AmericanChicken Parmesan
Chicken parm: Italian-American breaded chicken cutlets baked under marinara and melted mozzarella
Chicken Parmesan, or chicken parm, was created by Italian-American cooks in New York and New Jersey, inspired by Southern Italy's aubergine parmigiana, and it is now a fixture of red-sauce restaurants and hero sandwiches across the United States. Chicken breasts are pounded thin, breaded with Parmesan crumbs, fried until crisp, then blanketed with marinara and mozzarella and baked until bubbling. The usual mistake is drowning the cutlets in sauce: the crust turns soggy. Spoon sauce only on the centre and leave a crisp rim. Thin, even cutlets cook through in minutes; they are done at 74 °C, when the centre is white with no pink. Serve with spaghetti in the extra sauce or in a toasted roll. Chef's tip: let the breaded cutlets rest on a rack for 10 minutes before frying; the coating sets and stays on in one piece.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Serves
- 4
- Per serving
- 620 kcal
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlicsliced
- 1 ¾ lb tinned crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 6 fresh basilleaves
- ½ tsp salt
For the chicken
- 2 chicken breastslarge, about 500 g, halved horizontally
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 ⅛ oz plain flour
- 2 eggsbeaten
- 3 ½ oz dried breadcrumbs
- 1 ¾ oz Parmesanfinely grated
- ¾ cup vegetable oilfor shallow frying
- 7 oz mozzarellasliced or grated
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Make the sauce: warm 2 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add 3 cloves garlic and cook for 1 minute until pale gold. Add 1 ¾ lb tinned crushed tomatoes, 1 tsp dried oregano, 6 fresh basil and ½ tsp salt and simmer for 20 minutes until thick.
21 minStep 2: Meanwhile, put the pieces of 2 chicken breasts between sheets of baking paper and pound to an even 1 cm thickness. Season with ½ tsp salt.
Step 3: Set out 2 ⅛ oz plain flour, 2 eggs, and 3 ½ oz dried breadcrumbs mixed with ⅞ oz Parmesan in three shallow dishes. Coat each cutlet in flour, then egg, then crumbs, pressing firmly. Rest on a rack for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 4: Heat the oven to 425°F (400°F fan). Heat ¾ cup vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until a crumb sizzles at once.
Step 5: Fry the cutlets 2 at a time for 2–3 minutes per side until deep golden. Drain on kitchen paper and set on a baking tray.
10 minStep 6: Spoon 2 tbsp sauce onto the middle of each cutlet, top with 7 oz mozzarella and the rest of the 1 ¾ oz Parmesan.
Step 7: Bake for 8–10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and browned in spots and the chicken reads 165°F in the centre.
9 minStep 8: Serve with the remaining sauce over spaghetti or with a green salad. Parmesan is usually made with animal rennet.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 620 kcal
- Protein
- 52 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chicken Parmesan take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of tinned crushed tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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