This Classic Chicken Parmesan Recipe is delicious and easy. It's a homemade chicken parmesan recipe and has step by step instructions to make simple chicken parmesan any night of the week.
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Recipe for Chicken Parmesan
If you're wondering how to make a great no-fail recipe for chicken parmesan, here are a few steps that will ensure your homemade chicken parmesan turns out as good as any chicken parmesan you'd order at your favorite Italian Restaurant. I also have a recipe for The Best Homemade Marinara Sauce too. Seriously, these two together, wowza!
If you're looking for a lighter version, here's the recipe for my Oven-baked Chicken Parmesan Recipe.
This is an easy and simple chicken Parmesan recipe. Anyone can make this recipe, just follow along with the step-by-step instructions.
How to make the best Homemade Chicken Parmesan Recipe.
Prepare your Chicken Breasts
The first thing you're going to do with making your chicken Parmesan recipe is to prepare your chicken. Lay your raw chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap.
Using the bottom of a mason jar or the flat side of the meat tenderizer, give the chicken breasts a couple of good whacks on the thickest part of breast. This will both tenderize your chicken and even it out so it cooks at an even temperature.
Egg Wash
- Crack one egg into a bowl large bowl. Make sure your bowl is large enough to fit your chicken breast in, one at a time.
- Add a tablespoon or two of water. (This will thin out the egg coating a little bit so the breading isn't too quite thick.
- Add the salt and pepper and mix with a fork.
Preparing your Breadcrumb Mixture
- You can use prepared breadcrumbs, crackers, or even croutons.
- Add the Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and your breadcrumbs to a 9-inch pie plate.
- Use your fingers to mix ingredients together.
- Add a couple, 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, to a non-stick skillet. Turn the heat on to medium.
- Dip your chicken breast in the egg wash (cover all sides of the chicken)
- Lay your chicken breast onto the breadcrumb mixture. (again, cover the entire chicken breast)
- Place your chicken breast in the skillet. (Be sure the skillet is also oven safe)
- Cook your chicken breast on medium heat until it is golden brown.
- Using tongs, flip your chicken breast over.
- Continue to cook on medium heat until the underside of the chicken breast is golden brown as well. (Your chicken breast will probably not be done at this point. The purpose of cooking in the pan is too crisp both sides of the chicken breasts and get your chicken nice and crispy. ( marinara and cheese, coming soon!)
- Add a scoop of your favorite marinara sauce onto the chicken breast and cover with Mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- Place the skillet with the chicken in the oven and bake on 350 for an additional 15 minutes or until the internal temp of the chicken reads 165 degrees and the cheese is lightly golden. (It's best to use a digital meat thermometer to ensure your chicken is thoroughly cooked but not overcooked.) If your chicken is done but your cheese isn't quite done yet, turn your oven up to broil and broil the chicken breast for 1-2 min or until the cheese is golden.
- Garnish the chicken parmesan with minced parsley if desired.
Chicken Parmesan Ingredients
Chicken: I usually use the boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe but you can use chicken tenderloins instead if you'd like to.
The crust on the chicken: The crust on the chicken comes from an egg wash mixture. The egg wash is made out was a little bit of water and then some salt-and-pepper.
The crusty Parmesan chickens made from a breadcrumb mixture. The breadcrumbs are mixed with Parmesan cheese some garlic and then salt-and-pepper.
If you don't want to use breadcrumbs you could also use some ground-up croutons, day-old bread, or even rice crackers. That way you could make this milk gluten-free recipe if you wanted to.
Marinara: You can certainly make your own marinara sauce. I actually have a great recipe on my site. It's an Italian Marinara sauce made from fresh ingredients and directly an Italian mama.
You can also use your favorite jarred spaghetti sauce or marinara sauce.
Classic Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
Egg Wash
- 1 Egg
- 1 Tbsp Water
- Salt & Pepper
- 3-4 Chicken Breasts or 6 oz. per person
Breading
- 6 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 1/2 Cups Bread Crumbs Can use crushed rice crackers to make gluten free
Topping
- 1/3 Cup Parmesan Cheese
- 2 Cups Marinara Your favorite
- 1 Cup Mozzarella Can use part skim, whole, or fresh
Instructions
Prepare the Chicken Breasts
- Start by trimming off any fat or tendons from your chicken breasts. Lay your chicken breast in a Ziplock bag or between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using a meat tenderizer, rolling pin, or the bottom of a mason jar, give the chicken a few good whacks on the thickest part of the chicken breast. (You don't need the entire chicken breast to be the same thickness but your chicken will cook much more evenly if the thickest part of the chicken breast isn't so thick. This will also make your chicken cook more evenly and be more tender.)
Preparing the Egg Wash
- Add the egg to a bowl large enough to dip the chicken into, a 9" pie plate also works great. Beat the egg with a fork and add a tablespoon of water and the salt and pepper.
Breadcrumb Mixture
- On a plate, add the bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and 6 Tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Mix.
Making the Chicken Parmesan
- Dip the raw chicken breast into the egg mixture, roll in the breadcrumb mixture (make sure all areas on the chicken breast are covered) and lay in a non-stick skillet with a couple of tablespoons of oil. (Be sure the skillet is also oven safe)
- Salt and pepper the chicken breasts.
- Place your chicken breast in the skillet on medium heat. c Cook your chicken breast until it is golden brown.
- Using tongs flip your chicken breast over and continue to cook on medium heat until the underside of the chicken breast is golden brown as well. (Your chicken breast will probably not be done at this point. The purpose of cooking in the pan is too crisp both sides of the chicken breasts and get your chicken nice and crispy. ( marinara and cheese, coming soon!)
- Add a scoop of your favorite marinara sauce into the chicken breast and cover with Mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- * Place the skillet with the chicken in the oven and bake on 350 for an additional 15 minutes or until the internal temp of the chicken reads 155 degrees. It's best to use a digital meat thermometer to ensure your chicken is thoroughly cooked but not overcooked. If your chicken is done but your cheese isn't quite done yet, turn your oven up to broil and broil the chicken breast for 1-2 min or until the cheese is golden.
- Garnish the chicken parmesan with minced parsley if desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Here are some of the best Italian pasta recipes your family will love:
Penne Pasta and Italian Meatball Bake
Chicken and Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells with Sun Dried Tomato Alfredo Pasta Bake
Slow Cooker Tortellini Pasta Bake
Easy Crockpot Lasagna with Ravioli
Sun-Dried Tomato Alfredo Sauce
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