Description
A classic Italian-American Chicken Parmesan recipe featuring golden, crispy breaded chicken breasts topped with savory marinara sauce, melted mozzarella, and parmesan cheese, baked to bubbly perfection and garnished with fresh basil. Perfect served over spaghetti for a comforting and flavorful meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Coating
- 4 chicken breasts (halves, boneless and skinless)
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs (beaten)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil (or olive oil for frying)
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¾ cup regular breadcrumbs
- ½ cup parmesan cheese (grated)
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
Topping
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)
- ½ cup parmesan cheese (grated)
- 2 leaves basil (chopped)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 425℉ to prepare for baking the assembled chicken parmesan.
- Flatten the chicken breasts: Place each chicken breast between two pieces of parchment paper and gently pound with the flat side of a meat mallet until about ½ inch (1 cm) thick to ensure even cooking.
- Prepare coating stations: Place the all-purpose flour in a shallow plate. Place the beaten eggs in another shallow plate. Combine the panko and regular breadcrumbs with ½ cup grated parmesan, salt, and pepper in a third shallow plate.
- Coat the chicken: Dredge each chicken breast first in the flour ensuring full coverage, then dip into the beaten eggs, and finally coat evenly with the breadcrumb mixture. Place the coated chicken on a baking sheet.
- Heat oil for frying: Preheat vegetable or olive oil in a large skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat, bringing it to between 375℉ to 400℉ for optimal frying temperature.
- Fry the chicken: Fry the chicken in batches, adding two pieces at a time. Cook each side for about 4 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Remove and transfer to a baking sheet.
- Assemble the chicken parmesan: On the baking sheet with the fried chicken, spoon about ¼ cup marinara sauce on each piece. Then, sprinkle ¼ cup shredded mozzarella and ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese evenly on top.
- Bake: Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until the cheese has melted completely and is bubbly.
- Garnish and serve: Remove from the oven, sprinkle chopped fresh basil over the top, and serve warm, ideally over cooked spaghetti or your preferred pasta.
Notes
- Golden, crispy chicken smothered in marinara and buried under a gooey blanket of mozzarella and parmesan makes this recipe a family favorite repeated often.
- Ensure the oil is hot enough before frying to get a crispy crust without absorbing excess oil.
- Flattening chicken breasts helps them cook evenly and stay juicy inside.
- Use a mix of panko and regular breadcrumbs combined with parmesan for extra crispiness and flavor.
- Feel free to adjust the amount of marinara and cheese according to your preference.
- Serve over spaghetti or your favorite pasta to complete this hearty Italian-American meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 346 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 777 mg
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 102 mg
