Chicken and Turkey · Sandwiches and Burgers

Mini Chicken Parmesan Sandwich Recipe

Traditional chicken Parmesan gets a casual twist as a delicious Chicken Parmesan Sandwich. Tuck crispy panko Parmesan chicken cutlets between toasty garlic herb butter rolls with basil marinara and melted mellow mozzarella cheese. Serve…

  • Prep20 minutes
  • Cook20 minutes
  • Total40 minutes
  • Serves12
  • Calories441 kcal
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Mini Chicken Parmesan Sandwich Recipe

Traditional chicken Parmesan gets a casual twist as a delicious Chicken Parmesan Sandwich. Tuck crispy panko Parmesan chicken cutlets between toasty garlic herb butter rolls with basil marinara and melted mellow mozzarella cheese. Serve for lunch or dinner. They are perfect for party snacks too.

2 mini chicken parm sandwiches stack on top of each other.

What's not to love about a mini chicken Parmesan sandwich? Start with crispy crunchy panko Parmesan crusted chicken. Slather it with basil marinara. Top with melty mellow mozzarella. Tuck it all in a garlic butter brushed toasted roll. Serve with more basil marinara for dipping. Let the party begin!

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Chicken breast, marinara sauce, panko, egg, flour, rolls on a board.

Ingredients & Substitutions

  • boneless skinless chicken breasts ~ Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are delicious in this recipe too.
  • Italian seasoned panko ~ Use gluten free panko to make the recipe gluten free.
  • Parmesan cheese
  • large eggs
  • all purpose flour ~ For a gluten free recipe, use a 1 to 1 gluten free flour blend.
  • kosher salt
  • fresh ground pepper
  • olive oil
  • salted butter
  • garlic powder
  • dried oregano
  • dried basil
  • marinara sauce ~ homemade ~ There are many delicious store bought marinara sauces that are an alternative.
  • small sandwich rolls ~ Substitute gluten free rolls to make the recipe gluten free.
  • mozzarella cheese

Scroll to the complete recipe for full quantities of the ingredients.

How to Make Chicken Parm Sandwiches

This easy chicken Parmesan sandwich recipe is a more casual and fun way to serve chicken parm. Everyone loves them!

Start off prepping the chicken. Slice each chicken breasts into 2 thin cutlets. Then cut each cutlet into 2 pieces and lightly pound with a meat mallet.

Breading chicken in egg, flour and bread crumbs.
Frying chicken in a cast iron skillet.

The chicken gets a triple coating. First is seasoned flour. Next is beaten egg. And lastly is a flavorful coating of Italian seasoned panko and Parmesan.

Fry the chicken in about an inch of olive oil. I love my cast iron skillet for frying. But a large sauté pan works too. Sprinkle the hot fried chicken with kosher salt and Parmesan cheese.

Brush the sliced rolls with a mixture of melted butter, garlic powder, oregano and basil. Toast them in the oven until golden brown. Set the tops of the rolls aside.

Adding dried herbs to melted butter in a bowl.
Mini chicken parm sandwiches with melted cheese.

Brush the roll bottoms with some marinara sauce. Top with a piece of the crispy chicken. Add some more marinara and a slice of mozzarella cheese.

Bake until the cheese is melted. Add the roll tops back to the sandwiches the last couple minutes of baking time so they just warm through.

I give the toasty mini sandwiches a final sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and serve with warm marinara sauce for dipping.

Suggestions and Recipe Tips

I'm a fan of homemade basil marinara sauce. It's just so flavorful and easy to make. But if you have a favorite store bought brand, it makes a good substitute.

  • For the most tender chicken, lightly pound it with a meat mallet.
  • For the crispiest chicken, make sure the oil is heated to between 350 and 375 degrees F before starting to fry. At a lower oil temperature the chicken will be greasy. If the oil is too hot, the breading will burn before the chicken is cooked. I use a candy thermometer or instant read digital thermometer to quickly check the oil temp.
  • After frying the chicken, keep it crispy by placing it on a cooling rack set in a baking sheet. Any extra oil will drip off the chicken.
A small chicken parm sandwich with melted mozzarella cheese.

How to Reheat a Chicken Parm Sandwich

It's best to serve chicken parm sandwiches as soon as they are made. But in a pinch, they can be reheated.

Place the assembled sandwiches on a baking sheet. Cover with foil and heat for 15 to 20 minutes in a 375 degree oven.

Reheat individual sandwiches in the microwave. Wrap in a paper towel. Heat on 60 percent power at 1 minute intervals until hot.

A mini chicken parm sandwiches stack on top of each other.

Mini Chicken Parmesan Sandwich Recipe

Traditional chicken Parmesan gets a casual twist as a delicious mini chicken parmesan sandwich. Tuck crispy panko Parmesan chicken cutlets between toasty garlic herb butter rolls with basil marinara and melted mellow mozzarella cheese. Serve for lunch or dinner. They are perfect for party snacks too.

Equipment

  • meat mallet

Ingredients

  • 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
  • 1 ½ cups Italian seasoned panko
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
  • 2 large eggs (beaten)
  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • kosher salt
  • pepper
  • 1 cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup salted butter (melted)
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • 12 small sandwich rolls ~ about 3 inches
  • 3 cups marinara sauce ~ homemade or store bought
  • 8 ounces mozzarella cheese (cut in 12 slices)

Instructions

  1. 1

    Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place a cooling rack in a rimmed baking sheet. Set aside.

  2. 2

    Prepare the chicken. Place chicken breasts on a cutting board. Slice horizontally into 2 thin cutlets. Then slice each cutlet into 2 pieces. Cover the cutlets with plastic wrap and lightly pound with a meat mallet. Set aside.

  3. 3

    Coat the chicken. In 3 separate shallow dishes, place the (1) panko and Parmesan cheese, (2) beaten eggs, and (3) flour seasoned with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour followed by the beaten egg and then the panko. Set aside.

  4. 4

    In a cast iron skillet or large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil reaches 350 degrees F (use a digital thermometer for this) fry the coated chicken in batches for about 2 minutes per side. The chicken will be cooked through and the coating will be crispy and browned when ready. Remove the chicken to the cooling rack. Sprinkle with kosher salt and Parmesan cheese.

  5. 5

    In a small bowl whisk the melted butter, garlic powder, oregano, and basil. Set aside.

  6. 6

    In a large rimmed baking sheet, place the tops of the rolls cut side down. Place the bottoms of the rolls cut side up. Brush the tops and bottoms with the melted butter mixture. Toast in the oven for 5 minutes or until the rolls are lightly browned. Remove from the oven.

  7. 7

    Remove the roll tops from the baking sheet.

  8. 8

    Brush the roll bottoms with some marinara sauce. Top with a piece of the cooked chicken. Top with about 2 tablespoons of the marinara and a slice of mozzarella cheese.

  9. 9

    Bake for 5 to 8 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Add the roll tops the last couple minutes of the baking time.

  10. 10

    While the sandwiches bake, warm the remaining marinara sauce.

  11. 11

    Remove the sandwiches from the oven and serve, sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese and serve with the warm marinara sauce.

Notes

I'm a fan of homemade basil marinara sauce. It's just so flavorful and easy to make. But if you have a favorite store bought brand, it makes a good substitute. For the most tender chicken, lightly pound it with a meat mallet. For the crispiest chicken, make sure the oil is heated to between 350 and 375 degrees F before starting to fry. At a lower oil temperature the chicken will be greasy. If the oil is too hot, the breading will burn before the chicken is cooked. I use a candy thermometer or instant read digital thermometer to quickly check the oil temp. After frying the chicken, keep it crispy by placing it on a cooling rack set in a baking sheet. Any extra oil will drip off the chicken.

Nutrition

  • Serving1 sandwich
  • Calories441 kcal
  • Carbohydrates33.9 g
  • Protein30.7 g
  • Fat20.6 g
  • Saturated Fat7 g
  • Cholesterol100 mg
  • Sodium722 mg
  • Fiber2.1 g
  • Sugar6.8 g