Chicken Parmesan Recipe
Everyone needs a few go-to recipes in their arsenal. You know, the kind that you can whip up blindfolded but make it look like you’ve slaved in the kitchen. The kind you can serve to last minute dinner guests, or to make your family feel extra special. This is one of those recipes.
Chicken Parmesan is a classic crowd pleaser. It’s one of the first real recipes I learned to make, and I have turned to it time and time again over the years. It’s simple, delicious, and it never lets me down.
The ingredients are simple, and you can keep them on hand. It takes a little time to come together, but nothing is complicated; it’s just following a few simple steps and then some hands-off time in the oven.
You start with thin sliced chicken breasts. I try to keep a pack in the freezer because they’re quick, easy and versatile. But if you don’t have any you can slice whole breasts yourself. I’ve done it before in a pinch.
Next, you need to set up your dredging station. Dredging the chicken is probably the hardest part of the whole recipe, but it’s a really good method to know. Once you learn how, you can dredge all kinds of stuff and fry it up. I really like to make pork chops this way, and I also make homemade chicken nuggets using this method.
You need three large, shallow bowls. In the first bowl, put some flour and a little seasoning of your choice. I used garlic salt for this recipe. In the second bowl, you are going to beat a couple of eggs until they are frothy. In the third bowl, mix breadcrumbs of your choice (I used Panko for extra crispiness) with shredded parmesan cheese. This makes the breading crispy, salty and delicious!
Now, dredge both sides of each piece of chicken through each of the bowls. Make sure to have the right order- flour, then eggs, then the breadcrumb mixture. This ensures that the breading will stick and that your chicken will come out crispy and delicious! The process is a little messy- try to do all your dredging with one hand so you can keep the other hand clean.
The next step is to brown your chicken. Preheat a large skillet to medium heat and add just enough oil to cover the pan. Make sure each chicken is browned on both sides, then move them to a large baking dish. They will finish cooking in the oven.
Before you put them in the oven, you’re going to top them with all the yummy goodness. Most of the time, I just use a jar of marinara sauce from the store and pre-shredded mozzarella cheese. If you’re feeling extra fancy, you could make homemade marinara and use fresh mozzarella. But that’s totally not necessary. It’s perfectly delicious with the store-bought stuff.
Just a spoonful of marinara will do. If you use too much your chicken will get soggy and your dish will be too juicy. And add the cheese to your liking. Just a little does the trick, but if you’re feeling extra cheesy, by all means, pile it on!
Now it’s time for it to all come together. Put your dish of saucy, cheesy chicken in the oven and let the chicken finish cooking, the cheese melt, and all the flavors come together. While it’s baking, cook up some pasta and mix it with your remaining marinara sauce and some parmesan cheese, if you like.
There you have it. You have a dish fit for company, your family will be super impressed, and everyone will enjoy your delicious masterpiece. Take a break and let someone else do the dishes!
Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb thin sliced chicken breast
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs *or substitute regular breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 jar marinara sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 8 ounces pasta of your choice *prepared according to package directions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Set up dredging station with 3 large shallow bowls.
- Add flour and 1/2 tsp garlic salt to first bowl and mix to combine.
- Add eggs to second bowl and whisk until beaten and frothy.
- Add breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, 1/2 tsp garlic salt and Italian seasoning to third bowl. Mix well.
- Dredge each piece of chicken on both sides, starting with flour mixture, then egg, then breadcrumb mixture. Place chicken on a platter on a single layer.
- Preheat large skillet to medium heat. Once hot, add oil.
- When oil is heated, add chicken breasts and brown on both sides. Be careful not to overcrowd your pan. Prepare in batches if needed. Remove chicken from pan before it is cooked through.
- Place browned chicken breasts in a single layer in a large baking dish. Top each chicken breast with thin layer of marinara sauce and a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese.
- Place baking dish in preheated oven. Bake 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and cheese is melted.
- While chicken is cooking, prepare pasta according to package directions. Add remaining marinara sauce to drained pasta if desired.
- Remove chicken from oven, let cool 5 minutes.
- Serve chicken with pasta and an extra sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Enjoy!