These chicken parmesan bites have all the delicious flavors that we love about chicken parm in a bite-size package. Crispy, pan-fried chicken covered in spaghetti sauce and mozzarella cheese on a bed of spaghetti, all in an easy to eat, adorable package. It doesn’t get any better!
If you’re a lover of Italian food, then you probably adore chicken parmesan. This classic dish is one that almost everyone has had at least once in their life, and often times, regularly. I keep these chicken parmesan bites in my rotation at all times. They’re so delicious, and the little bites make this recipe easier to eat than traditional chicken parm.
Whenever I tell my family we’re having my bite-size version of chicken parm, they’re always excited. It really is just as delicious as the traditional variety. I might even go so far as to say it’s better. It’s certainly easier to eat, which I love. So let’s talk about this tasty dish.
Chicken Parmesan Bites
I love to make homemade chicken parmesan from scratch. I mean completely from scratch. I even make my own spaghetti sauce. All that saucy goodness and cheese combined with crispy chicken and pasta? Oh, yes. It’s amazing. As with many of my recipes, I’ve made chicken parm more times than I can count.
One day, when I was trying to figure out how to put a twist on my chicken parm, it came to me. I could eliminate the hassle of a knife and change up the look of my chicken parm a bit if I made it with bite-size pieces of fried chicken. And that’s exactly what I did. Thus, my chicken parmesan bites were born.
Parmesan Chicken Bites Recipe
These delicious, crispy fried 1-inch cubes of chicken covered in sauce and mozzarella cheese are absolutely delicious, and they offer even more crispy goodness than regular chicken parm because of their smaller size. Since every side is coated, you get more of that delicious crunch than you do with the traditional recipe. That adds a nice bit of extra texture to the dish. And not having to cut up the chicken makes things easier, too. It’s basically the best combination of flavor and ease, which always makes for a great recipe.
While there are several steps involved in this recipe, it only takes basic cooking skills to make. You’ll be cutting your chicken breasts, making a wet and dry mix for the batter, and then making a simple spaghetti sauce. The bulk of the work is actually just prep. After that, it’s simply a matter of frying up the chicken – which doesn’t take long thanks to the small pieces – and making the spaghetti sauce.
Again, easy is key here. The sauce itself only takes a scant handful of ingredients, and the entire process is simply simmering the sauce until it comes together. Easy peasy – or saucy, I suppose.
Tips
Although there’s a bit of prep work and a little bit of slicing, this is an easy recipe to make. The batter mixes are a simple matter to make, as is the spaghetti sauce. That being said, there are a few things to remember when making these chicken parmesan bites to ensure that you get the best outcome possible. They’re small little things to remember that can make a big difference when it’s all said and done.
Don’t Crowd the Pan
The secret to frying anything is giving it room to breathe. Don’t crowd your pan when frying the chicken. You want a nice buffer of air between your chicken pieces so the oil can remain nice and hot and hit the sides of the chicken pieces evenly. If the oil temperature drops, you’ll end up with soggy chicken bites because they took too long to fry.
Always Use Buttermilk
Buttermilk simply makes a better batter. The acidity of the buttermilk works with the dry ingredients in some sciency way that I’m not entirely sure of to create a final product that is so crispy and just plain perfect. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can add about a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup then add milk and equal one cup. Stir and let it sit for about 5 minutes. This works when you are in a pinch and need to create your own. However you do it, always use buttermilk for this batter.
Use Mozzarella Slices
It’s so important to use mozzarella slices rather than shredded mozzarella in this recipe. It’s a simple recipe, and all the flavors really shine through. Mozzarella that you’ve sliced by hand have such a pure flavor compared to bagged, shredded mozzarella. With a recipe this simple, accept no substitutes.
Serving Chicken Parmesan Bites
There are two main ways I serve these bites – as a meal or an appetizer. As a meal, simply serve as many pieces of chicken parm as you’d like over a bed of spaghetti noodles. As an appetizer, forego the noodles and put the sauce and mozzarella-topped bites on toothpicks for people to take as they please.
And, as you can see, these chicken parmesan bites are perfect for both dinners and special occasions like parties and potlucks. However you choose to serve them, everyone always loves them.
Storing Parmesan Chicken Bites
These little chicken parm bites will keep well in the refrigerator for up to four days in an airtight container. They don’t freeze well, so be sure to eat them before then. Be aware that because this is a breaded dish, the bites won’t retain their crispiness after being stored. The breading will absorb moisture. To ensure that the bites stay as crispy as possible, I recommend reserving whatever fried chicken bites you think will be extra and adding the sauce and cheese after you’ve reheated the bites.
Chicken Parmesan Bites Ingredients
For the Chicken
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Flour
- Slap Ya Mama® seasoning
- Garlic powder
- Black pepper
- Large eggs
- Panko bread crumbs
- Grated Parmesan cheese
For the Spaghetti Sauce
- Tomato sauce
- Tomato paste
- Water
- Oregano
- Basil
- Spaghetti noodles
- Vegetable oil
- Mozzarella cheese, sliced
How To Make Chicken Parmesan Bites
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 – Prep Time and Setting Up the Dredging Station
Heat oil in a cast iron skillet and preheat oven to 350 degrees when chicken is almost done frying.
In a large sealable baggie, add flour, seasoning, garlic powder and pepper. Shake to combine. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and buttermilk together, and in another bowl or shallow container, combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
Step 2 – Start the Sauce and Cook the Pasta
Using a medium saucepan, add tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, oregano, basil. Stir, bring to a slight boil and then simmer while the chicken is cooking, stirring occasionally. Cook pasta according to package directions, rinse and set aside.
Step 3 – Coating and Frying the Chicken
Start out by adding 10-12 pieces of chicken to a large baggie with the flour mixture, seal and shake to coat. Remove chicken pieces and place into the buttermilk mixture, coat all sides and then transfer into the bread crumb mixture.
Place coated chicken pieces into hot oil and cook for about 3 minutes on each side until golden brown and thoroughly cooked. Remove chicken from skillet and place on plate lined with paper towels until the remaining chicken has been fried.
Step 4 – Assembling the Chicken Parmesan Bites and Melting the Cheese
Once the chicken has been fried, place chicken on a baking sheet. Top each piece of chicken with a tablespoon of spaghetti sauce and a slice of mozzarella cheese. Place in the oven on 350° and bake for 10-15 minutes. Remove chicken from oven. Add pasta to plate, top with additional spaghetti sauce, if desired, and place chicken pieces on top of spaghetti noodles. Top with parsley and Enjoy!
Try These Delicious Parmesan Chicken Bites Today
These delicious chicken parmesan bites are perfect for weeknight meals or appetizers. They’re relatively easy to make, as well, which means less time in the kitchen, and no matter how much you love to cook, that’s always a good thing. With all the delicious flavors of spaghetti sauce, cheese, and crispy fried chicken, and its relative ease, this is a recipe that you’ll quickly fall in love with. Give it a try!
Looking for More Incredible Italian Recipes?
Italian Sausage Pasta – This pasta dish is made with tender Rigatoni noodles, homemade tomato sauce, spicy Italian sausage, and can be made in less than 45 minutes.
Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo – This is an easy, creamy, and delicious pasta recipe that is loaded with perfectly cooked chicken, fettuccine noodles, and tossed in a homemade alfredo sauce.
Spaghetti and Meatballs – This is the most traditional Italian meal that there is. Hand rolled meatballs, a homemade meat sauce, all atop tender spaghetti noodles. This is the perfect meal to make for large dinner gatherings, quick weeknight dinners for the family, or for special occasions.
If you’re looking for a great side to pair with these dishes, check out this Pull Apart Garlic Cheese Bread from Great Grub Delicious Treats. A soft loaf of French bread, filled with minced garlic and topped with ooey, gooey mozzarella cheese.
Chicken Parmesan Bites
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into 1 inch squares
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp Slap Ya Mama seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 large eggs, whisked
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
For The Spaghetti Sauce
- 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 6 oz can tomato paste
- 6-8 oz water
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp basil
- 8 oz spaghetti noodles
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 6+ slices mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Heat oil over medium high heat in a large skillet or cast iron pan.
- Using a medium saucepan, add tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, oregano and basil. Stir and bring to a slight boil. Reduce heat and simmer while the chicken is cooking, stirring occasionally.
- In a large baggie, add flour, seasoning, garlic powder and pepper. Shake to combine.
- Using a shallow container or bowl, whisk eggs and buttermilk together.
- In another shallow container, combine bread crumbs with Parmesan cheese.
- Start out by adding 10-12 pieces of chicken to a large baggie with the flour mixture, seal and shake to coat.
- Remove chicken and place into the buttermilk mixture and then into the bread crumb mixture and coat completely.
- Place coated chicken into the hot oil and cook for about 3 minutes on each side.
- Remove from skillet and place on a plat lined with paper towels until and remaining chicken has been fried.
- Next, place fried chicken pieces on a baking sheet and top each piece with a tablespoon of spaghetti sauce and a slice of mozzarella cheese.
- Place in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the cheese has melted and the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
- Cook pasta according to package directions, rinse and set aside.
- Remove chicken from oven. Add pasta to a plate, top with additional spaghetti sauce, if desired, and place chicken pieces on top of spaghetti noodles.
- Can add wooden picks to chicken bites and serve on an appetizer plate.
Here are a few pics that are perfect to save to your favorite Pinterest boards.
