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Patty made me chicken Parmesan on our fourth date on a cold January night, almost three years ago. It was the first meal she ever cooked for me. EVER. Wild right? Now, I know what you’re thinking.
Bold move making Shawn, the world-famous food blogger, chicken parm on date number four. If only she knew. If only I KNEW. Kitchen Swagger wasn’t even a thought at that point. Dinner was delicious, she won me over.
Every time I go to the North End in Boston (Italian food paradise), I have the same internal struggle. I tell myself I’m going to branch out and not get chicken parm because I always get it. Then I cave and end up ordering it because nothing compares. So, after all these years I’ve paid very close attention to what makes the perfect, yet easy chicken Parmesan recipe.
Tips For Making the Best Chicken Parmesan
Chicken Parmesan should be simple, and this recipe is no exception. You just need to follow the right techniques for success.
- Chicken Parmesan should be made with thinly sliced chicken. You’ll notice nice Italian restaurants always serve large, thinly sliced servings of chicken Parmesan. If your chicken is thicker than half an inch, the crispy crust is lost, it’s too chewy, and there’s too much chicken in each bite.
- Always mix Parmesan cheese in with the breadcrumbs. They don’t call it chicken Parmesan for nothing. Top with extra parmesan cheese and plenty of fresh mozzarella cheese before baking. You want a solid layer of melted cheese to nearly cover each piece of crispy chicken.
- Always sauté/crisp the chicken in olive oil. No substitutes here. Olive oil will add tremendous flavor to the crust and will help give your chicken parm that much desired crispy crunch. Nothing compares. This goes hand and hand with thin chicken.
- Use a nice marinara sauce. There are plenty of good ones out there ( I love Rao’s), just keep it simple and don’t go too heavy on the sauce.
How to Make Easy Chicken Parmesan
Good chicken parm is made in three basic steps.
- Chicken dredged in flour, beaten egg, and Italian breadcrumbs.
- Quickly pan-fried in olive oil in a cast-iron skillet to crisp.
- Baked topped with marinara and mozzarella cheese until chicken is cooked through and cheese is melted.
I managed to make this recipe (of four servings) in one 12 inch cast iron skillet. First, I sauté the breaded chicken in olive oil and then use the same cast iron skillet for baking. One less dish to clean up in an already dish-heavy recipe. Cast iron wins again!
Thin chicken will cook quickly on the stove/oven. As soon as the exterior is golden and crispy from frying, we can bake it in the oven with extra marinara and plenty of mozzarella cheese. It’s as easy as those two steps. Thicker chicken will, of course, take longer.
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- Eggplant parmesan
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- Creamy chicken carbonara
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Classic, crispy chicken Parmesan made in a cast iron skillet with fresh melted mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts, halved lengthwise (to make 4 slices)
- 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
- 1 cup, plus 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
- 8 ounce fresh mozzarella ball, sliced (or shredded if you prefer)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Cut each piece of chicken in half lengthwise to form 4 thin slices. Using a rolling pin, flatten chicken to under half an inch by firmly hitting.
- Combine bread crumbs, 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, and fresh herbs on a plate and set aside. In a shallow bowl, whisk water and eggs and set aside. Spread the flour on a plate and set aside.
- Coat the chicken in the flour and shake off the excess. Dip in egg mixture and then coat in bread crumbs, making sure the crumbs adhere and chicken is fully coated. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken slices two at time and sauté until golden and crispy, 2-3 minutes per side. Remove all 4 slices and set on a plate.
- Add 1/2 a cup of tomato sauce to the bottom of the cast iron skillet. Return all four pieces of chicken to the cast iron skillet and arrange with the least amount of overlap possible.
- Cover with remaining sauce, remaining Parmesan cheese, and top each piece of chicken with two slices of fresh mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with basil and bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Note: Thinner chicken will cook quicker. Serve Immediately with a side of pasta if desired.
Keywords: chicken parmesan, easy chicken parmesan, chicken parmigiana
Excellent recipe. Very tasty. Fresh basil and fresh mozzarella make this stupendous!
Love this recipe! Was it recently updated to be marinara sauce instead of tomato sauce? I could have sworn it was tomato sauce it called for previously.
I did update! You can use either but marinara has a little more flavor.
Came out wonderful! Had just purchased a new 15 inch cast iron and was dying to try a recipe. Again, this was perfect, super easy (without cutting too many corners), and absolutely delicious. Used seasoned breadcrumbs and seasoned pasta sauce and was nervous it would come out to strong – was still perfect and held over beautifully the next few days for leftovers. Also, have to use the fresh mozzarella! Used shredded before in a prior attempt – it just isn’t the same (although I always try to incorporate as much cheese as possible!). May try adding a provolone layer next time 😀
I’ve read the reviews, and I want to make this!! But we really like our chicken parmigiana to be crispy! Does the breading stay crispy after you add sauce and bake it for 30 minutes?
Yes it does! I use thin chicken so it stays crispier. Maybe give it an extra crispy crust when pan frying. Little extra time. Can always add less sauce when baking and add more before eating.
I’ve been a Pinterest addict for years; forever searching for the perfect recipe. Out of the literally hundreds that I’ve saved and actually made, this is by far the closest thing to “perfect” I’ve found yet; a coney sauce recipe I found comes close, but this recipe is where it’s really at. I’ve made this a few times now, so I’ve taken a few liberties to suit mine and my family’s taste, but man, you can’t go wrong with the original recipe. Tastes great, clean up is a breeze, and you can never go wrong with a cast iron skillet. Well done, good sir!