This chicken Parmesan (or chicken Parmigiana) is a classic Italian entree featuring breaded chicken breast fried and then baked! The Parmesan breaded chicken breast combines mozzarella, marinara, and pasta for a simple and complete meal!
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Easy Chicken Parmigiana Recipe
This delightful family favorite is simple to prepare, and after your first time, you'll find it incredibly easy!
Typically, chicken is either pan-fried until cooked through or oven-baked to completion. My recipe ingeniously combines both methods to create the ultimate super crispy Parmesan-crusted chicken breast that's sure to be a hit with everyone!
This chicken is so versatile that it can be served with pasta, alfredo sauce, mashed potatoes, rice, and much more!
🥘 Ingredients
In addition to chicken, you'll need some cheese and common cooking ingredients. Feel free to use some store-bought marinara sauce for an extra simple dish!
- Chicken Breasts - 2 chicken breasts cut into thin halves. Alternatively, you could use chicken cutlets. Consider using a chicken marinade like my Italian chicken marinade.
- Flour - ½ cup of all-purpose flour.
- Eggs - 2 large eggs, beaten.
- Panko Breadcrumbs - 1 cup of Panko breadcrumbs.
- Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs - ½ cup of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs.
- Parmesan Cheese - ½ cup of Parmesan cheese, grated. Plus an additional ¼ cup.
- Basil - 2 tablespoons of basil (or parsley, chopped - plus more for garnish, if desired).
- Salt & Pepper - ¼ teaspoon of both salt and pepper, to taste.
- Olive Oil - ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil (or canola oil).
- Marinara Sauce - 24 ounces of marinara sauce. (See my recipe - or use your favorite commercial brand)
- Mozzarella Cheese - 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, either shredded or sliced.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Chicken Parmesan
Prepare your dredging station before getting started for the most convenience! You'll need shallow bowls, a baking sheet, and a skillet.
This recipe is perfect for 4 servings, which can easily be spread further when served with bread and pasta!
Step 1: Set Up The Dredging Station. Arrange three shallow dishes for the dredging process. Fill one with ½ cup of flour, the second with 2 beaten eggs, and the third with the breading mixture (1 cup of Panko breadcrumbs, ½ cup of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, ½ cup of grated Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh herbs like basil or parsley, and ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper).
Mix the breading ingredients well with a fork.
Step 2: Prepare the Chicken Parmesan. Preheat your oven to 425ºF (218ºC) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Begin by coating each of the 2 chicken breast pieces in flour, shaking off the excess. Then, dip them into the beaten eggs, ensuring they're fully coated. Finally, press each piece firmly into the breading mixture, ensuring even coverage, and set aside on a plate or directly on the prepared baking sheet.
Step 3: Heat the Oil. In a large skillet or non-stick frying pan, heat cooking oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the breaded chicken pieces to the pan without overcrowding, usually two at a time, and fry each side for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Remember, they'll finish cooking in the oven, so focus on achieving a nice color.
Step 4: Add Toppings and Bake. Transfer the browned chicken to the baking sheet. Top each piece with about two tablespoons of marinara sauce, then evenly distribute 1 cup of shredded or sliced mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup of shredded Parmesan cheese over the chicken. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is golden and crispy and reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF (74ºC).
Step 5: Serve. Once baked, remove the chicken from the oven. Serve it over pasta with additional warmed marinara sauce, garnished with fresh basil or parsley and a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper.
Try your chicken parmesan with some sliced French bread, rustic bread, or a small side salad for a meal the whole family will rave about! Take a look at what to serve with chicken Parmesan for tons of recipes and ideas! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Selecting Chicken: If you can access store-bought thin, boneless, skinless chicken breast halves or chicken cutlets, they are ideal for this recipe due to their quick cooking time and even thickness. For whole chicken breasts, slice them in half lengthwise to create thinner pieces, similar to butterflying, but slice all the way through to separate.
- Achieving the Right Thickness: Once sliced, ensure each piece of chicken is about a half-inch thick. This uniform thickness is key for even cooking and perfect breading adherence.
- Sauce Moderation: When adding sauce to the chicken, remember that a little goes a long way. Use about 2 tablespoons of sauce per chicken piece to maintain the breading's crispiness. Extra sauce can be served with the pasta or on the side for dipping.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Save your leftovers to make a chicken Parmesan sandwich or chicken Parmesan pizza!
Place your chicken into an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheating
Reheat your chicken parmesan in the oven at 350°F (175°C) on a baking sheet until hot.
>>>>See all of my recipes here<<<<
❓ Recipe FAQs
Place the chicken breast halves between two sheets of waxed paper or in a plastic storage bag. Use the flat side of a wooden meat mallet and start in the center, pounding lightly and working the thickness out toward the edges.
Nope! These are two names for the same recipe! You'll typically see the term "chicken parmigiana" on the menu at Italian restaurants.
Yep! You can have the chicken breaded and stored in the fridge for up to 8 hours before frying and baking. Additionally, you can completely prepare the chicken, allow it to cool completely, and then freeze it for up to 3 months. Simply allow the chicken to defrost before reheating it in the oven at 350°F (175°C).
🐔 Other Chicken Recipes
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders - Crispy and juicy chicken tenders are a fantastic meal for any night of the week!
- Sous Vide Chicken Breasts - Prepare some flavorful chicken breasts using your sous vide machine!
- Shake N' Bake Chicken - A homemade version of tasty shake-and-bake chicken!
- Italian Pastina Soup - A cozy Italian twist on chicken noodle soup!
- Honey Sesame Chicken - Bite-sized chunks of chicken are battered, fried, and then coated in a sweet sauce!
- Crockpot Whole Chicken - Use your slow cooker to prepare a whole chicken easily!
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📖 Recipe Card
Chicken Parmesan (Chicken Parmigiana)
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts (cut into thin halves, or use chicken breast cutlets)
- ½ cup flour
- 2 large eggs (beaten)
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
- 2 tablespoon basil (or parsley, chopped - plus more for garnish, if desired)
- ¼ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (or to taste)
- ¼ cup cooking oil (I prefer extra virgin olive oil)
- 24 ounces marinara sauce (see recipe - or use your favorite commercial brand)
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded or sliced)
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese (shredded)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare three shallow dishes. The first with the flour, the second with the beaten eggs, and the third with the Panko breadcrumbs, Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, chopped fresh basil or parsley, and salt and pepper combined.
- Your chicken breasts need to be thin, cut them along the center like you would to butterfly the chicken breasts. Pound the chicken breasts into pieces that are approximately ½ inch in thickness, if needed. *Some stores have thin cut breasts like this, and chicken breast cutlets can also be used.
- Dip and coat the chicken breast halves into the flour first, shaking off the excess flour before dipping them into the beaten eggs. Dip into the eggs and then into the breading mixture. Use your fingers to pat the breading firmly into place on each side of the chicken breast pieces. Transfer breaded chicken pieces to a plate.
- In a large skillet or non-stick frying pan, heat the cooking oil over medium high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the breaded chicken breast pieces (in batches, if needed, so you don't over crowd the pan) and cook until golden browned. About 3-4 minutes per side. Reduce heat as needed if your chicken is browning too quickly.
- Place the browned chicken breast pieces onto your prepared baking sheet. Top each of the chicken pieces with approximately 2 tablespoons of the marinara sauce, shredded or sliced mozzarella cheese, and shredded Parmesan cheese.
- Bake at 425°F (218°C) for 20-25 minutes. The chicken should be a lovely golden brown and have an internal temperature of 165℉ (74℃), as read by a digital meat thermometer, when done.
- Remove the chicken parmesan when done, and serve over pasta and warmed marinara sauce. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley and freshly ground black pepper.
Notes
- If you have store-bought thin boneless, skinless chicken breast halves available, that's super! Chicken cutlets are also available at times, and these are thin enough to work wonderfully in this recipe. If you have whole chicken breasts, they will need the thickness sliced in half along the length of the chicken breast. Slice the chicken breast carefully, like you would if you were to butterfly the chicken breast meat.
- Once you have the chicken breasts sliced, they will need to be about a half inch in thickness.
- You don't need to drown the chicken in sauce. This will cause the breading to get soggy! 2 tablespoons is a good amount, plus you can always add more sauce to the pasta itself.
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