The Best Chicken Parmigiana Recipe
Our traditional Chicken Parmesan (or Chicken Parmigiana) is a classic dish featuring crispy panko-crusted chicken breast, lusciously melted fresh mozzarella, and a tangy homemade marinara sauce. Perfect for an affordable family dinner and ready in a little over an hour!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 472kcal
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups Panko breadcrumbs
- 2 cloves garlic grated or finely minced
- 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
- 1 cup finely grated pecorino Romano cheese divided, plus more for serving
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise to make 6 pieces
- olive oil for frying
- 12-16 oz fresh mozzarella thinly sliced
- 3 cups marinara sauce plus more for serving
- Fresh basil for serving
Instructions
- Add the breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, and ¼ cup pecorino cheese to a medium shallow bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then use your fingers to mix it together, working the garlic into the breadcrumbs until evenly distributed. In another medium, shallow bowl, whisk together 3 eggs with ½ cup pecorino, a pinch of salt and pepper and 1 tablespoon water until combined. Pour the flour into another shallow bowl or plate, season lightly with salt and pepper and mix to combine.
- Take one chicken breast half and place it on a cutting board. Place a piece of plastic wrap over top, then use a meat mallet to pound it out to an even thickness. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Season each piece of chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Take a piece of chicken and coat it in the flour, then shake off the excess. Add the chicken to the beaten egg mixture, turn to coat, then let the excess drip off. Transfer the chicken to the bread crumb mixture, toss it around and press gently to help the breadcrumbs adhere, then place it on the reserved plate and repeat with the remaining chicken. Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes before frying to help the breading adhere.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed sauté pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, carefully place 2 chicken breasts in the pan. Cook until golden brown on each side, then remove to a rack or paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Place the chicken breasts on a large sheet pan and top with 2-3 slices of mozzarella, making sure to leave plenty of crispy edges still exposed. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted. If desired, place the pan under the broiler for a few minutes to brown the cheese slightly. Watch closely so it doesn’t burn.
- While the chicken is baking, heat the marinara sauce in a small saucepan on the stove until bubbling and hot. Spoon about ½ cup of marinara sauce on each plate, then use a spatula to transfer the chicken on top. Sprinkle with more grated cheese and fresh basil leaves. Serve immediately with extra sauce and grated cheese for passing
Notes
- To season the chicken faster, liberally season one side, then stack another piece on top of it to allow some of the seasoning to transfer onto the other piece, then repeat.
- When breading, try to designate one hand for touching only dry things, like flour and breadcrumbs, and one hand for touching only wet, like the raw chicken and eggs. This prevents you from breading your fingers in the process.
- Set up the breading station so that the chicken is on the far left, then next to it the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs, and then a landing plate or pan to hold the breaded chicken.
- Make sure the chicken isn’t overcrowded in both the frying pan and on the baking sheet or it wont cook evenly.
- Place the slices of fresh mozzarella on paper towels and blot off the excess moisture so it doesn’t make the chicken soggy.
- Don’t use too much cheese or it will overpower and smother the crispy chicken. Leave some edges exposed for extra crispiness.
- Use homemade marinara sauce or a good quality store bought for best results
- Do not use the broiler if using parchment paper or it will catch on fire!
Nutrition
Calories: 472kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 144mg | Sodium: 1351mg | Potassium: 529mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1102IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 544mg | Iron: 4mg
