Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Chicken
- 600 g chicken breast, boneless, skinless
- 5 g salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Breading Station
- 60 g all-purpose flour
- 2 egg, beaten
- 100 g breadcrumbs
- 30 g parmesan cheese, grated
Frying and Assembly
- 45 ml olive oil
- 300 ml marinara sauce, warmed
- 150 g mozzarella cheese, shredded or sliced
- 20 g parmesan cheese, grated
- 5 g fresh basil, torn
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 729 kcal
- Protein
- 68 g
- Carbohydrates
- 55 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 7 g
- Sodium
- 1524 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 6 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 32 mg
- Potassium
- 442 mg
- Calcium
- 371 mg
- Iron
- 3.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 50 mg
- Phosphorus
- 407 mg
- Zinc
- 2.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 123 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg
- Vitamin E
- 1.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 16 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.7 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.20 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.30 mg
- Niacin
- 2.1 mg
- Folate
- 51 mcg
- Water
- 69 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 200 C (400 F). Lightly grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper.
Place the chicken breast halves between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, gently pound them to an even thickness of about 1 centimeter (half an inch). Season both sides evenly with salt and black pepper.
Set up a breading station with three shallow bowls. Place the flour in the first bowl. In the second bowl, beat the eggs. In the third bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and the first portion of grated parmesan cheese.
Working one at a time, dredge a chicken cutlet in the flour, shaking off any excess. Dip it completely into the beaten eggs, letting the excess drip off. Finally, press the chicken firmly into the breadcrumb mixture to ensure an even, thick coating. Set the breaded cutlets aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, carefully add the breaded chicken cutlets. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes per side until the crust is deeply golden brown and crispy. Transfer the fried chicken to the prepared baking sheet. Always wash hands and sanitize surfaces after handling raw poultry to prevent cross-contamination.
Spoon an even layer of marinara sauce over the center of each fried chicken cutlet, leaving the crispy edges exposed. Top evenly with the shredded mozzarella and the remaining grated parmesan cheese.
Bake the assembled chicken cutlets in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbling, and the chicken reaches a safe internal temperature of 74 C (165 F) on a meat thermometer.
Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes. Garnish with fresh torn basil before serving hot.
Chef's Notes
- For the crispiest chicken parmesan, avoid fully covering the breaded cutlet with marinara sauce. Leaving the edges bare ensures the crust stays crunchy while baking.
- Panko breadcrumbs provide a significantly lighter and crunchier texture compared to traditional fine breadcrumbs.
- Resting the breaded chicken for 10 minutes on a wire rack before frying gives the flour and egg time to hydrate, which helps the breading adhere better to the meat.
- When frying, do not overcrowd the skillet. Frying in batches ensures the oil temperature remains high enough to crisp the crust rather than steaming the chicken.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Keep in an airtight container. The breading will lose its crispness over time.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze fully cooked cutlets in a single layer before transferring to a sealed bag.
Reheating: Reheat in a 175 C or 350 F oven for 15 to 20 minutes to help restore the crispy texture.
Troubleshooting
Breading falls off during frying
Cause: The chicken was too wet before flouring, or the crumbs were not pressed firmly enough into the meat.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once frying has started, but handle the cutlets very gently with tongs to preserve the remaining crust.
Prevention: Pat the raw chicken completely dry with paper towels before starting the breading process, and press the breadcrumbs firmly into the surface.
Chicken is burnt on the outside but raw in the middle
Cause: The frying oil was too hot, or the chicken breasts were not pounded to an even, thin dimension.
Fix: Lower the skillet heat immediately. If the crust is browning too rapidly, transfer the chicken to the oven early to finish cooking through.
Prevention: Maintain medium-high heat, pound chicken evenly to 1 centimeter, and rely on the oven baking phase to finish cooking the interior.
Cultural Context
Chicken Parmesan, or Chicken Parmigiana, is a quintessential Italian-American dish that evolved from the traditional southern Italian Melanzane alla Parmigiana, which uses eggplant. Italian immigrants to the United States adapted the recipe in the early 20th century, replacing the vegetable with readily available and affordable meat. Today, it stands as a cornerstone of Italian-American comfort food, celebrated in homes and restaurants alike.
