Giada De Laurentiis' Trick For Chicken Parmesan With No Breading And Full Flavor

Whether you're looking for a healthier take on chicken parmesan, or simply want to make a lighter version of the meal, celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis has come up with a way to eliminate the breading without having to sacrifice the flavor. Instead of using a seasoned breadcrumb mixture and shallow frying the chicken, De Laurentiis opts to marinate her chicken before cooking. By marinating the meat in a blend of olive oil and spices, she infuses the chicken with flavor in each bite.

In her skinny chicken parm recipe, which she shared on TikTok, De Laurentiis marinates her chicken in olive oil, dried Sicilian oregano, and Tuscany salt. This marinade is then brushed onto the chicken breast, and the chicken is pan-seared and topped with your traditional chicken parmesan toppings. You still get all the flavors of chicken parmesan that you love, but by pan-searing the chicken, you also get a subtle hint of that delicious caramelization that meats receive when they are browned.

While De Laurentiis keeps her seasonings simple, you could opt to add more seasonings, like dried parsley, garlic, dried basil, black pepper, and red chili flakes, to your marinade for more flavors. You could also use an Italian seasoning blend. The beauty of not frying breaded chicken is that your marinades are less subject to splatter oil since you are only searing the chicken. You can experiment with different seasonings to find the one you like best. When in doubt, try using either complementary or the same seasonings used in your marinara sauce for a cohesive flavor palette.

De Laurentiis brushes her marinade onto her chicken just before cooking. But if you want your chicken to have even more flavor, you could marinate the chicken for the entire day. The morning of the day you plan on cooking your chicken, transfer it to a sealable plastic bag or container and add your oil and seasonings. The chicken can then rest in this marinade till you're ready to cook. This lets the seasonings interact with each other more and develop a deeper flavor.