Main Course Recipes
Chicken Parmesan
4 servings
This classic Italian-American dish is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, featuring crispy, breaded chicken cutlets smothered in rich marinara sauce and bubbly melted mozzarella cheese. It's the ultimate comfort food, perfect for a weeknight dinner or a special occasion. While seemingly indulgent, this recipe breaks down the steps to create a perfectly balanced meal. Read More
Main Course Recipes
Before You Start
Let’s talk about important parts of the recipe before you start…
Welcome to My Kitchen
I am so excited to share my Chicken Parmesan recipe with you. This classic Italian-American dish is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, featuring crispy, breaded chicken cutlets smothered in rich marinara sauce and bubbly melted mozzarella cheese. It’s the ultimate comfort food, perfect for a weeknight dinner or a special occasion. While seemingly indulgent, this recipe breaks down the steps to create a perfectly cooked meal using simple techniques like pan frying and finishing in the oven. Let’s get cooking!
1. Meat Preparation
The first step to a great Chicken Parmesan is properly preparing the meat. I start by making sure the 2 pieces of chicken breasts (about 1 LB) are properly rinsed under cold water and any unwanted parts are removed. Then, I cut each chicken breast horizontally in half. This is crucial for even cooking. I pound the chicken breasts over plastic film to ½” thickness using a meat mallet. Finally, I season them with salt and pepper from both sides to ensure the meat itself is flavorful before we even get to the breading.
2. The Breading Station
Organization is key when making Chicken Parmesan. I set up a breading station to make the process smooth. First, I place ½ cup of all-purpose flour on a plate. Next, in a medium mixing bowl, I prepare the egg mixture by whisking together 2 eggs, ½ cup of milk, and 3 cloves of grated garlic until combined (about 1 minute). In a second medium mixing bowl, I prepare the Italian breadcrumbs mixture. I combine 2/3 cup of breadcrumbs, 1/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese, and a mix of herbs: 1 TSP each of dried parsley, oregano, and basil. I also add ½ TSP of salt and ½ TSP of ground pepper. I whisk this thoroughly for about 1 minute to ensure every bite has that delicious Italian-American flavor.
3. Bread Meat
Now comes the assembly for the Chicken Parmesan. One by one, I bread each piece of prepared chicken breast from both sides. It is important to follow this specific order to ensure the coating sticks perfectly. First, I dredge the chicken in the flour. Second, I dip it into the egg-milk mixture. Finally, I coat it thoroughly in the Italian breadcrumbs mixture. This three-step process creates that signature crispy crust that holds up well against the marinara sauce later on.
4. Pan Fry Technique
To cook the Chicken Parmesan, I use a combination of pan frying and oven baking. Note that based on the size of your chicken breasts, you may have to work in batches or use two pans. I preheat a large fry pan (make sure it is ovenproof!) on medium-high heat with 3 TBSP of frying oil. I pan fry the chicken breasts just until a nice color of breadcrumbs is reached on one side—usually about 1 to 2 minutes. The goal here isn’t to fully cook the meat yet, but to get that beautiful golden crispiness on the crust.
5. Finishing in the Oven
After flipping the chicken, I immediately move to the final cooking stage. I turn the chicken and cover each piece with ¼ cup of thick marinara sauce and 3–4 slices of fresh mozzarella cheese (or shredded mozzarella). Then, I place the whole ovenproof pan into an oven preheated to 350°F. I let it finish there until the cheese melts and the meat is fully cooked, which takes about 8–9 minutes. It is vital to check with a food thermometer to make sure you have reached the minimum safe serving temperature of 165°F.
6. Serving Suggestions
Once the Chicken Parmesan is ready, I love to serve it on top of pappardelle with tomato sauce, though you can use your favorite side or an Herb Baguette. For the final touch, I sprinkle the dish with 4 TBSP of grated parmesan cheese (or shavings) and freshly ground salt and pepper. This adds a fresh bite of flavor to the rich, melted mozzarella cheese and savory marinara sauce. It really is the ultimate comfort food!
Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients:
Click any ingredient to learn moreChicken Parmesan:
2 PCS of chicken breasts - skinless and boneless (about 1 LB)
½ cup of all-purpose flour
2 egg
½ cup of milk
3 cloves of garlic - peeled and grated (or pressed)
2/3 cup of breadcrumbs (regular) (adjust if needed, or panko)
1/3 cup of parmesan cheese - grated
1 TSP of dried parsley (or 1 TBSP of fresh and finely chopped)
1 TSP of dried oregano (or 1 TBSP of fresh and finely chopped)
1 TSP of dried basil (or 1 TBSP of fresh and finely chopped)
½ TSP of salt
½ TSP of ground pepper
3 TBSP of frying oil (any kind) (adjust if needed)
1 cup of marinara sauce (store-bought or recipe here)
12 - 16 slices of mozzarella cheese - fresh (or 16 TBSP of shredded mozzarella)
Final Touch:
4 TBSP of parmesan cheese - grated (or shavings)
ground pepper - ideally freshly ground
Tools:
Click any tool to learn more1x Chef’s knife
1x Plastic Wrap
1x Plate
1x Garlic Press
1x French Whisk
1x Large Fry Pan or Sauté Pan (ovenproof)
Nutrition per 1 Serving:(recipe split into 4 servings)
EstimatedCalories 503
Protein 31.3 g
Fat 27.3 g
Saturated fat 7.0 g
Carbohydrate 32.3 g
Sugars 5.4 g
Fiber 3.2 g
Sodium 890 mg
Cholesterol 165 mg
Estimated. Worked out from the ingredients above using the United States Department of Agriculture’s FoodData Central reference data. An estimate, not a measurement — brands, sizes and how much of a marinade actually ends up on the plate all move it.
Directions:
1.Meat Preparation:
Let’s start the preparation of delicious Chicken Parmesan.
1.1.
Make sure that the chicken breasts are properly rinsed under cold water, and the unwanted parts are removed.
1.2.
Cut each chicken breast horizontally in half.
1.3.
Pound the chicken breasts over the plastic film to ½” thickness using a meat mallet.
1.4.
Salt and pepper from both sides.
2.Breading Station for Chicken Parmesan:
2.1.
Place ½ cup of All-Purpose flour on a plate.
2.2.
Prepare the egg mixture by placing the following ingredients into a medium mixing bowl:
2 eggs
½ cup of milk
3 cloves of garlic – grated
Whisk together until combined (about 1 minute).
2.3.
Prepare Italian breadcrumbs, by placing the following ingredients into the medium mixing bowl:
2/3 cup of breadcrumbs
1/3 cup of grated parmesan
1 TSP of dried parsley
1 TSP of dried oregano
1 TSP of dried basil
½ TSP of salt
½ TSP of ground pepper
Thoroughly stir together using a whisk until fully combined (about 1 minute).
3.Bread Meat:
3.1.
One by one, bread each piece of chicken breast from both sides in this order:
3.1.1.
Flour
3.1.2.
Egg-milk mixture
3.1.3.
Italian breadcrumbs
4.Pan Fry With Finishing In The Oven:
Note: Based on the size of your chicken breasts, you may have to work in batches or use two pans.
4.1.
Set oven to 350°F to preheat.
4.2.
Preheat the fry pan on medium-high heat with 3 TBSP of frying oil .
4.3.
Pan fry the chicken breasts until a nice color of breadcrumbs is reached from one side – but the meat is not fully cooked yet (about 1 – 2 minutes).
4.4.
Turn and immediately cover each piece of chicken breast with ¼ cup of thick marinara sauce and 3 – 4 slices of mozzarella.
4.5.
Place to finish in the preheated oven until the cheese melts and the meat is fully cooked (about 8 -9 minutes). *
5.Serving Chicken Parmesan:
5.1.
Serve on top of the pappardelle with tomato sauce or your favorite side.
5.2.
Sprinkle with grated parmesan and freshly ground salt and pepper.
Kitchen Guide
Poultry
The USDA minimum safe internal temperature is 165°F.
The popular serving temperature is the same as the minimum serving temperature.
Read More
Popular questions
How do I know when the Chicken Parmesan is fully cooked
I recommend using a food thermometer to check the internal temperature. Even though I finish the dish in the oven for about 8–9 minutes to melt the mozzarella cheese and warm the marinara sauce, the safest way to ensure the poultry is done is to verify it has reached the minimum safe internal temperature of 165°F.
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