Best Chicken Parmesan Recipe
This Classic Chicken Parmesan recipe makes the Best Chicken Parmesan with a pan-fried breaded chicken breast that is oven-baked with marinara and fresh mozzarella for a crispy chicken parmesan with melty cheese and a flavorful tomato-based marinara sauce.
Servings 4
Calories 633kcal
Ingredients
- 4 thin-sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1/2-inch thick) (2 large chicken breasts, sliced thin to make 4)
- Salt and Pepper (divided)
- 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder (divided)
- 2 eggs
- 0.5 teaspoon minced garlic
- 3 dashes hot sauce (optional)
- 1-1/2 cups Italian Panko Bread Crumbs
- 1 cup parmesan cheese (divided)
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 16 ounces marinara sauce (1 jar)
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
Instructions
Prepare The Chicken
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally so that they are about 1/2-inch thick. The other option is to place the chicken breasts between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and then using a meat mallet, pound the chicken breast until it is about a 1/2 inch thick. Pat the chicken dry.
- Salt and pepper all sides of the chicken, and sprinkle all sides with 1/2 teaspoon garlic.
Bread The Chicken
- In the first shallow pan add flour. Add a little cracked black pepper, sea salt, and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and stir until combined.
- In the second shallow pan add 2 eggs, a few dashes of hot sauce, and minced garlic, and stir together.
- In the third shallow pan add Italian Panko Bread Crumbs, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese. Stir to combine.
- Dredge the seasoned chicken in the flour. Be sure to dredge all sides of the chicken in the flour so there are no dry spots on the chicken.
- Then dip the floured chicken breast in the egg mixture. Be sure to coat all sides. Shake off any excess egg mixture.
- Then dredge the chicken in the seasoned Panko bread crumbs. Be sure all sides of the chicken are covered in bread crumbs. Shake off any excess. Then place in a baking dish. Repeat steps 7, 8, and 9 until all pieces of chicken are breaded.
Pan Fry The Chicken
- Place a large 12-inch skillet over medium heat on the stove. Add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. This is necessary so that the chicken breasts to all cook evenly and get crispy up all over.
- After the oil is hot, (about 375 to 400 degrees F.), it will shimmer, and if you hold a wood spoon vertically so the bottom of the spoon touches the oil, then the oil should bubble around it. If it doesn't, then it is not yet hot enough.
- Add each breaded chicken breast into the hot oil and cook one side for about 2 to 3 minutes, or just until the breading is crispy and golden brown. If it browns too fast, then you might want to lower the heat. Then flip the chicken breast and cook the other side of the chicken breast just until it is golden brown. Remember, we are only browning them and not cooking them all the way through. They will finish cooking in the oven.
- Repeat for all chicken breasts. You can pan-fry about 3 chicken breasts at once so long as they all fit in the pan without touching each other. You don't want to crowd them. They need to have space in between each chicken breast.
- After each breaded chicken breast has finished pan-frying, remove them from the oil, drain off any excess oil and place them flat onto a sheet pan.
Add Toppings
- After the chicken breasts have been pan-fried, pour 1 to 2 spoonfuls of marinara sauce over the top of each chicken breast. How much you pour depends on the size of the chicken breast.
- Then place a thick slice of fresh mozzarella cheese on top of each chicken breast with the sauce. If you don't have fresh mozzarella, then you can use shredded mozzarella to sprinkle on top of the chicken breast.
- Sprinkle the remaining grated parmesan cheese on top of each chicken breast.
Bake and Serve
- Bake the chicken parmesan for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling.Sprinkle some chopped basil over the top before serving. Serve hot. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Recipe Tips
- Thin Chicken Breasts - It is very important that the chicken breasts are very thin, about 1/2 inch thick. If they are too thick, then they may not finish cooking in the allotted time and the outside may get overcooked before the chicken finishes cooking on the inside.
- Panko Bread Crumbs - I really recommend using Panko bread crumbs instead of regular bread crumbs because they are more crispy and less likely to get soggy.
- Breading Process - In each step of the breading process it is important to shake off any excess flour before moving on. Then shake off any excess egg mixture before breading. Also, make sure that all sides of each chicken breast are evenly covered with bread crumbs and that there are no bare spots.
- Temperature of Oil. It is very important that the oil is hot and at the correct temperature before placing the chicken breasts in there.
- Don't Skip The Pan Frying. Please don't skip this step. If you go directly to baking, the chicken may not be as crispy on the outside and the baking time in this recipe assumes that the chicken has already been pan-fried and is already cooked.
- Fresh Mozzarella - To really take this chicken parmesan over the top, use fresh mozzarella for the best flavor, texture, and gooey melty cheese.
Nutrition
Calories: 633kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 180mg | Sodium: 1615mg | Potassium: 751mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1232IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 653mg | Iron: 4mg