All the great chicken parmesan flavors, combined in one easy one pot pasta dish that’s ready in 30 minutes! Less dishes, but a meal with maximum flavor!
Do you love chicken parmesan, but don’t love all the dishes that come with it? Then this is the dish for you! One pot, 30 minutes! The pasta cooks in the pot with all the sauce and chicken, making it super flavorful!
I’m obsessed with one pot pasta dinners. They. Are. AMAZING!! No waiting for a big pot of water to boil, no draining, no extra pot to wash… just one pot of pure comfort food.
I also love chicken parmesan… SO much. But I definitely don’t love the tedious breading process, so many dishes to wash, and how long it can take to make it!
BUT, WHERE’S THE BREADING??
I opted to omit the breading here… to save calories, recipe steps, and to keep the ultra creamy consistency. If you really want that breading crunch, you could add some toasted Italian panko breadcrumbs to the top of the dish.
Of course, you could always bread some chicken tenders and cook them before laying them on top of the pasta, but that kinda defeats the whole “one pot” idea.
You can make this one pot chicken parmesan pasta in any large skillet or pot, but I always make it in my enameled dutch oven.
When I’m stirring the pasta as it cooks, I don’t want to be worried about the liquid slopping up and over the sides. I’m a messy cook, but no one likes to clean up burn on sauces from their stovetop!
If you don’t have a dutch oven, you can use a deep sided skillet, or a stock pot… but I highly recommend picking up a dutch oven, they have so many uses!!
To go alongside this pasta, I like to serve either my homemade cheesy garlic bread, cheesy garlic crescent rolls, or no knead artisan bread. Add a nice green salad and it makes the perfect trio!
In case your family isn’t licking the pot clean by the time dinner is over, this pasta reheats well for lunch the next day!
As the weeknights get busier and busier, do yourself a favor and whip up this 30 minute one pot chicken parmesan pasta!
Things you may need for this recipe: (these are affiliate links – see my disclosure page for more details)
- Dutch oven – I own several Le Creuset’s that I love too, but this is a much more affordable option, and it’s been a workhorse in my kitchen!
- Box grater – I like to grate my own cheeses… they get extra gooey and melty this way
- Marinara – This is the brand of marinara sauce that I like to use
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into bite sized pieces
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 medium yellow onion, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 16 oz dried short-cut pasta (I used rigatoni)
- 24 oz jar of your favorite marinara sauce (I used Newman's Own)
- water to fill empty marinara sauce jar
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper, to taste
- additional dried Italian seasoning, optional
- fresh parsley and/or basil, minced for garnish
Instructions
- To a large pot or skillet (I used my dutch oven), add a drizzle of olive oil and heat over MED-HIGH heat. Add chicken, season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Cook about 5 minutes, until chicken is most of the way cooked through. Remove to a plate.
- Add onion and garlic to the pot and cook about 2-3 minutes, until soft. Pour in marinara sauce, fill up empty sauce jar with water and add to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a strong simmer.
- Add chicken and pasta, stir, then cover and cook for 10-15 minutes, until pasta is cooked to your liking. Stir in parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese.
- Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese on top of the dish and cook another 2-3 minutes, until cheese is melted and gooey.
- Sprinkle with additional Italian seasoning if desired, and garnish with parsley or basil.
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Chef Tips
Video
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Coleen says
Looks amazing 😊. I was wondering if it could be done in a slow cooker? I have a slow cooker and a convection oven. Thank You it looks so yummy
Jim ledger says
Have made this several times now. Has become family fav. Gets better each time i make it
Chloe says
Hello I want to make this recipe today for mine and my sisters packed lunch so do you think that it is suitable for that?
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, as long as you keep an ice pack in there with your lunch 🙂
Brenda says
Our 11 year old just made this for the whole family without any adult help at all (except driving her to the grocery store to get a couple of ingredients we didn’t have at home). She found the recipe easy to follow and everyone loved it. Thank you!
J. MC. says
Yum!! I followed your exact recipe and made it exactly how you prepared in your video. Not time consuming or hard to prepare at all. Absolutely delicious! No need to alter any part of this recipe! And your step of adding the onions and garlic after cooking chicken was so good too, as it soaked up all of the wonderful chicken drippings and seasonings! We all enjoyed it very much and have leftovers too (which I’m thinking will be even better tomorrow!) Thanks for sharing!
Carmen says
How much water do you add?
The Chunky Chef says
Per the recipe, you fill up your empty marinara sauce jar with water.
Carole says
I am making this tonight for husbands Birthday. I will post pictures but I am using the best bottle spagehtti sauce we hae ever tried! Wanted to share the name of it! MONTE POLLINO, come in 2 flavors Roasted Garlic and Tomato Basil, the only thing I add to it is a little chopped onion and fresh basil. However it does not need any extra!
Nina says
Hi I have a few silly questions – for step 2 do you cook the onion and garlic on medium heat and then for step three cook it on high heat then bring it down to a simmer for step 4 as well? Thanks!!
The Chunky Chef says
Not silly at all! Every stove heats differently, so you’ll need to sort of adjust as you go, but yes, cook the onion and garlic on medium heat. When you need to bring the sauce up to a boil, increase the heat up towards high, then reduce down to a simmer. For the remaining of the recipe, keep it at that high simmer.
Kay says
I made this with hunts pasta sauce and gluten free pasta. Worked great. Thank you for a great recipe
Cheryl says
Thank you for sharing this! I was wondering how gf pasta might turn out. My GF noodles (from Aldi) are always really starchy after boiling, so I rinse them after they’ve cooked. I still feel nervous making this as directed with GF noodles, but your comment makes me feel better! I may still err on the side of caution and cook my noodles separately, just to be sure I can rinse off the excess starch.
Annie says
My husband and daughter are very picky eaters but they loved this recipe. I’ll be making this a lot in our house. We live in Denmark, so your recipe has travelled far 😊
Lisa says
I’ve been confined to my bed for the past few days with the flu. My 14 year old daughter has picked up the dinner duties in my absence. Tonight she made this recipe & it was a hit! She said one of her brothers & my husband got seconds & her other brother who is always the last to finish his food was done first! Thank you for sharing this one pot meal, 5 stars here!
Nancy says
This was a great one pot meal. My family was impressed and it was very easy to make. Thanks for sharing this!
Hilltei says
Do you think I could substitute the marinara sauce for Hunts Basil, garlic & oregano tomato sauce and skip the onions & seasonings?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested it that way, so I can’t guarantee the flavor will be the same, but you’re welcome to try it.
Cherice says
What kind of Italian seasoning did you use?
The Chunky Chef says
I like McCormick brand, but any brand will work just fine 🙂
Village Bakery says
Great recipe, Amanda. Made it last night for the kids and they loved it.
Anita says
Yes ma’am I really love your pastas spaghetti and I’m always trying them all the time just love your recipes
Shay Edwards says
I’m making this right now. I will keep you posted!! These reviews have me excited lol
Marisa says
Made this recipe but changed it a little.
I marinated the chicken in Italian dressing, capers, and teriyaki sauce. I also added diced potatoes with the garlic and onion to add filler. I added half a jar more of sauce at the very end. And topped with italian bread crumbs and parmesan cheese and broiled until brown.
It was so delicious.and super easy. Loved the easy clean up.
T says
Made this tonight. I used boneless skinless chicken thighs. It was delicious. Makes a lot! Definitelt recommend 😁
Danny says
I tried this recipe and it tasted great! I only slightly overcooked the chicken, do you have any tips to prevent this from happening?
The Chunky Chef says
Glad you loved the taste! You could always not add the chicken back to the pot until the last few minutes of the pasta cooking to prevent any overcooking 🙂