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Home / All Recipes / Course / Main Dishes / Chicken

Chicken Pepperoni

Total Time: 45 minutes
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This Chicken Pepperoni is chicken parmesan with a twist! Chicken breasts are cooked until crispy, then topped with a simple tomato sauce, cheese, and lots of pepperoni. This is an easy weeknight meal that kids and parents both approve of.

PIN IT FOR LATER!

Save some of that pepperoni for these Pizza Bagels or these Pepperoni Pinwheels.

Chicken Pepperoni topped with cheese and pepperoni in a skillet.

I love a good mash up, and this Chicken Pepperoni is the perfect example of the best kind of mash up.

Chicken parmesan + pepperoni = a match made in heaven!

This Chicken Pepperoni is easy to make, fast enough to serve as a weeknight dinner, and both the kids and the adults love it. It’s a winner all around!

Ingredients to make Chicken Pepperoni.

Ingredients

  • Chicken: You only need 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. You want them to be about 8-10 ounces each. You’ll cut each of these in half, to make the 4 servings.
  • Eggs: You just need 2 large eggs.
  • Milk: Any milk will work here. Whole, skim, or even almond milk or another non-dairy milk. You just want to make sure it is not sweet.
  • Flour: The recipe calls for 1/4 cup of flour – I just use all-purpose flour. You just need enough to coat the outside of the chicken.
  • Panko Breadcrumbs: I like using panko because the chicken gets really crispy. You could use regular breadcrumbs, if you prefer.
  • Oil: You want to use a neutral oil that is good for frying. I usually use vegetable oil.
  • Tomato Sauce: This is just plain tomato sauce. You can always use a prepared marinara sauce and leave out the spices, if desired.
  • Spices: This uses a mixture of basil, oregano, and parsley – pretty typical spices for an Italian dish.
  • Cheese: You will need both mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. I like to use cheese that is freshly grated, as it will melt easier.
  • Pepperoni: I will use regular pepperoni and cut the slices into fourths. You could always pick up the mini pepperoni, as well.
  • Parsley: A bit of fresh parsley at the end really brings everything together!
Cutting chicken breasts in half to make thinner pieces of chicken.

How to Make Chicken Pepperoni

STEP 1: Take each of the chicken breasts and place them flat on a cutting board. Take your knife and cut each breast in half horizontally, making 2 thinner pieces of chicken from each breast.

STEP 2: Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.

Dipping pieces of chicken in flour, milk and eggs, and panko breadcrumbs.

STEP 3: Working with one piece of chicken at a time, dip it into the flour. You just want the flour to coat the chicken, so shake off any excess flour.

STEP 4: Then dip the chicken into a mixture of the egg and milk.

STEP 5: Last, dip the chicken into the panko breadcrumbs. I will sometimes take my hands and press the breadcrumbs into the chicken to make sure they stick on well.

Frying chicken in a cast iron skillet, then topping with tomato sauce.

STEP 6: Heat about 1/2″ of oil in a heavy duty skillet. Once the oil is hot, place the breaded chicken in the oil. Cook, flipping once, until browned and crispy and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and discard the oil. (See the notes below about this!) Then place the chicken back into the skillet.

STEP 7: While the chicken is cooking, combine the tomato sauce and the spices. Then, once you place the chicken back into the skillet, pour the sauce evenly over the cooked chicken breasts.

Topping chicken with cheese and pepperoni.

STEP 8: Top each with some of the mozzarella, then sprinkle the parmesan over the top.

STEP 9: Last, divide the pepperoni between the pieces of chicken and place on top. Place this in the oven to melt the cheese and to heat the pepperoni.

Chicken Pepperoni topped with cheese and tomato sauce in a cast iron skillet.

Tips and Tricks

The oil will be *very* hot so you need to carefully discard it. Do not pour it down the drain. If you don’t want to worry about messing with the oil while it is hot, you can place the cooked chicken in a baking dish, then top with the sauce, cheese, and pepperoni before transferring to the oven.

I like to use shredded mozzarella, but fresh mozzarella would be delicious in this recipe, as well!

Chicken pepperoni - a take on chicken parmesan with pieces of pepperoni on top.

Serving Suggestions

We will typically serve this with cooked spaghetti on the side. It doesn’t make a lot of extra sauce, so I will usually just butter the spaghetti.

You could also serve it with a side of green beans and some homemade dinner rolls.

You can also just keep things super simple, and serve the chicken on its own. Which is what I have done before!

Chicken pepperoni served over spaghetti on a white plate.

More Favorite Chicken Recipes

Artichoke Chicken
Chicken and Rice
Potato Chip Chicken
Salsa Verde Chicken
Chicken a la King

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Chicken pepperoni - a take on chicken parmesan with pieces of pepperoni on top.

Chicken Pepperoni

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Author: Deborah Harroun
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian
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This Chicken Pepperoni is chicken parmesan with a twist! Chicken breasts are cooked until crispy, then topped with a simple tomato sauce, cheese, and lots of pepperoni. This is an easy weeknight meal that kids and parents both approve of.

Ingredients

  • 2 (8-10 oz each) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
  • Vegetable or canola oil for frying
  • 15 oz can tomato sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 1/2 oz pepperoni chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
  • On a cutting board, butterfly the chicken breasts open, making 4 thin pieces of chicken. Season on both sides with salt and pepper.
  • Place the flour in a shallow bowl or a pie plate. In a second bowl or pie plate, whisk together the eggs and the milk. Place the panko breadcrumbs in a third bowl.
  • In a large, oven proof heavy skillet, heat about 1/2” of oil over medium-high heat.
  • Dip each piece of chicken in the flour, then in the egg mixture, and then into the panko. Press the panko into the chicken, if needed.
  • Place in the hot oil, and repeat with the remaining 3 pieces of chicken. Cook until the chicken is crispy and browned on both sides, and cooked through, about 7 minutes, flipping once.
  • While the chicken is cooking, combine the tomato sauce, basil, oregano, and parsley in a small skillet and cook over medium heat until heated through. Season with salt and pepper.
  • When the chicken is done, remove it to a plate and carefully discard the oil. (See notes below.) Return the chicken to the skillet.
  • Pour the tomato sauce mixture evenly over the pieces of chicken. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top, then the parmesan. Top with the pepperoni pieces.
  • Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 10 minutes.
  • Sprinkle with the parsley to serve.

Recipe Notes:

The oil will be *very* hot so you need to carefully discard it. Do not pour it down the drain. If you don’t want to worry about messing with the oil while it is hot, you can place the cooked chicken in a baking dish, then top with the sauce, cheese, and pepperoni before transferring to the oven.
Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should be used as a general guide. The nutritional value for the frying oil is based on a retention of 1/4 cup of vegetable oil. Cooking time and temperature can cause this number to change.
Adapted from Food and Wine Annual Recipes 2012

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 629kcal (31%), Carbohydrates: 32g (11%), Protein: 52g (104%), Fat: 32g (49%), Saturated Fat: 9g (56%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 237mg (79%), Sodium: 1175mg (51%), Potassium: 464mg (13%), Fiber: 3g (13%), Sugar: 7g (8%)
Keywords: chicken dinner, chicken parmesan, pepperoni

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Comments

  1. Tara @ The Butter Dish says

    Deb, it’s either YOU that likes chicken or your little bun in the oven. ☺ Either way I’m like you, a sucker for chicken (thank you to all the little chickens of the world for your sacrifice).
    But…it’s the parm w/ pepp that is rockin’ my boat here. Loving that idea… kinda like pizza chicken.
    Yum on all three and fun fun books. I’m getting reacquainted with my grill so thinking I may have to get Mr. Pellegrino’s pages there.

    Reply

    • Deborah says

      @Tara @ The Butter Dish, you know what’s funny? I was just going over the posts I have for this week, and realized I have 2 more chicken recipes. That will be 4 chicken recipes posted this week, too! Guess I really do love chicken…

      Reply

  4. Heather of Kitchen Concoctions says

    Jealous! I may or may not have a slight cookbook hoarding problem! Haha! I totally would want my dream house to have floor to ceiling bookshelves in the office/library too! Chicken parmesan is one of our favorites, never thought to change it up with pepperoni.

    Reply

  5. teresa says

    i love cookbooks too! i had to give it up because between the magazines i collect and pinterest, i doubt i’ll try everything i want in this lifetime. these all look so great! love that pepperoni chicken!

    Reply

  6. Averie @ Averie Cooks says

    WHAT A post! I can only imagine how long this took you, in real time, to do. You must have been working on this baby for weeks! 3 reviews & recipes in one – bravo!

    And not having pics in cookbooks is just a dealbreaker for me in this very visual age we live!

    Reply

  8. Chels R. says

    What a great way to use up leftover pizza toppings! It looks so good! And I love the Food and Wine Cookbooks! We used to get them every year, but we don’t anymore 🙁

    Reply

  9. Jen says

    aaaahhhhh…. my dream job… reviewing cookbooks….

    my collection keeps growing and growing too…..
    love chicken parm! and the Rao’s on the Grill is on my Xmas wishlist!

    Reply

  11. carrian says

    I wish we could have dinner together like we did breakfast at EVO. It was so fun. Those cook book reviews are always the best. I seriously get so inspired after visiting your site.

    Reply

  13. Aggie says

    I’m totally with you on the cookbook love…mine are spilling over into my “office” from the kitchen. I want built in shelves full of them too!! I am also with you on grilling year round…I know I’m lucky to have mild winters where I live, and honestly I look more forward to grilling out in the fall and winter than I do in the summer! That Rao book has caught my eye! Need to look for it!

    I’ve always loooooved your cookbook reviews 🙂

    Reply