This chicken parmigiana, or chicken parmesan, recipe is a far cry from what you’ll get at your local pizzeria. It is light, fresh, and without a single breadcrumb. It’s the perfect special occasion meal.
This recipe is exactly how my mamma always made it – the chicken is fried quickly after being dredged in flour, then egg – without any breadcrumbs – just a crisp, flavorful exterior encasing the most moist chicken breast you’ve ever had. Fresh mozzarella tops this dish in it’s last moments in the oven and is perfect served beside or after a simple plate of spaghetti with fresh tomato sauce.
Chicken Parmigiana
Ingredients
- 3 large chicken breasts, sliced thinly
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 3 eggs
- 1 jar homemade tomato sauce or store bought
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
- Canola Oil for frying – 1 inch deep in a large skillet
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Set a large skillet over medium high heat, and fill with canola oil – about 1 to 1.5 inches deep.
- In a saucepan, simmer your tomato sauce.
- Thinly slice your chicken breasts into 2 or 3 slices each. Set aside.
- In a shallow baking dish, measure about 1.5 cups of flour. Season the flour with the salt and pepper and mix with a fork.
- In a second shallow baking dish or bowl, beat together the three eggs.
- When the oil measures 350 degrees Fahrenheit (or alternatively, sizzles when you flick in a bit of water), dredge a piece of chicken first in flour, making sure to shake off any excess, and then in the egg. Put the chicken in the pan two pieces at a time and fry on each side until golden brown. This is generally about 2-3 minutes a side, depending on the exact temperature of the oil.
- After the chicken is golden brown on each side, transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Salt immediately.
- After you have finished frying the chicken, turn the heat off the sauce that has been simmering. Ladle a spoonful (about a cup) of sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 in baking dish, and sprinkle the top with a tablespoon of parmesan cheese.
- Place the fried chicken breast into the baking dish in a single layer, and top each piece of chicken with a spoonful of sauce and the remaining parmesan cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, remove the baking dish from the oven, uncover, and top each piece of chicken with one slice of fresh mozzarella. Return to the oven for 5-10 minutes, or just until the cheese has melted. Serve hot.
Tips: If you prefer, purchase chicken cutlets as opposed to chicken breast. They are significantly more expensive per pound, but will save you the time of cutting the chicken yourself. You will need about 1.5 lbs.
