Chicken Parmesan
4-6
Chicken Parmesan is a classic Italian American dish and as a native New Yorker, my definition of comfort food. I love this perfect recipe because it delivers a crispy, golden-brown chicken cutlet topped with savory homemade tomato sauce and gooey mozzarella cheese. With a few simple steps, you’ll have a restaurant-quality dish that’s perfect for serving with pasta or crusty bread. Start by preparing your chicken cutlets, which are brined to ensure they’re juicy and tender. You’ll be amazed at how crispy and delicious the cutlets turn out when pan-fried and then broiled to perfection with melty cheese.
For the chicken cutlets, the brining process is key. By dissolving kosher salt into room-temperature water, you ensure that your chicken stays moist and flavorful throughout cooking. After marinating for an hour, the chicken breasts are cut into small, even cutlets and lightly pounded to a uniform thickness. Each cutlet is then dredged in flour, egg, and panko breadcrumbs for that irresistible crispy coating. The cutlets are fried until golden brown in a skillet, and then finished in the oven for a perfect cook. Once they’re ready, top each cutlet with a generous amount of marinara sauce, grated Parmesan, and a hearty layer of mozzarella before broiling until bubbly and slightly browned.
This Chicken Parmesan recipe is the ultimate comfort food, combining crispy, savory chicken with rich, melted cheese and tangy tomato sauce. Whether you’re preparing it for a weeknight dinner or a special occasion, the combination of textures and flavors will make this dish a family favorite. Serve it with your favorite pasta or some crusty garlic bread for a complete, satisfying meal. Don’t forget to keep an eye on the broiler while the cheese melts—you don’t want to miss the perfect moment when it bubbles and turns golden brown!
You don’t need special equipment to make this recipe, but I highly recommend using a half sheet pan (18×13) with a wired rack to lay the chicken cutlets on after you cook them. It keeps the cutlets crispy after you remove them from the oil and prevents them from getting soggy after you place the sauce and cheese on the cutlets.
Also, my sauce of choice for my Chicken Parmesan is my own red sauce, but feel free to substitute any one you like.
Ingredients
Chicken Cutlets, recipe below
3 cups Mamma’s Red Sauce (more if serving over pasta), warm
1 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
2 1/2 heaping cups grated Mozzarella cheese
- Chicken Cutlet Ingredients
3 6-8 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups panko bread crumbs
2 tsp seasoned salt (I typically make my own, but your preferred brand will do)
10 tbsp grapeseed oil (or other neutral flavored, high heat oil)
5 tbsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Directions
- Prepare chicken cutlets using directions below. There is no need to remove them from the wired rack/sheet pan they are resting on in order to proceed with recipe.
- Turn oven broiler on high and move oven rack to at least 6 inches from heat source.
- Top each cutlet with approximately 4 tbsp sauce, spreading sauce over the expanse of the cutlet.
- Sprinkle 1-2 tbsp of Parmesan on each cutlet, followed by 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese on each cutlet.
- Place sheet pan in oven and broil cutlets until cheese bubbles (don’t walk away from oven with broiler on!).
- Serve immediately with bread or pasta.
- Chicken Cutlets Directions
- Dissolve 4 tbsp of Kosher salt into one quart of room temperature water to make a quick brine. Submerge chicken breasts into brine and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Remove chicken from brine and pat dry. Cut each chicken breast in half crosswise, then cut each thick half horizontally, to create three cutlets of similar thickness. Place cutlets between sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound to an even 1/2 inch thickness. You will have 9 small cutlets, total. (If you prefer one large cutlet, simply butterfly each chicken breast by slicing it horizontally almost all the way through, then open it like a book. Gently pound to an even ½-inch thickness before proceeding with the dredging and cooking steps.)
- Spread flour in a shallow dish large enough to fit two pieces of chicken and whisk in seasoned salt. Place egg in a similar sized dish and add a scant 1/8 tsp each of Kosher salt and black pepper. Spread panko into an 8 inch pyrex dish.
- Working with one cutlet at a time, dredge into flour, shaking to remove excess. Place cutlet in egg mixture, covering entire surface, then do the same with the panko. Place cutlets on a sheet pan or large platter.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat 5 tbsp of oil in a large (at least 12 in) skillet over med-high heat, until shimmering. Drop in a breadcrumb, and when oil bubbles around it, oil is ready. Place 4 of the largest cutlets in the pan, and reduce heat to medium. Cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes, then flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove cutlets and place on wire rack set in a clean sheet pan lined with foil or parchment paper. Sprinkle them lightly with Kosher salt.
- VERY CAREFULLY pour any remaining oil from skillet into heat safe receptacle. Using a few clean paper towels, carefully wipe out any burnt crumbs from skillet. Place skillet back on burner over medium-high heat and add remaining oil. Cook the remaining 5 cutlets using the directions in step 5.
- When cutlets are all on the wire rack, cut into thickest cutlet to check for doneness. If it is still a little pink, place cutlets in the oven for about 8 minutes (I have a toddler, so I err on the side of caution). If cutlets are cooked through, proceed with step 1 of Chicken Parmesan recipe above.
Sarah Faris: The salad Whisperer
Sarah is a classically trained chef and Mom whose passion is spreading the gospel of salad. A native New Yorker, she now calls Miami, FL home.
Read more
Share this post:
Leave a Reply
