This turkey Parmesan recipe is a gluten free twist on the classic chicken Parmesan dish. It’s an easy dish that can be made in under 30 minutes, uses simple ingredients, and is fairly inexpensive. It’s a win all around!
I remember my times in the kitchen when I used to work at Joey Restaurants. One of the dishes we used to make a lot of the staff was chicken Parmesan. This item wasn’t on the menu, but servers asked for it all the time. Each cook had their own chicken Parmesan recipe. Some would add in balsamic to the sauce, others would add grated Parmesan cheese into the breading when coating the chicken, others would bake it in the forno oven. It was a big deal! We got pretty competitive!
This version I am sharing with you today is made with turkey instead. Why turkey Parmesan you ask? Mainly for the cost. Turkey is usually cheaper than chicken and the meat tastes just as good! I buy whole turkeys from time to time (not just the holidays) and use every bit of it. This is a great inexpensive way to get good meaty breasts for a healthy turkey Parmesan recipe (did I just type meaty breasts?)
This is one of those easy, middle of the week kinda dishes that doesn’t require a lot of fancy culinary skill. The ingredients are simple, but I do want to share with you guys my choice for the gluten free pasta. I went with the Tinkyada White Rice Spaghetti (Affiliate alert!) and it actually turned out really great! The pasta does take 15-17 minutes to cook (I was really surprised!) but worked really well with this turkey Parmesan.
Regarding the tomato sauce I am just going to leave that up to you guys! Some people are really serious about what type of tomato sauce to use, others aren’t so picky and just need a tasty option because they had a long day at work and the kids are really hungry! I like to go with an arrabiata, which is basically a spicy tomato sauce. But I’m not stopping you from using a pomodoro, or puttanesca, olio, carbonara, alfredo…hell it will all taste good with turkey Parmesan!
To make the turkey breast nice and thin, I first butterflied it and then pounded it nice and flat with a meat mallet. The trick to butterflying any poultry is definitely a sharp knife and a dry cutting board! I put my right hand on top of the turkey breast and slice half way up from the fattiest part of the breast almost to the other end, but leaving it as if it was the spine of a book. I then flatten out the turkey breast, cover it with parchment paper, and pound it flat using the mallet. The parchment is to prevent the turkey from sticking to the mallet and helps make the turkey even.
The coating for the turkey is a simple mix of rice flour, salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder and some dried herbs. You can add in anything you want really! Add in other dry herbs, or more Parmesan cheese. Whatever you like!
The key is to not over cook the turkey. The oil in the pan should be just below smoking, and the flour coating is just perfect to add a nice brown color to the flesh. Once the turkey is browned on both sides it should be about 80% cooked. Adding the sauce and the cheese and finishing it in the oven will finish the job without drying out your turkey Parmesan. Because the turkey was pounded nice and flat, it will cook quick so make sure to keep an eye on it!
I love zucchini, and it really goes well in this turkey Parmesan. The trick here is to use a lot of Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, and I sprayed the baking pan with olive oil spray. I didn’t use parchment because you don’t achieve this color. When you flip the zucchini half way through, you end up with these crunchy bits and it adds a lot of flavor to the dish! I like to slice the zucchini on an angle, and a bit thicker. That way the vegetable doesn’t completely fall apart when I try to use tongs to move it to the casserole dish. Smart right??
Finally for the cheese itself that goes on top I decided to not only use Parmesan, but also marble cheese. the main reason being that it adds some nice color and crunch to the final product. On to the recipe!
- 1 lb turkey breast, butterflied and pounded flat
- 1/2 package Tinkyada rice spaghetti
- 2 each large zucchini, sliced on an angle
- 1 as much as you want Parmesan cheese, who am I to tell you how much cheese to add!?
- 1 same thing! marble cheese, grated...again add as much as you want!
- 4-6 tbsp vegetable oil, for the turkey, and zucchini
- 2 cups your favorite tomato sauce
- 3 fl oz. basil, chiffonade
- 1 cup rice flour
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp chili flake
- 1/4 tsp dried basil
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
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mix together breading ingredients and coat the butterflied turkey breast well.
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Heat up 2-3 tbsp of vegetable oil in a large pan. Once the oil is just below smoking shake off the excess breading on the turkey and add into the pan. Make sure there is enough oil in the pan to absorb the breading. You can burn the breading if there isn't enough oil.
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Cook for 2-3 minutes per side until the turkey is nice and brown. Set aside and top with half of the tomato sauce and as much cheese as you want!
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Cook the spaghetti according to the directions on the box. Drain, cool, and set in a casserole dish. Mix in the other half of tomato sauce and mix in some chopped basil.
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for the zucchini, toss with vegetable oil, salt, pepper, and lots of Parmesan cheese, lay flat on a well sprayed baking sheet and cook in a 425 degree oven for 8-10 minutes, flipping half way through. When done, take out and layer the zucchini on top of the spaghetti
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Top with the turkey and broil in the oven on high for 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and become slightly crispy. Serve!
Thanks for checking out this tasty turkey Parmesan recipe! If you happen to pass by here and are a vegetarian (or know someone that is!) you should try out my quinoa crusted eggplant Parmesan recipe. I promise you won’t be disappointed!
i hardly ever use turkey but now im tempted to give this recipe a try…also i really appreciate you taking time to describe the steps 🙂
Thank you Dixya! I appreciate the kind words!
Fresh pasta, lean turkey and loads of veggies this is for sure my type of dish. I can’t wait to make this for dinner soon.
Thanks for the kind words Sharon! Tell me what you think 🙂
I have never used Turkey but now looking at the recipe,I feel like giving this recipe a try!
Thanks Prasanna! It’s definitely worth a try!
This looks really yummy and the best thing is I know my kids would eat this meal!
I would be happy to hear that your kids would eat every bite! Thanks for stopping by Rachel!
I am so 100% sold on this recipe OMG you killed it! BEAUTIFUL pictures and I LOVE the ingredients you used! Printing this out so I can make it this week for dinner!! Thank you for posting this!!
Thanks for the kind words Amanda! Let me know what you think!
Love this healthy twist on a classic favorite, especially the addition of zucchini to truly make it a complete meal!
Thanks Julie! I like to think I can make well balanced dinners! =-)
I really enjoy turkey too, not just during the holidays and this recipe looks so appetizing! I can’t have any grains so I think I’ll sub out the rice flour for almond flour and the noodles with spaghetti squash. Looking forward to trying it!
Thanks Jennifer! The spaghetti squash would be a tasty switch to the dish!
I’m always hesitant to cook with turkey because it can be dry. But this looks so juicy and flavorful. I am definitely trying!
Yeah this turkey turned out quite well if I do say so myself! Thanks for stopping by Jordan!
This is an impressive recipe and one that would make my guests gasp ! I love that it is gluten free too, I feel that there is at least one friend in every friend group that is gf these days, haha
I know right?? Sometimes it is just nice to lay off the gluten too. Thanks for stopping by Tara!
I also buy whole turkeys apart from holiday season and use every bit of it! This turkey Parmesan recipe is on my list!
Right Tatiana? It’s so much easier to buy the whole bird and cut it up! Thanks for the kind words!
I should definitely give this recipe a go. I love turkey btw and I think this will make a good hearty dinner.
Hearty and healthy are the ways I like to roll. Thanks for stopping by Aish!
Love this Matt! I’m a huge fan of turkey over chicken as well. And this looks amazing. My husband has a gluten intolerance, so this will be perfect!
Thanks Deb’s, always appreciate the kind words! 🙂