The best chicken parmesan with a deliciously crispy coating, smothered in a rich homemade tomato sauce and melted mozzarella cheese!
No one likes a soggy chicken parmesan! That’s why we have adapted this recipe to have a crispy coat, even after it’s been drenched in tangy tomato sauce.
THE BEST CHICKEN PARMESAN RECIPE
Chicken Parmesan, better known in some places as Chicken Parmigiana, is one of the most loved, most popular and most ordered chicken recipes in the world. But often when cooking it at home, it can come out too dry or doesn’t have enough flavour or seasoning. The sauce is bland, or cheddar cheese is used instead of mozzarella, etc.
With our recipe, you won’t have to worry about any of that! According to many of our readers, this chicken recipe has been crowned the crispiest and tastiest they’ve ever tried. We wanted our chicken parmesan to be just as juicy as our creamy French mustard chicken and our creamy dijon chicken (but without all of the sauce) while still retaining its crispy exterior.
That’s why we have taken the time to perfect our parmesan crusted chicken so that your chicken is simultaneously crunchy and juicy, first time round.
Each step is guaranteed to give you the best possible outcome and the juiciest chicken dinner you will never forget.
THE CRISPY COATING
To pack as much flavour into the coating as possible, the breading is made up of a combination of four ingredients:
Panko — a Japanese breadcrumb found in any supermarket or grocery store, usually in Asian isles. Dryer than regular breadcrumbs, they absorb less oil producing a crispy and crunchier crumb!
Breadcrumbs — Italian seasoned, golden or whatever you have on hand.
Parmesan cheese (or Provolone)
Garlic (or onion) powder.
CHICKEN PARMESAN SAUCE
In order to give your tastebuds the ultimate flavour experience, I have provided a homemade tomato sauce recipe to pour over your finished chicken parmesan. You are more than welcome to use store bought pasta sauce, marinara sauce or tomato sauce (U.S readers).
CHICKEN PARMESAN VS CHICKEN PARMIGIANA
There are some variations to the traditional recipe depending on the type of restaurant you’re ordering from. Some restaurants layer toppings with ham or bacon, or switch mozzarella to cheddar (not our favourite), but they are all essentially the same.
Australians know Chicken Parmigiana (Pollo alla parmigiana in Italian) as Parm, Parma, or Parmi.
Before there was chicken parmesan, there was eggplant parmesan. Eggplant slices are breaded, fried and layered with sauce and parmesan cheese. This is a great option for vegetarians or anyone cutting back on calories.
When running out of options on what to feed your family…look no further than these crispy succulent chicken breasts with so much melty cheesy!
WHAT TO SERVE WITH CHICKEN PARMESAN
Pasta — thin spaghetti, angel hair pasta, fettuccini.
3largechicken breastshalved horizontally to make 6 fillets
1cupPanko breadcrumbs
½cupbreadcrumbsItalian or golden
½cupparmesan cheesefresh grated
1teaspoongarlic powder
1teaspoononion powder
½cupolive oilfor frying
For The Sauce:
1tablespoonolive oil
1largeonionchopped
2teaspoonsgarlicminced
14ouncestomato pureePassata
¼teaspoonsaltto taste
¼teaspoonblack pepper to taste
1teaspoondried Italian herbs
1teaspoonsugaroptional
For The Topping:
8ouncesmozzarella cheesesliced or shredded
⅓cupparmesan cheesefresh shredded
2tablespoonsbasil or parsley, fresh, chopped
Instructions
For The Chicken:
Whisk together eggs, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Add chicken into the egg, rotating to evenly coat each fillet in the mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes (or overnight night if time allows for a deeper flavour).
When chicken is ready for cooking, mix bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and garlic powder together in a separate shallow bowl. Dip chicken into the breadcrumb mixture to evenly coat.
Preheat oven 430°F | 220°C. Lightly grease an oven tray (or baking dish) with non stick cooking oil spray; set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Fry chicken until golden and crispy, (about 4-5 minutes each side).
Place chicken on prepared baking tray / dish and top each breast with about ⅓ cup of sauce (sauce recipe below). Top each chicken breast with 2-3 slices of mozzarella cheese and about 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with basil or parsley.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling and melted, and the chicken is completely cooked through.
For The Sauce:
Heat oil in a medium-sized pot. Fry onion until transparent (about 3 minutes), then add the garlic until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
Add the tomato puree, salt and pepper to taste, Italian herbs and sugar (If using). Cover with lid to simmer for about 8 minutes, or until sauce has thickened slightly. Taste test and adjust salt and pepper, if needed.
Notes
Tips: For this recipe, we use both chicken thighs and breasts.Serve with pasta, mashed potato, a salad, steamed veggies, zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice for the perfect meal!
Hi I made this tonight but your ingredients list onion powder however the instructions don’t say where to add it! Just thought I’d let you know , thank you!
I normally don’t comment on things, but I will say I absolutely love this recipe and so do my children. Was told even reheated it was still moist and delicious.
I’ve made this twice now and it is so good! Followed the exact recipe and it comes out great. The sauce recipe is hands down better than any store bought brand i’ve tried! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Dreama says
Wow, great recipe, super easy, and flavorful. This is a keeper!
Karina says
Thank you so much Dreama! You just made my day
Rob D says
I have made this several times
Best I have ever had!
Lynsey says
Hi I made this tonight but your ingredients list onion powder however the instructions don’t say where to add it! Just thought I’d let you know , thank you!
Sharon says
This was a big hit with my family tonight. Thanks for the great recipe!
Deb McFadden says
I normally don’t comment on things, but I will say I absolutely love this recipe and so do my children. Was told even reheated it was still moist and delicious.
Sav says
Easily the most tasty chicken parm recipe I’ve ever made! Used smoked mozzarella for some extra flavor. Will 10000% be using this recipe again!!
Carrie says
I’ve made this twice now and it is so good! Followed the exact recipe and it comes out great. The sauce recipe is hands down better than any store bought brand i’ve tried! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Nate says
amazing recipe thank you so much
Justin Michael Reed says
Thank you for this!