Grilled Chicken Parmesan

Grilled Chicken Parmesan is easy and delicious. You are all set for a fantastic dinner with this low carb, keto, gluten-free entree. Substitute the pasta for a side salad and you have a perfect summer classic. 

Making grilled chicken parmesan is easy and doesn't take that much time. Enjoy chicken parmesan without the carbs, gluten, or heating up the kitchen. Grilling is one of the easiest ways to prepare food. The challenge is to find ways to cook your classic favorites on the grill.

Chicken parmesan has always been a family favorite. Our children call it pizza chicken and Taryn has quite a few chicken parmesan-inspired recipes over at Joy Filled Eats already. This parmesan grilled chicken is one of the easiest chicken parm dishes you will be able to pull off.

Ingredients Needed

You only need a handful of ingredients to make delicious grilled chicken parmesan. We skip the breading to grill the chicken breasts but we do add some ground pork rinds to provide the texture of breading. It is basically grilled chicken that we throw some topping on.

I already mentioned the ground pork rinds, additionally, I used mozzarella cheese, you can either slice or shred a pound of cheese. You can also use your favorite marinara sauce. For this recipe, I used our homemade smoked tomato sauce. Fresh herbs always add a bright pop of flavor to the dish. Here we have some beautiful fresh basil leaves from our garden.

How to Make Grilled Chicken Parmesan

Step One - Prepare the chicken.

When grilling boneless skinless chicken breasts it is important to ensure even cooking temperatures. One way to achieve this is to have all the chicken breasts be the same thickness. For this recipe, I wanted a thickness of about ¾ to 1 inch thickness. This meant I had to butterfly three of the four breasts in half. Next, I seasoned the chicken with salt and pepper and drizzled it with some olive oil. Coating the chicken breasts lightly with olive oil keeps the chicken from adhering to the grill when you go to flip them.

Step Two - Preheat the grill

Once the grill is hot, set it to medium heat and place the chicken breasts on the grill. Cook them until the edges turn cooked white and start moving up the side. This will take about seven minutes. Flip the chicken over and cook for another five minutes or so and continue to cook over medium heat. The internal temperature should reach about 150°F.

Step Three - Add the toppings to the grilled chicken breasts in the traditional order used in chicken parm. First, you add the breading.

Next, is the sauce. And then finally you top with the cheese. Once you are done topping the chicken continue to cook for approximately another four or five minutes.

Chicken Parmesan without bread crumbs

I swapped out traditional bread crumbs with ground pork rinds. If you don't have them pre-ground, just throw a bunch of pork rinds in the food processor and pulse them for about 5 seconds. You can use either or skip the breading especially if you are looking for a gluten free grilled chicken parmigiana option.

What Sauce Should I Use?

For the tomato sauce, you can use a classic marinara, tomato basil, or your own homemade sauce. I used our homemade sauce from smoked tomatoes. If you are doing keto or low carb, definitely read labels on any store-bought sauces. Sometimes there are surprisingly high amounts of sugar in them. I prefer to stick with simple and homemade.

What Cheese Should I Use for Grilled Chicken Parmesan?

I used mozzarella cheese, however, shaved parmesan cheese, provolone, or fresh mozzarella are all completely acceptable.

You can also add any other flavors or seasoning you enjoy. Try red pepper flakes for a punch of heat, fresh basil for a pop of flavor, garlic powder, or spreading a little smoked garlic over the chicken can take this dish to an entirely different level.

How do I know when Grilled Chicken is done?

When the internal temperature on the chicken reaches 160°F, remove the grilled chicken and place them on a serving platter.

What can I serve with Grilled Chicken Parm?

If you are going low carb, keto, or just staying gluten free, you can serve this with zucchini spaghetti or grilled veggies. We served this with just a side salad to keep dinner on the light side. This recipe does make quite a bit, but these are easily stored in the fridge and you can either reheat in the oven, microwave, or on the grill if you have any leftovers.

You must give this a try next time you are craving something that has melted cheese all over it. The sear from the grill, crunch from the pork, gooeyness from the cheese all add up to one delicious mouthful.

Enjoy this easy grilled chicken parmesan recipe next time you are hosting a party. Your guests will be impressed.