These chicken parmesan stuffed shells are delicious, decadent and most importantly cheesy! Giant pasta shells are stuffed with breaded chicken cooked in tomato sauce for a dish that the whole family will love!
When it comes to comfort food, nothing quite beats a bowl of cheesy pasta! Hearty, filling and full of flavor this family friendly dish is sure to be a hit! Packed with all of your favorite flavors of chicken parm but with added pasta – what could be better?!
How to Make Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Shells
(Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions)
- Cook the pasta shells to al dente.
- Saute the onion and garlic.
- Dredge the chicken.
- Cook the chicken and dice.
- Make the filling.
- Fill the shells and top with sauce.
- Bake and enjoy!
Can you make Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Shells ahead of time?
You can easily prep this dish several hours ahead of time and then just keep it covered in the fridge. When you are ready to serve it you can just pop it into a pre-heated oven. You can also bake the whole dish ahead of time and then just reheat it. Cover it with foil and put in the oven at 350f for about 20 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
These chicken parmesan stuffed shells are perfect on their own, really, they are. But, they are also great when served with a fresh salad or vegetable side. They will be perfect with:
Chicken Stuffed Pasta Shells
I can’t begin to tell you how amazingly delicious this dish is! It takes a little time to prep it, but it’s made with store bought ingredients that are easy to get, and most will already be in your pantry. I love the different textures too, from the crispy breaded chicken, smooth tomato sauce and stringy cheese.
This dish is one that the kids will love just as much as the adults and it’s fancy enough to serve to guests if you are entertaining.
Perfect Pasta
Cook the pasta shells al-dente as they will continue to cook once you bake the dish.
More Top Tips
- Use organic / free run chicken that hasn’t been raised on antibiotics.
- When dredging the chicken, try and keep one hand dry and one wet so you don’t get messy!
- Bake the dish in a pre-heated oven for the best results.
- The leftovers taste amazing and can be reheated the next day.
For more chicken pasta recipes:
- Best Chicken Cacciatore
- Buffalo Chicken Baked Ziti
- Homemade Chicken Alfredo Recipe
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Bake
- Chicken Alfredo Casserole
- Chicken Tortellini Soup
If you have tried this chicken parmesan stuffed shell recipe, or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- 12 oz jumbo shell pasta
- ¼ cup + 1 tbsp olive oil divided
- 1 cup yellow onion chopped small
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- pinch of salt
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ¼ cup all-purpose white flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- pinch of black pepper
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp water
- ⅓ cup plain bread crumbs
- 1 cup parmesan cheese divided
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp oregano
- 8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- 3 1/2 cups tomato sauce divided
- 4 oz fresh mozzarella cheese sliced thin
Instructions
- Cook pasta shells, following directions for noodles to be al dente (or cut 2 minutes off the recommended cook time), set aside
- Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a large skillet, heat over medium
- Add the onions, sauté 3-4 minutes
- Add the garlic and season with salt, sauté 2-3 minutes
- Transfer the onions and garlic to a bowl and set aside
- Pat the chicken dry, slice the breasts in half so they are half as thin
- Add the flour, salt and pepper to a shallow bowl
- Crack the egg and water into a shallow bowl and whisk it with a fork
- Add the bread crumbs, ⅓ cup parmesan cheese, onion powder and oregano to another shallow bowl
- First dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, then dip it into the egg mixture and then dredge it in the bread crumb mixture
- Heat ¼ cup olive oil over medium-high heat
- Add the chicken to the skillet and fry for 4-5 minutes on each side
- Remove chicken from the skillet
- Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces
- In a large bowl, mix the chicken with the onions and garlic
- Add 2 cups tomato sauce, ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese and ½ cup parmesan cheese
- Preheat oven to 400°F
- Pour ½ cup tomato sauce into a large baking dish, spread it out to coat the bottom of the pan
- Scoop the chicken mixture into the shells and place them in the baking dish
- Top the shells with 1 cup tomato sauce, the remaining shredded mozzarella cheese, fresh mozzarella and remaining parmesan cheese
- Place the baking dish into the oven and bake for 20 minutes
Stephanie says
Such a delicious dinner recipe! My kids have already made me make it twice this week.:)
Becky Hardin says
It’s always a plus when the kiddos approve!!
Betsy says
Restaurant quality! So savory and delicious! Fairly easy, too! My family loves this dish!
Becky Hardin says
Thank you, Betsy! I’m so happy to hear you all loved them!
April says
This is brilliant. Absolutely delicious!
Becky Hardin says
Thank you, April!
Katerina @ diethood .com says
Oh my, this sounds incredibly delicious!! My family would LOVE It!
Becky Hardin says
Let me know what you think once you’ve tried it!
Anna says
These shells were a hit with my family! I will be making them again soon!
Becky Hardin says
I’m so happy to hear you all loved them!
Debbie says
I had some leftover chicken parm from our local Italian restaurant, I cut it up and used that, totally delicious
Becky Hardin says
Great use of leftovers!
John Hendricks says
Can I substitute the tomato sauce with Filippino spaghetti sauce.
Becky Hardin says
If you’d like!