If you’re looking for the best chicken parmesan recipe, look no further. One taste of this tender, moist chicken breast with a deliciously crispy coating, topped with a rich homemade tomato sauce and ooey-gooey melted mozzarella cheese, oven-baked to perfection.
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Chicken Parmesan (also called Chicken Parmigiana) was one of the most popular dishes in my restaurant days. Sadly, restaurant chicken parm is often too dry or doesn’t have enough sauce, cheese, or flavor.
But I’m going to teach you the secret to making the best chicken parmesan you’ve ever had. Just imagine tender, juicy chicken breasts, tomato sauce and melted mozzarella cheese for the perfect chicken parm!
If you love parm-style deliciousness, my Eggplant Parm and Veal Parm are other delicious choices. My delicious Chicken Francaise recipe is a winner too!
Ingredients
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make my Chicken Parmesan. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”
Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
Simple Ingredients
- chicken breast
- mozzarella cheese
- spaghetti sauce
- parsley
- all-purpose flour
- salt and pepper
- seasoned bread crumbs
- eggs
- water or milk
- vegetable oil
How to Make Chicken Parmesan
When I teach someone how to make chicken parmesan, the key is flattening the skinless breasts. This also tenderizes them.
A meat mallet is the best tool for this task. This makes for the perfect bite. It’s not too thick, making it easy to eat, and each bite is packed with flavor.
The chicken breasts should weigh between 4-5 ounces each.
Flattening the Chicken Breast
Cover the skinless boneless chicken breasts with plastic wrap before pounding them. It keeps bits of chicken from flying around the room and makes the process easier.
If you don’t have a meat hammer, a regular hammer (wrapped in plastic) will do. Use the flat side of the hammer, not the part you drive nails in with. Be careful not to tear up the chicken breast.
While pounding the chicken breast, don’t strike straight down. You want to push the meat towards the outer edges while you pound. We want the breast intact; this is the best way to gain size without breaking the breast apart.
Do I have to pound the chicken breasts?
The short answer is no. But trust me, the difference between a pounded chicken breast and a not-pounded breast is night and day. I promise your chicken parmesan will be much better if you take the time to pound the breasts.
Pounding the breast will make it more tender. It will also spread out, giving you more space to cover it with sauce and cheese. And that means more flavor.
Once the chicken breasts have been prepped, it’s onto the breading station.
How to bread the chicken cutlets
Set up three shallow bowls (or other containers). Make sure they are large enough to fit the flattened chicken breast. Use these bowls for the breading process.
- flour seasoned with sea salt and black pepper
- egg wash (eggs whipped with milk or water)
- Italian seasoned bread crumbs (or your choice of bread crumbs)
Start by dipping each piece of chicken into the seasoned flour. Then into the egg wash, and finally into the seasoned bread crumbs.
**Make sure to get a good coating on the chicken breast at each step of the process.
Once all the chicken breasts have been breaded, you’re ready to move on to the next step.
Breading food is not my favorite task, so when I bread chicken or eggplant, I make a large batch. After cooking, I freeze them on a sheet pan, and when they’re fully frozen, I store them in ziplock bags. That makes dinner a lot easier on nights I’m too tired to cook.
How to Fry the Chicken Cutlets
Heat a large saute pan on high heat and add about half an inch of vegetable oil. Carefully place the breaded chicken cutlets into the oil using tongs. Add as many as you can into your pan without crowding them.
Cook chicken breasts until golden brown. Using tongs turn them over and saute the other side until golden brown (2-3 minutes per side). I usually use corn oil to pan-fry the chicken, but olive oil will also work.
Drain the fried chicken cutlets on racks over a sheet pan (or baking sheets). Allowing fried food to drain removes much of the fat associated with frying.
Most of the fat will not penetrate the food. It will stay on the outer layer. This is only possible if the oil is hot enough.
The secret to making perfect Chicken Parmesan is using enough tomato sauce. Sauce under and sauce on top is key to making chicken parmesan your whole family will love. Use my homemade spaghetti sauce recipe for the best chicken parmesan.
While you don’t want to smother the chicken cutlet with mozzarella cheese (okay, maybe you do), don’t scrimp on the cheese!! Although it’s called chicken parmesan, parmesan cheese is not the star of the dish. I recommend serving chicken parm with grated parmesan cheese or grated Romano cheese.
For a restaurant-style look, sprinkle finely chopped parsley on top of the cheese before you put the chicken parm in the oven to finish cooking.
When the cheese is melted, it’s time to enjoy your chicken parm.
What else can I make with a chicken cutlet?
Try a few of my favorite toppings:
- swap out shredded mozzarella with fresh mozzarella.
- bacon, tomatoes, and Swiss cheese
- sauteed broccoli rabe, roasted peppers, and provolone cheese
- sauteed broccoli and cheese sauce
- mushrooms, sauteed spinach, and melted bleu cheese crumbles
See how easy it is to create deliciousness? Have fun with the toppings making your own signature chicken dish, it doesn’t always have to be about Chicken Parmesan.
After one bite, I know you’ll agree this is the best chicken parmesan you ever tasted. The sauce adds flavor, and the cheese adds that ooey-gooey deliciousness that turns a chicken cutlet into an amazing culinary creation.
Recipe FAQs
In order to get a crisp (not soggy) chicken cutlet, the oil must be hot enough. In the restaurant, we cook at 350 degrees in the fryer. If you don’t have an instant-read thermometer, heat the oil until it’s shimmering but not smoking. It should be hot enough so that a piece of breading dropped into the oil will sizzle.
Technically it is not. Chicken parm is not found in Italy. It was created by Italian Americans as an imitation of Parmigiana di Melanzane, which is made with eggplant.
Traditionally chicken parm is served with pasta. But other options are veggie noodles, Caesar salad, mashed or roasted potatoes, rice, or garlic bread.
More Italian Recipes You’ll Love!
Chicken Parmesan Recipe
Ingredients
- 24 oz chicken breast four 6 ounce boneless skinless breasts, lightly pounded
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese shredded
- 12 oz spaghetti sauce your favorite brand or see my recipe
- 2 teaspoon parsley finely chopped
- 1 cup flour seasoned with sea salt and black pepper
- 2 cups bread crumbs Italian seasoned or your choice
- 2 large eggs
- 2 oz water or milk (mixed with egg to make egg wash)
- vegetable oil for frying chicken cutlets
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board lined with plastic wrap. Cover the chicken with another sheet of plastic wrap and using a meat hammer lightly pound the chicken breasts (see notes).
- Set up a breading station with flour seasoned with sea salt and black pepper, egg wash and Italian seasoned bread crumbs.
- Coat the chicken breasts with the seasoned flour. Then place in the egg wash and finally in the bread crumbs. Make sure you get a good coating of each ingredient on the chicken breasts, completely coating them.
- Heat a large saute pan on high heat and add about a half an inch of vegetable oil. Carefully place the breaded chicken cutlets into the oil using tongs. Add as many as you can into your pan without crowding them. Let them saute until they get a nice golden brown color. Using tongs turn them over and saute the other side until golden brown.
- Drain the fried chicken cutlets on baking racks over sheet pans (or baking sheets).
- Place the fried chicken cutlets in a baking dish. Top each cutlet with about ⅓ cup of spaghetti sauce, covering the chicken cutlet.
- Add two ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese on top of the marinara sauce.
- Sprinkle the chopped parsley on top of the mozzarella cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until the cheese is nicely melted.*make sure the fried chicken cutlet has reached a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F
- Remove from the oven and serve immediately with your favorite pasta.
Video
Notes
- Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees F.
- Place the breaded chicken in a single layer in your air fryer. Depending on how many chicken cutlets you are cooking you may need to cook the chicken in batches.
- Cook the breaded chicken for six minutes, then turn the pieces over. Top the chicken cutlets with tomato sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese and a sprinkle of chopped parsley.
- Let the chicken parm cook for an additional 3-5 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken has reached 165 degrees F.
Sandra R Sparrow says
I love that this is an easy recipe and it turned out great! adding this to my favorite
Chef Dennis Littley says
Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed my chicken parm recipe. It was always a big seller in my restaurant days.
Ann says
Delicious! Very moist and flavorful. Thank you.
Chef Dennis Littley says
You’re welcome! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed my chicken parm recipe. It was big seller in my restaurant days.
Heidi Bush says
This is a great recipe. My family loved it.
Chef Dennis Littley says
That’s what I like to hear!
Shelley says
Made the chicken parm the other day – delicious!
Renee says
It’s cooking right now! Yummy
Chef Dennis Littley says
Let me know how it turns out.
Jean says
I made the recipe as the directions said. I had 5 large breasts and cut them lengthwise before tenderizing them. It took quite some time to bread and cook them. I know I cooked more than the recipe did but I still believe 40 minutes is a little bit short. In total, it took me about 2 hours. This is really a good recipe. It’s just time consuming.
Chef Dennis Littley says
I understand how everyone works at their own pace , but there is no way it should have taken two hours. There just aren’t that many steps.
M Hogan says
Delicious results!
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’m happy to hear that!
Rhonda says
Unbelievable!! The most amazing Chicken Parmesan recipe ever!!! My family couldn’t get enough. Thank you😊👍
Chef Dennis Littley says
You are very welcome and thank you for taking time to let me know your family enjoyed my chicken parm! I hope you find more recipes on my website to try.
Elaine Thompson says
I just made this for lunch today!!!!Five stars
Chef Dennis Littley says
Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed my chicken parm! It was always a big hit in my restaurant days.
Barbara says
Where is the Parmesan in this recipe?
Chef Dennis Littley says
Parmesan cheese is usually only found in the breading or sprinkled on the finished dish.
Emeraldglenn says
you sprinkle it on the finished dish just like you do when eating at an Italian restaurant
Carol says
Deeeelish!!
I added a little bit of grated cheese and garlic powder to the eggs because that’s the way my mom made it.
Just making sure, is the pan covered or uncovered when baked.
Thanks so much for your recipes!! I am all Italian and still turn to your site to be sure!!
Chef Dennis Littley says
Bake them uncovered. Thanks for using my recipes!
Steve says
Thank you. Chicken parm is one of my favorite meals to make and your tips helped me take my game to the next level.
Chef Dennis Littley says
You’re very welcome, I’m happy to hear you enjoyed my chicken parm!
Dar says
I made this for my daughter even though I don’t really care for chicken parm. I went light on the sauce and the cheese and this still has great flavors.
Chef Dennis Littley says
Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed my chicken parm!
Inger says
what if you can’t use eggs , what next step if eggs can’t be use
Chef Dennis Littley says
Buttermilk or milk with a tablespoon of melted butter mixed in would be the best substitute
Bren says
Can this recipe be made with olive oil instead of vegetable oil when frying?
Chef Dennis Littley says
Absolutely. Any of your favorite oils with high heat points can be used to fry the cutlets.