If ever there was an iconic Italian-American dish, it has to be chicken parmesan, a.k.a. chicken parm! It’s a pan of tender breaded chicken cutlets bathed in tomato sauce and topped with gooey melted mozzarella. Every bite of this easy chicken parmesan recipe is pure comfort, and it’s not difficult to make!
When I was growing up, our parents would take us to dinner at the Italian American Sportsmen’s Club, a gathering spot for Trenton, New Jersey’s Italian-American community. I always ordered chicken parm.
My mom, who was born and raised in Italy, was not familiar with this dish, which makes sense, since chicken parmesan is not actually Italian. It is an Italian-American invention that combines breaded chicken breasts, baked with tomato sauce and melty mozzarella.
It’s a standard at red-sauce joints across the U.S., but it’s also easy to make at home. After preparing the cutlets and sauce, it’s just a matter of arranging them in a baking dish and topping them with cheese. Once you try my version, punched up with a mix of Italian herbs, you’ll want to make it part of your regular dinner rotation.
Table of Contents
What is Chicken Parmesan?
Chicken parmesan is a clever riff on eggplant parmesan, a classic dish that hails from southern Italy, where many Italian-Americans have their roots.
The origin of the name “chicken parmesan” is murky. Any preparation with the description “alla parmigiana” means it is made “in the style of Parma.” This is a reference to the city in Emilia-Romagna where Parmigiano-Reggiano is the reigning cheese.
It’s possible that the term “alla parmigiana” became a catch-all phrase for dishes that are layered like lasagna. Since chicken (or eggplant) parmesan is a layered composition of fried slices, sauce, and cheese, this makes sense. Nowadays, chicken parmesan is often referred to simply as “chicken parm,” a sort of shortened slang. No matter what you call it, this satisfying dish is the height of comfort food and well worth making at home.
Ingredients in Chicken Parmesan
Most of the ingredients for chicken parm are available at your local grocery store. But when it comes to the Parmigiano cheese, be sure to get the good stuff—imported Parmigiano-Reggiano. The flavor makes a big difference.
For the Chicken Cutlets
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: Slice the breasts in half horizontally and then pound them lightly to turn them into cutlets so that they cook quickly and evenly. For a shortcut, buy six already-prepared cutlets from your butcher or supermarket.
- Salt and pepper: Chicken breasts are mild in flavor, so season them lightly before breading.
- Flour and eggs: Dipping the cutlets first in all-purpose flour, then in beaten eggs, helps the breadcrumb coating adhere.
- Breadcrumbs give the cutlets a crunchy texture. You can use homemade, standard dry, or Panko breadcrumbs in this recipe.
- Parmesan cheese: I stir a handful of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese into my breadcrumb mixture and sprinkle more on top of the assembled Chicken Parmesan before I bake it.
- Italian seasoning: I use Homemade Italian Seasoning, an aromatic blend of dried rosemary, basil, and oregano, to season my breadcrumbs. It’s easy to make, but you can also use a store-bought version.
- Oil for frying: I use a combination of extra virgin olive oil and sunflower oil for frying. The sunflower oil cuts the richness of the olive oil and, in my opinion, achieves a lighter result without compromising flavor.
For the Sauce and Finishing Touches
- Canned Tomatoes: I make a simple tomato sauce for this recipe by putting canned tomatoes through a food mill to reduce them to a purée while removing the seeds. If you don’t have a food mill or you want to save yourself a step, you can use bottled tomato purée or store-bought tomato sauce.
- Olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, and fresh basil: I like to keep my tomato sauce simple and season it with the aforementioned ingredients. If using jarred sauce, you can skip this.
- Mozzarella cheese: I love fresh mozzarella, but it’s not what I use to top chicken parm because it doesn’t melt well. Instead, I use a block of low-moisture mozzarella cheese, and then shred it.
How to Make Chicken Parmesan
Although it takes several steps to make this dish, they are all easy. To simplify the process, I gather my ingredients and line them up to create an assembly line for coating the chicken cutlets. If you want to get a head start, make the sauce a day in advance and refrigerate it. Then, heat it on the stovetop just enough to warm it up before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.
Make the Tomato Sauce
- Season the olive oil. Pour 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil into a wide sauté pan and add a large, lightly crushed garlic clove and, if you like, a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook on medium-low, pressing down on the garlic to release its flavor, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and simmer. Remove the garlic (or leave it in if you prefer). Add 2 (24-ounce) bottles tomato purée (passata), and a pinch of salt. You can also add a pinch of sugar, if you want to tame the acidity of the sauce. Raise the heat to medium and bring the sauce to a simmer. Return the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for about 30 minutes, until it is reduced and richly flavored. Turn off the heat and stir in a handful of torn or coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves.
Make the Cutlets
- Prepare the cutlets. While the tomato sauce simmers, place 3 (about a pound) boneless, skinless breasts on a large cutting board. Use your palm to press each one flat while slicing smoothly through it horizontally to yield 2 cutlets. Cut the remaining breasts in the same way. Place each cutlet between two sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap and pound it gently with a meat mallet just enough to even out its thickness. Season both sides of the cutlets with salt and pepper.
- Set up your dredging station. You’ll need three shallow bowls. Place about 3/4 cup flour in the first bowl. Crack 2 eggs into the second bowl and whisk them lightly. Place 1 to 1 1/2 cups unseasoned breadcrumbs, about 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano cheese, and 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning into the third bowl and stir with a fork to combine. Line a baking sheet with waxed or parchment paper to hold the breaded cutlets.
- Dredge the cutlets. Working with one cutlet at a time, dip it first in flour, taking care to coat it on all sides. Shake off the excess flour and then place the cutlet in the bowl of beaten eggs. Use a fork to pierce it and turn it over, so that it is completely coated. Lift the cutlet out, letting any excess egg drip back into the bowl. Place the cutlet in the breadcrumbs and coat it on both sides, pressing the breadcrumbs gently to make sure they stick. Set the breaded cutlet on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining cutlets. Let them sit while you heat the oil.
- Fry the cutlets. Place a wire rack over a baking sheet and set it near the stovetop. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil into a heavy-bottomed skillet and set it over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, lay two or three cutlets in the pan—as many as will fit comfortably without crowding. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until browned on the bottom, then carefully turn them over and brown the other side, another 3 to 4 minutes. The cutlets should be golden and not too dark. If they are browning too quickly, turn down the heat. Once browned, transfer the cutlets to the wire rack to drain. Repeat with the remaining cutlets, adding 1 or 2 tablespoons more olive or sunflower oil between batches if needed.
Put it all Together
- Assemble the Chicken Parmesan. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spoon a thin layer of sauce into the bottom of a large baking dish or rimmed baking pan. Arrange the cutlets on the bed of sauce, overlapping them ever so slightly if necessary, so that they all fit. Spread more sauce on top of the cutlets, coating them generously. Top with 1/2 pound sliced or shredded mozzarella. Then dollop small spoonfuls of sauce here and there over the mozzarella. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup Parmigiano cheese evenly on top.
- Bake and serve. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese has melted, and the sauce is bubbling. To finish, slide the baking dish under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, just enough to brown the cheese in spots. Remove from the oven and let it sit for just a minute before serving.
What to Serve with Chicken Parmesan
Chicken Parmesan is a hearty dish, so it benefits from a refreshing side dish like a crunchy salad. For a classic combination, serve it with a Caesar Salad, or for something a bit lighter, try our Lemon Parmesan Salad. I also love the crunch of this Lemony Fennel Salad. And if you’re feeling indulgent, add some Ciabatta Garlic Bread to make it an Italian-American feast!
More Chicken Breast Recipes
Browse all Mediterranean recipes.
Visit Our Shop.
Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
For the Tomato Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large garlic clove, lightly crushed
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 (24-ounce) bottles tomato puree or passata
- Salt
- Sugar (optional)
- Fresh basil leaves, torn or coarsely chopped
For the Chicken:
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups unseasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
- 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- 2 tablespoons sunflower or other mildly flavored vegetable oil, plus more as needed
- 1/2 pound low-moisture mozzarella, shredded
Instructions
- Make the Tomato Sauce. Set a large sauté pan over medium-low heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add a lightly crushed garlic clove and, if you like, a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook pressing down on the garlic to release its flavor, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the garlic (or leave it in) and stir in the tomato purée (passata), and a pinch of salt. Add a pinch of sugar, if you want to tame the acidity of the sauce, but it’s not necessary. Raise the heat to medium and bring the sauce to a simmer, then return the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for about 30 minutes, until it is reduced and richly flavored. Turn off the heat and stir in a handful of torn basil leaves.
- Prepare the cutlets. While the tomato sauce is cooking, place one of the chicken breasts on a large cutting board and slice through it horizontally with a sharp knife to yield two cutlets. Cut the remaining breasts the same way for a total of six cutlets. Place each cutlet between two sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap and pound it gently with a meat mallet just enough to even out its thickness. Season both sides of the cutlets with salt and pepper.
- Set up your dredging station. You’ll need three shallow bowls or aluminum pie plates. Place about 3/4 cup flour in the first bowl. Crack 2 eggs into the second and whisk them lightly. Place 1 cup breadcrumbs, about 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano cheese, and 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning into the third bowl and toss with a fork to combine. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper or parchment for holding the breaded cutlets.
- Dredge the cutlets. Working with one cutlet at a time, dip it first in flour, taking care to coat it on all sides. Shake off the excess flour and then place the cutlet in the bowl of beaten eggs. Use a fork to pierce it and turn it over, so that it is completely coated. Lift the cutlet out, letting any excess egg drip back into the bowl. Place the cutlet in the breadcrumbs and coat it on both sides, pressing the breadcrumbs gently to make sure they stick. Set the breaded cutlet on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining cutlets. Let them sit while you heat the oil.
- Fry the cutlets. Place a wire rack over a baking sheet and set it near the stovetop. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil into a heavy-bottomed skillet and set it over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, lay two or three cutlets in the pan—as many as will fit comfortably without crowding. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until browned on the bottom, then carefully turn them over with tongs and brown the other side, another 3 to 4 minutes. The cutlets should be golden and not too dark. If they are browning too quickly, turn down the heat. Once browned, transfer the cutlets to the wire rack to drain. Repeat with the remaining cutlets, adding 1 or 2 tablespoons more olive or sunflower oil between batches if needed.
- Assemble the Chicken Parmesan. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spoon a thin layer of sauce into the bottom of a large baking dish or rimmed baking pan. Spread the sauce out so that it covers the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange the cutlets on the bed of sauce, overlapping them ever so slightly if necessary, so that they all fit. Spread more sauce on top of the cutlets, coating them generously. Top with the mozzarella. Then dollop small spoonfuls of sauce here and there over the mozzarella. Sprinkle the remaining Parmigiano cheese evenly on top.
- Bake and serve. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese has melted, and the sauce is bubbling. To finish, slide the baking dish under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, just enough to brown the cheese in spots. Remove from the oven and let it sit for just a minute before serving.
Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including the olive oil used in this recipe.
- Feel free to substitute about 4 cups of jarred marinara sauce for the tomato sauce in this recipe as a time saver.
- To get a jump on the recipe, you can make the sauce a day ahead and refrigerate it, or a week (or more) ahead and freeze it. Heat it on the stovetop before assembling the Chicken Parmesan.
Nutrition
Bundle and Save!
Four of our best-selling signature olive oils, perfect for everyday use.
