Chicken Parmesan is already a family favorite, so when you swap out your family’s classic dish for this tasty and healthy twist, no one will be the wiser! Quinoa Crusted Chicken Parmesan is a quick and easy meal that can be made in under 60 minutes, and can also be made gluten free when regular pasta noodles are substituted for brown rice noodles, or, for a fun twist, get out that zoodler and make veggie noodles! Breaded chicken and pasta has evolved into something of the amazing type!!!
Check out this new crunchy twist on the classic Parmesan Chicken dish! We have replaced the bread crumbs with cooked quinoa to power pack the protein and make it a little healthier! This is a fun new way to make anything breaded in a new way! And it’s even gluten-free! Who would have thought that quinoa could be used this way? But it’s so great! This dish will please even the pickiest of eaters and most of your guests won’t even know that it’s quinoa! Try it and see!
At the end of the baking cycle put it under the broiler for a couple minutes to make the quinoa crispy, which gives it the perfect crunch.
We also use brown rice noodles instead of traditional noodles for another healthy twist. Brown rice noodles are much better than wheat noodles (in our opinion). It has a much lighter texture than wheat can have. Don’t get me wrong, I love wheat, but just not in a spaghetti noodle!! Give them a try and let us know what you think (We found this tasty noodles below at our Trader Joe’s, but brown rice noodles are becoming more popular and can be found about at any grocery store these days.)
For another baby step up the health ladder, you can also make your own veggie noodle. They are super easy to make with the right tools (check out our affordable Spiralizer here) and add a delicious crunch and burst of flavor to your dish. I have also mixed half brown rice noodles and half zucchini noodles for my family with my boys not even noticing the difference. 🙂
Quinoa Crusted Chicken Parmesan (Gluten Free)
Quinoa Crusted Chicken Parmesan is a quick and easy meal that can be made in under 60 minutes, and can also be made gluten free when regular pasta noodles are substituted for brown rice noodles, or, for a fun twist, get out that zoodler and make veggie noodles! Breaded chicken and pasta has evolved into something of the amazing type!!!
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6
- Category: Dinner
Ingredients
Parmesan Chicken Ingredients:
- 1 cup quinoa (dry) *TIP for cooking quinoa –>HERE<–
- 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 8 tenderloins, (evenly sized)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup almond flour or wheat flour (not gluten-free)
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Spray
- Shredded Mozzarella cheese
- Brown rice spaghetti noodles or veggie noodles
- Spaghetti sauce
- Garlic cloves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray. (I used Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Spray – it’s fantastic for high heat applications because it has a smoke point of 450 degrees)
- In a saucepan, cook quinoa according to package instructions, and cool to room temperature. I like to cook my quinoa in chicken broth for a better flavor. (Click –> HERE <– on tips on cooking quinoa)
- Remove chicken from package and rinse. I like to cut the tendons off the tenderloins before I bread them as well. Then pat dry with paper towels.
- Season chicken with garlic powder, sea salt and pepper, to taste.
- Working in small batches, dredge chicken first in flour, dip into eggs, then dredge in quinoa mixture, pressing slightly to coat the chicken.
- Place chicken onto the prepared baking sheet. If you want them really crispy, you can spray them with Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Spray on top if you would like. Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes (breasts) or 15-20 minutes (chicken tenderloins), or until golden brown, and cooked through. When the chicken is done (internal temp should be 170 degrees F), pull it out from the oven & sprinkle each piece with a little bit of shredded mozzarella or fresh mozzarella.
- Turn the oven to broil & put chicken back into the oven to let it brown the quinoa & melt the cheese for a minute or two. It will make the quinoa extra crispy. Yummy!
- While chicken is cooking, boil water and cook brown rice noodles according to package directions (If using veggie noodles (click here for an affordable Spiralizer if you don’t have one), steam for 1-3 minutes depending on the veggie used. Who wants to eat a soggy veggie noodle?!).
- Place spaghetti sauce in a pot and warm over medium heat. I like to press 1-2 garlic gloves into the spaghetti sauce to freshen it up! You can always add extra herbs as well. Just play around with it and doctor it up any way you would like. It will make any jarred sauce just that much better!
- When everything is ready, place the noodles the plate, spoon marinara sauce over noodles, and top with the Quinoa Crusted Chicken.
Notes
- Precook and cool your quinoa to save on prep time! 🙂
- If you want the quinoa breading extra crispy make sure to put it under the broiler for a minute or two at the end
Now check out your masterpiece!!! 🙂 A delicious Italian side salad would pair amazingly well with your Quinoa Crusted Chicken Parmesan. Enjoy your new healthier twist on the classic Chicken Parmesan.
