Sometimes I crave a really good classic, no frills chicken parmesan: crispy breaded chicken, tons of stringy cheese, all generously slathered in a garlicky red sauce. GIMME!
What makes this chicken parm recipe so divine is the crisp (not mushy) breading, the generous layer of cheese, and the homemade tomato sauce. This chicken parmesan recipe is tested by my Italian fiancé. He may have eaten a whole pound of chicken parm by himself…plus pasta!
My STEP-BY-STEP VIDEO below will help guide you through the recipe. Subscribe to my YouTube channel for recipe videos every week!
Makes: 2 large portions
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
The Ingredients
1-pound chicken cutlets, each piece about ½ inch thick
28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 slice of provolone cheese, per chicken cutlet
¼ cup finely grated parmesan cheese, plus more to garnish
2 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella cheese, per chicken cutlet
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning (typically a blend of herbs like basil, oregano, thyme, sage, rosemary)
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Extra virgin olive oil
Fresh parsley or basil, to garish
Optional: a side of your favorite pasta
The Steps
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
For easy tomato sauce: in a medium saucepan, add a drizzle of olive oil, garlic and onion, and sweat for 2-3 minutes over medium heat. Add crushed tomatoes and let simmer, covered, over low heat until chicken is ready to serve. Stir occasionally.
To bread the chicken: on a large plate, use your hands or a fork to toss panko with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and 1 tablespoon of finely grated parmesan.
Place beaten eggs in a wide bowl, and dip each chicken cutlet in the beaten egg so the entire piece is covered in egg. Transfer chicken cutlet to the panko mixture and generously coat with bread crumbs. Repeat process for each piece of chicken until all are breaded.
To cook the chicken: coat the bottom of a large heavy-bottomed pan with olive oil. Turn heat to medium-high and use tongs to add chicken to pan in a single layer, leaving as much space as possible between each piece.
Let chicken cook, 4 minutes per side (8 minutes total), until each side is golden brown. Test the internal temperature of the thickest piece at the end of the 8 minutes. The chicken should register at or close to 165 degrees (we will be placing these in the oven for a few more minutes to melt the cheese, so if the temp is close to 165, you can skip the next step!). Transfer chicken cutlets to a baking sheet.
If the chicken registered below 165 degrees: place in the oven for 3-5 minutes at 400 degrees until chicken reaches 165 degrees.
Boil pasta (optional).
To melt the cheese (the best part!): With the chicken cutlets in a single layer on a baking sheet, add 1 slice of provolone cheese per cutlet, 2 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella per cutlet, and then about 1 tablespoon of grated parmesan to each cutlet. Place in preheated oven for 5-7 minutes until cheese is completely melted.
To serve: use a spatula to plate chicken. Add pasta Generously spoon sauce. Top with fresh parsley or basil and more grated parmesan. Now pretend you’re in Italy!!
The Steps with Video
My STEP-BY-STEP VIDEO below will help guide you through the recipe. Subscribe to my YouTube channel for recipe videos every week!
