Classic Chicken Parmesan is the quintessential Italian Sunday dinner for the family. This dish brings back memories of my childhood. I think my Mom made the best, and I tried to recreate her recipe here. In the video I show you how to pound the chicken breasts thin and even for better frying, and how to bread the cutlets with a traditional method of flour, egg wash, and seasoned breadcrumbs. I hope you try it!
While developing this recipe, I wondered: Why are we, citizens of the world, so obsessed with chicken Parmesan? After discussing with the food team, testing multiple variations, and summoning various Italian (-American) gods, I realized the reason is simple: It’s fatty, umami-licious, and has that perfect crispy AND melt-in-your-mouth texture. Though we’ve done it many different ways here, this classic recipe is the chosen one, the holy grail. It has everything you want in chicken Parm, full stop—fried cutlets shrieking with crispiness, a perfect blend of mozzarella and Parm, and a sauce that is full of life with basil and just enough sweetness.
The best chicken parmesan with a deliciously crispy coating, smothered in a rich homemade tomato sauce and melted mozzarella cheese!
No one likes a soggy chicken parmesan! That’s why we have adapted this recipe to have a crispy coat, even after it’s been drenched in tangy tomato sauce.
Ingredients
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup flour
3 eggs
3 TB cream (milk or water will work to – I used thinned down sour cream)
Salt & black pepper to taste
¼ cup minced flat leaf parsley
1 ½ cup breadcrumbs
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
½ cup olive oil
1 quart Marinara Sauce see my recipe
2 cups grated/shredded whole milk mozzarella
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 350.
Place one chicken breast inside a gallon size ziplock bag. Using the smooth side of a kitchen mallet pound the chicken breast to an even size all around, approximately ½ inch. Take out and set aside. Pound the rest of the chicken breasts.
Prepare three trays for the breading process. Put the flour in tray number 1 and season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, beat three eggs with the cream. Pour eggs into tray number 2. Add salt, pepper and ½ of the minced parsley to the eggs. Add the breadcrumbs to tray number 3. Mix in the parmesan cheese.
To bread, dredge each breast in the flour on both sides, dip in the egg wash, and finally cover with breadcrumbs. Set aside and finish breading the rest of the cutlets.
Heat olive oil in large skillet until very hot. Cook two cutlets at a time. Turn when start to get a golden color and cook on the other side. They will cook fast on the outside, and finish cooking in the oven. Drain on a paper towel and finish frying the rest of the cutlets.
Add 4 big spoonfuls of Marinara sauce to the bottom of large lasagna pan or baking pan. Arrange the cutlets in a single layer or slightly overlapping. Add a spoonful of Marinara sauce over each cutlet and around sides. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the cutlets, and finish with the rest of flat leaf parsley.
Bake for 25-35 minutes until the cheese is starting to turn golden brown. The time will vary depending on the size of the cutlets.
Serve immediately.