Description
This classic Chicken Parmesan recipe features tender, breaded chicken cutlets topped with melted mozzarella, marinara sauce, and parmesan cheese. Perfectly golden and baked to perfection, it’s an easy yet impressive main course that pairs beautifully with pasta or a fresh Italian salad.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chicken
- 3 chicken breasts, sliced in half length-wise to create 6 cutlets
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (can also use gluten-free flour blend or white whole wheat)
- 3 eggs, whisked
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Breadcrumbs
- 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp Italian herb blend (thyme, oregano, basil, rosemary)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
For the Topping
- 6 slices mozzarella
- 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
- 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the chicken parmesan.
- Tenderize Chicken: Place chicken cutlets in a large ziplock bag or between two sheets of parchment paper. Use a rolling pin or meat hammer to pound chicken to 1/2 inch thickness. Remove and pat dry with paper towels.
- Prepare Breadcrumbs: In a shallow dish, combine breadcrumbs, shredded parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, Italian herb blend, and garlic powder. Mix well.
- Set Up Breading Station: Arrange three shallow dishes: one with flour, one with whisked eggs, and one with the breadcrumb mixture.
- Bread the Chicken: Coat each chicken cutlet in flour, shaking off excess. Then dip in egg wash, followed by breadcrumbs, pressing gently to adhere breadcrumbs evenly. Repeat for all cutlets.
- Brown the Chicken: Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a cast iron skillet or pan over low to medium heat. Brown chicken cutlets for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden and crispy.
- Layer and Bake: Arrange browned chicken in a large baking dish. Top each cutlet with a slice of mozzarella followed by marinara sauce. Bake uncovered for 14 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle shredded parmesan cheese on top.
- Broil Cheese: Broil on high heat for 1 minute until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Remove from oven.
- Garnish and Serve: Sprinkle fresh chopped basil over the chicken parmesan and serve immediately with your favorite sides.
Notes
- For a lighter version, bake the breaded chicken instead of frying. Preheat oven to 450F, bake oiled breaded chicken cutlets for 25 minutes, then top with cheese and sauce and bake 5 more minutes followed by broiling for 1 minute.
- Serve with pasta or an Italian salad such as Tuscan artichoke salad or Italian chopped salad for a complete meal.
- Crusty country sourdough or Italian bread makes a great accompaniment.
- You can substitute gluten-free flour and breadcrumbs to make this recipe gluten-free.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 145 mg
