Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
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- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic – thinly sliced
- 28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 5 leaves fresh basil leaves
- 2 tsp kosher salt – divided
- 1 tsp black pepper – divided, freshly ground
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (~4 n/a chicken breasts)
- 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs – beaten
- 1 1/2 cups dry breadcrumbs
- 3/4 cups parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 cups vegetable oil
- 8 ounces low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded
- fresh parsley leaves – chopped (for serving)
Instructions
1. Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering, about 1 minute. Add the sliced garlic and cook until fragrant but not browned, 30–60 seconds. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, red pepper flakes, 0.5 tsp kosher salt, and basil leaves. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 15–20 minutes; discard the basil and keep the sauce warm.
2. Heat the oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack on top.
3. Prepare the chicken: If the breasts are thick, slice them horizontally to make 4 even cutlets, then pound to an even 0.5-inch thickness. Pat dry, then season both sides with 1 tsp kosher salt and 0.5 tsp black pepper.
4. Set up breading: Put the flour in a shallow dish. Beat the eggs in a second dish. In a third dish, combine the breadcrumbs, 0.5 cup of the Parmesan, dried oregano, garlic powder, 0.5 tsp kosher salt, and 0.5 tsp black pepper until evenly mixed, 30 seconds.
5. Bread the cutlets: Working one at a time, coat chicken in flour, shaking off excess, then dip in beaten eggs, then press into the breadcrumb mixture until fully coated. Set on the rack and let stand 5 minutes to help the coating adhere.
6. Fry: Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high until it reaches 350°F or a breadcrumb sizzles on contact, 4–5 minutes. Fry the cutlets in batches without crowding until deep golden and just cooked through, 2–3 minutes per side. Transfer back to the rack to drain for 2 minutes.
7. Assemble: Spread a thin layer (about 1 cup) of the sauce in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Nestle the fried cutlets on top. Spoon 2–3 tbsp sauce over each cutlet. Top evenly with the mozzarella, then sprinkle on the remaining Parmesan.
8. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the chicken registers 165°F, 10–12 minutes. For extra color, broil until browned in spots, 1–2 minutes.
9. Rest 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve hot with remaining sauce on the side.
Chicken Parmesan is a beloved Italian-American dish featuring crisp, breaded chicken cutlets blanketed with bright tomato sauce and a generous cap of melty mozzarella and nutty Parmesan. The contrast of a crackling crust, juicy chicken, and gooey, browned cheese delivers hearty comfort and big flavor. It is satisfying on its own, and equally at home alongside pasta or a simple salad.
Its roots trace to Southern Italian cooking, where breaded cutlets and eggplant parmigiana were staples long before chicken became widely used. In the United States, Italian immigrants adapted the technique with plentiful chicken and American dairy, leading to the restaurant favorite known as chicken parmigiana or “chicken parm.” Over decades, it became a red-sauce icon in New York and beyond, emblematic of Italian-American cuisine’s generous portions and crowd-pleasing textures.