, use 3 cups of shredded (or cubed) cooked chicken. Skip frying the chicken and add the cooked chicken in step 8. The chicken won’t be crispy but it will still be delicious!
Marinara Sauce: Use 23 ounces of your favorite kind of store-bought or homemade marinara sauce.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover chicken parmesan casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 20-30 minutes, or until warmed through.
How to Freeze
Freeze chicken parmesan casserole tightly wrapped in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of aluminum foil for up to 2 months. Reheat directly from frozen (remove the plastic wrap but keep it wrapped in foil) in a 350°F oven for about 1 hour.
Serving Suggestions
I love serving this chicken Parmesan casserole with veggie sides like baked tomatoes, classic Caesar salad, oven roasted asparagus, and chopped caprese salad.
There is no difference! These are two names for the same dish.
If using frozen chicken, let it thaw completely before using in the recipe.
Definitely! For a vegetarian version, simply omit the chicken from this recipe or try my recipe for easy baked ziti.
If your chicken is tough, it’s likely that it was overcooked. Properly cooked chicken should register 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
Absolutely not! This casserole should not be left out of refrigeration for more than 2 hours.
Because all of the components of this casserole are already cooked, you can pop it in the freezer for a ready-to-eat meal. Just warm it up (directly from frozen) in the oven!
More Chicken Parmesan Recipes To Try
- Classic Chicken Parmesan
- Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan
- Baked Chicken Parmesan
- Crispy Chicken Parmesan
- Chicken Parmesan Pasta
- Chicken Parmesan Soup
- Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
- Chicken Parmesan Sliders
5-Star Review
“I made this last night and it was the moistest chicken we’ve ever had. A bit of crispy and the flavor was wonderful. I didn’t have buttermilk and did add lemon juice to 1% milk. I am making it again today. Thank you for this recipe.” – Dawn
Chicken Parmesan Casserole Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dry rigatoni pasta (½ box)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- 1½ cups Panko breadcrumbs
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 23 ounces marinara sauce (1 jar)
- 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese divided
Instructions
- Cook the pasta to al dente according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.8 ounces dry rigatoni pasta
- Prepare a dredging station. In one shallow bowl, mix the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper together. In another shallow bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together. Pour the bread crumbs into a third shallow bowl.1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 large eggs, ¼ cup milk, 1½ cups Panko breadcrumbs
- Dredge each slice of chicken in the flour, dip into the egg mixture, and coat in bread crumbs. Repeat until all chicken slices are fully coated.1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Heat the oil in a large skillet set over medium heat until it reaches 280°F. Once the oil is hot, work in batches to fry the chicken. Fry 2-3 pieces of chicken at a time for 3-4 minutes, flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer cooked chicken onto a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Repeat until all chicken is cooked.1 cup vegetable oil
- While the chicken cools, preheat oven to 375°F.
- Add the cooked pasta to a 9×13-inch baking dish. Stir in half of the marinara sauce and half of the cheeses, tossing to combine.23 ounces marinara sauce, 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese, ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Slice the chicken into ½-inch pieces and place on top of the casserole.
- Pour the remaining sauce on top and sprinkle with the remaining cheeses.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the casserole is warmed through and the cheese is bubbly. Serve and enjoy.
Video
Becky’s Tips
- I don’t recommend subbing chicken thighs for breasts in this recipe.
- Keep the oil right at 280°F – it’s the perfect temperature for cooking these thin pieces of chicken.
- Try not to overcrowd the pan when frying the chicken. If needed, fry the chicken in batches.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Make Chicken Parmesan Casserole Step by Step
Cook the Pasta: Cook 8 ounces of rigatoni pasta to al dente according to package instructions. While the pasta cooks, prepare a dredging station. In one shallow bowl, mix 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper together. In another shallow bowl, whisk the 2 large eggs and ¼ cup of milk together. Pour 1½ cups of Panko breadcrumbs into a third shallow bowl.
Dredge the Chicken: Dredge each slice of 1½ pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the flour, dip into the egg mixture, and coat in bread crumbs. Repeat until all chicken slices are fully coated.
Fry the Chicken: Heat 1 cup of vegetable oil in a large skillet set over medium heat until it reaches 280°F. Once the oil is hot, work in batches to fry the chicken. Fry 2-3 pieces of chicken at a time for 3-4 minutes, flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer cooked chicken onto a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Repeat until all chicken is cooked.
Assemble the Casserole: While the chicken cools, preheat the oven to 375°F. Add the cooked pasta to a 9×13-inch baking dish. Stir 11.5 ounces of marinara sauce, 4 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese, and ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese, tossing to combine.
Add the Chicken: Slice the chicken into ½-inch pieces and place on top of the casserole.
Bake the Casserole: Pour the remaining 11.5 ounces of sauce on top and sprinkle with the remaining 4 ounces of mozzarella and ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until the casserole is warmed through and the cheese is bubbly. Serve and enjoy.
How do you test your cooking oil temperature? I’d like to make this recipe but am concerned with keeping the cooking oil at 280°. Thanks!
Hi Jacquelyn! We recommend an instant-read thermometer! As long as the temp stays between 270-290°F throughout the cook time, you should be good!