Chicken parmigiana, an Italian American staple. Thinly sliced breast of chicken coated in cheesy breadcrumbs, fried to a crunchy golden brown, smothered in tomato sauce and topped with mozzarella, are you hungry yet? You would be hard pressed to find an Italian restaurant that doesn’t have this on their menu but why not make it at home. Yes its a little bit of work but so worth the effort. Here’s how to make it:
Chicken parmigiana
Thinly sliced chicken breasts (if not thin enough pound them with a meat mallet or whatever you have that will do the job)
flour for dredging approximately 1-1 1/2 cup depending how many you are cooking
2-3 eggs beaten
panko or dried breadcrumbs approximately 2 cups (or more depending on how many you are cooking)
grated parmesan cheese 1/2 cup or more if you like in breadcrumbs more to top when ready to bake
chopped parsley
salt and pepper
marinara or your favorite tomato sauce
fresh or packaged mozzarella sliced or grated
olive oil for frying
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare your breading station. Mix the breadcrumbs with 1/2 c parmesan cheese and approximately 1 tbs chopped parsley, salt and pepper. Add some salt and pepper to the flour and beaten eggs, seasoning each component for the breading is important. Put the flour, egg and breadcrumbs in bowls or pans . Pat dry the chicken with a paper towel. Dip one piece of chicken at a time first in flour, next egg and last the breadcrumbs. Place on a rack over a sheet pan and let rest while you heat your fry pan and oil. When your oil is hot fry the cutlets (medium or medium high heat) until golden brown and cooked through. It takes approximately 4-5 minutes per side when thinly sliced.
Spread a little tomato sauce in a casserole or sheet pan, place chicken cutlets on top of the sauce, add the mozzarella and a generous sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese, top with some tomato sauce and bake uncovered for approximately 30 minutes. Place in broiler if you want the cheese browned.
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