A traditional Italian favorite, chicken parmesan is breaded, baked, and served in 30 minutes with a simple marinara sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese!
Crispy breaded chicken breasts topped with melted provolone and mozzarella cheeses and homemade marinara are the greatest chicken you’ve ever had. Perfectly crispy after baking, this dish is sure to become a family favorite!
Although the handmade classics from Italian kitchens served as inspiration for this meal, the origins of Chicken Parm really date back to immigrants from Italy who came to the USA! It was inspired by a blend of their breaded beef recipe and an Italian dish prepared with baked eggplant. Additionally, this meal was being served in restaurants and in homes across America by the middle of the 20th century. These days, chicken parmesan might be named chicken parmigiana or just chicken parmesan, depending on how upscale the Italian restaurant is. It is the identical dish.
How to Make Chicken Parmesan
The coating procedure is the most crucial component of the meal. To achieve more parmesan taste in the breading for this recipe, set up a typical breading station with shallow pans and combine the bread crumbs with grated parmesan cheese.
- First, preheat the oven and use a meat mallet to flatten the chicken. A rolling pin can be used in its place if you don’t have a meat mallet. After transferring the chicken to the side, season it with pepper and salt.
- Step two is to bread the skinless chicken breasts, one at a time, in the bread crumbs in the shallow basins. After that, sear for a few minutes over medium heat in a cast-iron skillet. The insides of the chicken will still be uncooked. To add more flavor to the frying pan, you can add 4 or 5 garlic cloves.
- Step 3: Place the chicken pieces in the baking dish that has been coated with vegetable oil, then cover with freshly shredded cheese and tomato sauce. Bake until the chicken is cooked through. A 9 x 13 baking dish works well. Alternatively, you may bake it through and then add the cheese at the very end, leaving it in the oven until it melts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you meal prep this Chicken Parmesan recipe?
This is a fantastic dish that will taste just like the food at your favorite restaurant. What’s even better is that you can meal plan it, preparing the breading and then freezing the chicken breasts to bake them later.
Because frozen chicken takes a bit longer to cook, be sure to leave additional time for baking. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees so that the breading can cook without burning.
How do you keep Chicken Parmesan from becoming soggy?
The marinara sauce makes the chicken parm mushy. The purpose of the sauce is to enhance the chicken’s flavor, not overpower it. Additionally, it creates a place where the breading softens on the chicken. The portion of the chicken that isn’t coated in sauce can continue to be crispy. To assist the liquids drain, we bake the marinara sauce with the chicken in this recipe. The crispiness of the chicken is diminished when it is served over a layer of marinara, as preferred by some. This is a personal preference, not a bad thing.
However, if the crispy breading is your main goal, you may fry the chicken in a separate pan and serve it with a generous spoonful of sauce, grated parmesan cheese, and an additional serving of sauce for those who want it.
What is Parmesan Cheese?
Made from cow’s milk and matured for a full year, parmesan cheese is a hard cheese. This 12-month-old hard cheese, manufactured in the northern Italian area where it originated, is authentic Parmesan cheese. Look for an imported cheese that is branded Parmigiano Reggiano if you’re searching for the real thing.
Your neighborhood grocery shop will likely carry an American version of parmesan cheese that tastes just as good as the Italian original. However, we advise shredding your own block of parmesan cheese at home for the greatest flavor and genuine feel, as the powdered variety in green bottles has other substances that will dilute the quality and eventually not please your family or special guests.
Key Ingredients for Chicken Parmesan
- Chicken: Look for cutlets of boneless chicken breast. Use fresh off the butcher’s table or thawed. Try to get rid of any skin if there is any before breading. Vegetable oil will be used to prevent each piece of chicken from sticking. Just remember to add salt for seasoning!
- Panko breadcrumb mixture is what we use in this recipe. You may add a teaspoon of Italian herb to your own seasoned breadcrumbs. They will be combined in a small dish to create a customized breading blend!
- Cheese: For the greatest flavor, highest quality, and the ideal cheesy bliss, use freshly grated Parmesan and fresh mozzarella cheeses.
- Sauce: You may use a premade marinara sauce for a quick dinner. Additionally, you may prepare your own marinara sauce. Spaghetti sauce and pizza sauce are comparable enough to work just as well in a hurry. Sprinkle in a teaspoon of red pepper flakes to give it a little bite.
Alternative Cooking Methods for Chicken Parmesan
- Baked vs. Stovetop: To assist the breadcrumbs get crispy and browned while the chicken cutlets stay juicy, this dish is cooked in part in the pan and then finished in the oven. Of course, you could cook the chicken through in the skillet, top with the sauce and cheese, cover with a lid, let the cheese melt, and serve right away. However, baking the dish for a while gives you time to cook the pasta and helps the sauce dry out so it doesn’t get soggy.
- Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees Celsius. Use this recipe to bread the chicken. Cook the chicken for 12 minutes on tin foil lined inside the air fryer. When halfway done, flip to ensure that both sides are well cooked. Serve as you normally would, but instead of adding a sprinkle of dried basil for an added flavor boost, top with marinara sauce and parmesan.
Variations on Chicken Parmesan
- Kid-Friendly Version: This Chicken Parmesan is among the first foods that kids may give up from chicken nuggets. You could market it as a pizza with chicken nuggets (a huge parent victory! ), convincing your children that it’s a combination of two of their favorite foods. You may really start preparing the marinara with the kids as a fun activity to do together, or you can create this recipe for Chicken Parmesan topped with pepperoni.
- One-Pot Casserole: For a less conventional take on chicken parmesan, try this beloved dark horse recipe: Serve this noodle-free chicken parmesan casserole with tortellini or fettuccine and enjoy a surprising crispy topping. Everyone who visits will like it and be amazed by the topping!
- Sandwich Design: Alternatively, you might create Chicken Parmesan Sloppy Joes, which are a hilarious cheeseburger twist on chicken parmesan! You will cook these frequently since they are so tasty and simple to create.
How to Serve Chicken Parmesan
- Sides: For a traditional presentation, serve chicken parmesan with spaghetti; alternatively, try steamed veggies or, for a lighter option, spiralized zucchini noodles.
- Sandwich: Another common hot sub served on hoagie bread is chicken parmesan.
- Toppings: Some of my favorite topping combinations include freshly shaved parmesan or pecorino cheese, fresh parsley, and fresh basil.
How to Store Chicken Parmesan
- Present: Present this meal warm. When not in use, keep it covered. It will need to be chilled after no more than two hours.
- Store: This will keep for three to four days in the refrigerator. Store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container and reheat it until the internal temperature reaches 165º.
- Freeze: For up to three months, chicken parmesan freezes well when stored in an airtight container. Reduce the heat to 250º so that the inside chicken may warm up again without scorching the crust.
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Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
- First, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Next, apply cooking spray to the baking sheet.
- After placing the chicken breasts between two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap, flatten them to a thickness of ½ inch using a rolling pin or flat kitchen mallet, and then season with salt and pepper.
- Put the flour in one shallow dish, the eggs in another (beat until blended), and the panko and Parmesan cheese in the third (mix).
- After dredging the chicken in flour and egg, press it into the panko mixture.
- In a cast iron pan over medium-high heat, add the butter and olive oil. Cook the chicken for 3–4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown (the interior will still be uncooked).
- Place the chicken on a baking pan, cover with marinara sauce, and then top with mozzarella shreds. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes.
Notes
- Please read the blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.