Turkey Parmesan

Oven baked turkey parmesan with a delicious, crispy, breaded coating, covered in a rich homemade tomato sauce, and topped with golden melted mozzarella and parmesan is a comforting dinner that the whole family will love. Lean and delicious turkey cutlets fit into this classic Italian dish so easily and well. Serve it on its own or over spaghetti for a complete meal.

I have partnered with the Turkey Farmers of Canada to bring you this delicious turkey parmesan recipe. All images and opinions expressed are my own.

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, turkey is a lean option that's great for planning a romantic date night in or candle-lit dinner. It's a fancy, restaurant-quality meal that despite having a number of different steps, is actually quite simple and easy to make. It's a special dinner that will be hard to forget.

Ingredients

To make delicious turkey parmesan, you will need the following ingredients:

• turkey cutlets - you will need 1.5 pounds of turkey breast cut into 5 cutlets, about 1-inch thick, seasoned in salt and pepper.
• breaded coating - made of breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and garlic powder.
• eggs - to help the breaded coating stick onto the turkey.
• olive oil - for pan-frying the turkey before baking.
• tomato sauce - made with onion, garlic, tomato sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, fresh parsley, and salt.
• mozzarella cheese - for that cheesy topping.
• Parmesan cheese - for the topping.
• fresh parsley - to garnish on top.

You will also need a cast-iron skillet (or an oven safe skillet). You could also fry the turkey cutlets in a large skillet and then transfer them into a casserole dish to bake with the sauce and cheese.

How to Make the Best Turkey Parmesan

First, prepare the turkey. With a paper towel, pat dry each turkey cutlet completely and season with salt and pepper. Set aside for at least 30 minutes to allow the cutlets to come to room temperature for even cooking. 

How to Coat Turkey Parmesan

1. In a shallow plate, whisk together breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and garlic powder. Set aside.
2. Add beaten eggs into another shallow plate.
3. Dip both sides of each turkey cutlet into the eggs to evenly coat them, and then dip into the breadcrumb mixture. The breadcrumbs will stick to the egg wash.

Then, heat oil in a non-stick cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes until the hot oil is sizzling and shimmering. Pan fry the turkey cutlets for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden and crispy. Set aside on a plate. The turkey should be almost fully cooked and the internal temperature should reach above 155 F, as measured on a meat thermometer.

Then, prepare the tomato sauce. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the hot oil in the skillet. Add onions and sauté for 2 minutes until soft and tender. Then, add garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes until fragrant. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, parsley, and salt. Stir well to combine and bring the sauce to a simmer. Turn to low heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer sauce into a bowl.

Now, let's assemble the turkey parmesan and bake. In the same skillet (or in another cast-iron skillet or casserole dish), evenly spread ½ cup of the sauce on the bottom. Place the turkey cutlets spaced evenly apart over the sauce. Cover each cutlet with a quarter-cup sauce, and top each cutlet with a slice of mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle chopped parsley on top.

Bake in a 425F preheated oven for 25 minutes until the melted cheese turns golden brown and the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 165 F. Serve over spaghetti and garnish with more parsley on top.

How to Serve Turkey Parmesan

With all the cheesy and tomato flavours in this turkey parmesan, I like to serve it over a plate of spaghetti noodles to soak up that delicious rich sauce. Some crusty bread is also always welcome for major dipping. Some of my other favourite side dishes to serve with turkey parmesan include: mashed potatoes, garlic mushrooms, roasted vegetables, or a side salad.

More Turkey Recipes

• Juicy Roasted Turkey Breast
• Turkey Stuffed Peppers
• Baked Turkey Meatballs
• Creamy Turkey Orzo Soup
• Turkey Tetrazzini with Spinach
• Leftover Turkey Fried Rice

Recipe

Turkey Parmesan

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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme
• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: 5 servings

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Description

Baked turkey parmesan with a delicious, crispy, breaded coating covered in a rich homemade tomato sauce and topped with melted mozzarella and parmesan.

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Ingredients

For the turkey:

• 5 turkey breast cutlets (1.5 lbs. total), about 1-inch thick
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 + ½ cups breadcrumbs
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 eggs, beaten
• ⅓ cup olive oil (for pan-frying)

For the sauce:

• 1 cup onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 2 + ½ cups tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

For the topping:

• 5 slices of mozzarella cheese, ¼-inch thick
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped

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Instructions

Prepare the Turkey:

1. With a paper towel, pat dry each turkey cutlet completely and season with salt and pepper. Set aside for at least 30 minutes to allow the cutlets to come to room temperature for even cooking. 
2. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
3. In a shallow plate, whisk together breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and garlic powder. Set aside. Add beaten eggs into another shallow plate.
4. Dip both sides of each turkey cutlet into the eggs to evenly coat them, and then dip into the breadcrumb mixture. The breadcrumbs will stick to the egg wash.
5. Heat oil in a non stick cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes until the hot oil is sizzling and shimmering. Pan fry the turkey cutlets for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden and crispy. Set aside on a plate. The turkey should be almost fully cooked and the internal temperature should reach above 155 F.

Prepare the Sauce:

1. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the hot oil in the skillet and remove any breadcrumbs that may have fallen off in the skillet. Add onions and sauté for 2 minutes until soft and tender. Add garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes until fragrant.
2. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, parsley, and salt. Stir well to combine and bring the sauce to a simmer. Turn to low heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer sauce into a bowl.

Assemble and Bake:

1. In the same skillet (or in another cast-iron skillet or baking dish), evenly spread ½ cup of the sauce on the bottom. Place the turkey cutlets spaced evenly apart over the sauce.
2. Cover each cutlet with ¼ cup sauce, and top each cutlet with a slice of mozzarella cheese and grated Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle finely chopped parsley on top.
3. Bake in the preheated oven at 425F for 25 minutes until the melted cheese turns golden brown and the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 165F.
4. Serve over spaghetti and garnish with more parsley on top.

Notes

How to serve: With all the cheesy and tomato flavours in this turkey parmesan, I like to serve it over a plate of spaghetti noodles to soak up that delicious rich sauce. Some crusty bread is always welcome for major dipping. Some of my other favourite side dishes to serve with turkey parmesan include: mashed potatoes, garlic mushrooms, roasted vegetables, or a side salad. 

How to store: Turkey parmesan is best served fresh as the coating can get soggy over time from the sauce. To make ahead, you can coat the turkey cutlets in advance and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Then, allow the coated turkey to come to room temperature (about 20-30 minutes) before assembling and baking as per recipe instructions.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes (+ 30 minutes)
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Category: Turkey
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: Italian

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