Stovetop Easy Chicken Parmesan with Chicken Thighs
This stovetop chicken parmesan recipe uses only 6 ingredients and delivers homestyle flavor.
This recipe is inspired by a Chicken Parmesan dish that my husband and I used to order in a local Shoney’s restaurant in our hometown. This copycat recipe is even better because it’s all home-cooked!
Why you’ll love this recipe
No oven needed! It is cooked on the stovetop; no need to turn on the oven.
Simple ingredients that you may already have in your pantry or refrigerator.
Chicken thighs are tender and juicy. Boneless, skinless thighs are flavorful and tender.
Flavorful shortcut. Your favorite jarred pasta sauce saves time.
Instead of breadcrumbs, the chicken is battered in dry Italian seasoning for a great flavor and fewer calories.
Easy to customize. Linguine is our choice of pasta, prepared al dente. You can use spaghetti noodles if that is what you have on hand.
Fresh Basil is optional. It adds a nice touch to the presentation and gives you a restaurant-quality dinner.
I love cooking with herbs; also see: 15 Cooking Herbs You Can Grow at Home.
Stovetop Easy Chicken Parmesan with Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 6-8 Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 24 oz. jar of Pasta sauce
- 2 packs of dry Italian dressing mix
- 1 Cup Italian dressing
- 1/2 Cup Shredded Parmesan
- 12 oz. Box of Linguine cooked and drained.
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken thighs in the Italian dressing for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. I use a Ziploc bag for this and turn them over at least once.TIP: You can put chicken in marinade in the morning, and it will be ready to cook at dinner time in the evening.
- Drain the marinade from the chicken. Discard the used marinade.
- Toss the chicken with the 2 packs of dry Italian dressing mix to cover well.
- Place the coated chicken onto a hot griddle on the stovetop over medium-high heat. (You can cook the chicken in a skillet if you like) Cook the chicken for about 7-8 minutes per side. Cook time will depend on how thick your chicken thighs are. Use a meat thermometer to determine if they are done. Chicken is done when it reaches 165°.
- While the chicken is cooking, heat the Pasta Sauce in a saucepan. It doesn't need to be boiling. It just needs to be hot when you top the chicken and linguine with it.
- Boil the noodles according to the package directions and then drain.
- Layer each serving dish with noodles, followed by the cooked chicken, and then spoon the sauce on top. Sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese.
- Garnish with fresh basil if desired.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Step-by-step directions
Marinate the chicken first
First, you want to pack a ton of flavor into your chicken thighs. Cooking with boneless, skinless chicken thighs creates a more tender and juicy piece of chicken with less fat.
Place the boneless, skinless chicken thighs in a resealable food-safe bag or covered container. Pour in the Italian dressing, making sure the chicken is coated.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Keep the chicken refrigerated while it marinates, and discard the used marinade.
TIP
You can put your chicken in the marinade early in the day and keep it in the refrigerator. With the chicken already marinated, you can have this meal on the table in about 30 minutes.
Season the chicken
Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the liquid. Sprinkle the dry Italian dressing mix over the chicken and coat the pieces evenly.
This seasoning gives the chicken plenty of Italian inspired flavor without using traditional bread crumbs.
Cook the chicken
Cook the chicken on a stovetop griddle, or in a skillet, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°
I do not add oil to the griddle before cooking the chicken, but I do spray the surface for easier cleanup afterwards.
The chicken can be cooked in a skillet, but I like to use my stovetop griddle. My griddle is smooth on one side and ribbed on the other for that grilled look. It’s cast iron and yields a delicious flavor.
I like using a cast-iron reversible griddle because one side is smooth and the other is ribbed, giving the chicken attractive grill marks. A regular skillet works well, too. This Lodge Reversible Griddle is almost exactly like mine.
Cook the linguine
Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the linguine according to the package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta.
Warm the pasta sauce
While the chicken cooks, warm your favorite pasta sauce in a saucepan or skillet over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally and follow the sauce’s package instructions.
Plate and serve
Place the cooked linguine in a serving bowl or on individual plates. Add warm pasta sauce, top with the cooked chicken thighs, and spoon on a little more sauce.
Finish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil, if desired. Serve while everything is warm.
This easy stovetop chicken parmesan recipe will become one of your weeknight dinner favorite recipes. It is simple, quick, and easy, using kitchen shortcuts without losing flavor.
What to serve with Chicken Parmesan
Serve this delicious Homemade Italian Butter with Italian sliced bread from the Deli. Plus a simple green garden salad for a complete meal.
Make this copycat Olive Garden Salad for a real Italian dinner night.
More Easy Weeknight Dinner Ideas
- Zucchini Red Potatoes and Drumsticks Foil Pack Dinner
- Baked Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas Recipe
- Glazed Baked Spam Recipe
- Pork Chop Casserole
- Crockpot Pierogi & Meatballs Alfredo Easy Recipe
Originally published June 6, 2016. Updated 10/12/2026 with refreshed recipe content and instructions.
This looks delicious and it’s going on my menu for next week.
Shirley this looks so yummy!
This looks really good and easy! Right up my alley. I also like that you didn’t bread the chicken. I could see this being much lighters and tastier without the breading. Pin this to save for the future!
Yummm.. I love chicken and this recipe looks so good!! I would love to try this recipe.
Yum! I’m a pasta addict so this looks delish!
This looks so delicious. Will definitely be adding this to our summer recipe rotation. Quick, easy and delicious.
I love mushrooms – both your recipe and the sauce are something I will have to try. Sounds like a nice hearty meal for the family 🙂
This looks yummy, I already use Ragu so I’m liking this already. I always use it for spaghetti, I never think about using it for chicken.
Hi Mimi,
I used it for some crescent roll pizza roll ups too. The thickness of the new Homestyle sauces is great for any recipe!
I have such a weakness for a good pasta dish! I will have to try this soon.
Hi Bella,
You just can’t beat a good pasta recipe, can you!
This looks like a delicious meal I would eat right up!
This looks really good. Ragu is my go-to sauce for so many recipes. I bet my family would really enjoy this one.
Wow, even I could do this on! I love the dark meat tings, and I love parmesan! This looks like he perfect dish for me, thanks!
Chicken thighs are so much more flavorful and juicy than the white meat. Grilled thighs and that Ragu Homestyle make this dish scrumptious!
We love chicken parmigiana! Ragu makes a delicious pasta sauce on its own, plus it’s super easy to get creative with. Now, I hunger for this dish… 🙂
~Lorelai
Life With Lorelai
This looks delicious. I’d love to make it for dinner sometime. That sauce is really good.
Chicken parmigiana is such a classic. I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t like it, and this sounds like a great recipe.
I love chicken parm. It’s one of my fave dishes of all time. This recipe sounds easy and delicious. I can’t wait to try this version!
6 ingredients and you get THAT!? YUMMY!!!! I could totally make this! I love Ragu and the thickness of their sauce!
Hi Jeni, I just love a good meal that doesn’t require everything in the kitchen to create some flavor!
That looks so good I may want to eat it right off the page LOL. Never thought about doing group Parmesan chicken the grill food is the best so I’m gonna have to do this one too.
What an easy dish to cook for a large family like mine! We too love to use chicken thighs as they are economical and make for a juicy piece of chicken.
This looks incredible. I am sure it would be a huge hit with my family. We love meals like this, and are always looking for something new to make!
Yum! I always keep my pantry stocked with Ragu. I love that you can make this dish on top of the stove. My family will absolutely love this.
This is one of my family’s favorite dishes, but I have never tried to make it on a stovetop. This is a recipe I have already printed off for a possible meal this weekend! Thanks!
Christopher, I hope your family enjoys it as much as we did.
This looks wonderful Shirley. I bet the grandkids loved it 🙂
Erlene, they all cleaned their plates and they are all picky eaters so that was a good sign 🙂
That sounds like a delicious weeknight meal idea. I love things like this that I can whip up in a jiffy and taste delicious 🙂
Me too Robin, the easier, the better!