Chicken Parmesan

This easy Chicken Parmesan recipe is restaurant quality with breaded chicken, marinara sauce, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. It’s simple, comforting, and will impress any guest. 

The Story

When I told my son, Tony, I just wanted a sandwich for dinner, I was thinking something modest—maybe turkey on wheat, a pickle if we were feeling wild. But Tony? Tony does not do modesty.

Without missing a beat, he stood up like some sort of culinary Jedi and said, “Say less.”

He didn’t consult a recipe. He didn’t measure a single thing. He just started… creating. The man opened the fridge and began pulling out ingredients with the casual confidence of someone who’s either a genius or about to start a small fire.

Chicken breasts? Check. Homemade marinara? Of course. Fresh basil, mozzarella, parmesan, and some bread that looked like it had been blessed by an Italian grandmother? Naturally.

Meanwhile, he’s sautéing, toasting, simmering—just full-on chef mode—and somehow still holding a calm, thoughtful conversation about our retirement plans. “You know,” he said while flipping a chicken cutlet with terrifying precision, “we should really look into a Roth IRA.”

I nodded, mesmerized. At this point, I was just watching in awe, like a kid at a magic show. He moved around the kitchen with the grace of a gazelle and the efficiency of someone who’s watched every season of Chopped twice.

Forty minutes later, he handed me a chicken parmesan sandwich that looked like it should be in a museum. The bread was toasted to golden perfection, the cheese melted just enough to stretch with every bite, and the chicken—oh, the chicken—was crispy, tender, and somehow emotionally healing.

I took a bite and saw my ancestors.

“This,” I said with my mouth full, “is the best sandwich I’ve ever had.”

Tony just shrugged and said, “It’s just a sandwich.”

No, Tony. It was a religious experience between two slices of bread.

And to think—I almost microwaved a hot dog.

Chicken Parmesan

Annette Law

This recipe can be used with pasta or a sandwich.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings 4 people

Calories 1635 kcal

Equipment

• grater
• wire rack for cooling
• casserole dish or cookie sheet

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x1/2x

• ▢ 4 boneless chicken breast halves 2 skinless breasts cut in half, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• ▢ 2 eggs
• ▢ 1 cup panko bread crumbs or more as needed
• ▢ ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese divided
• ▢ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or more if needed
• ▢ ½ cup olive oil for frying or as needed
• ▢ ½ cup prepared tomato sauce
• ▢ ¼ cup fresh mozzarella cut into small cubes
• ▢ ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
• ▢ ½ cup provolone cheese
• ▢ 2 tsp olive oil

Instructions

 

• Gather the ingredients. Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Place chicken breasts between two sheets of heavy plastic (resealable freezer bags work well) on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound chicken with the smooth side of a meat mallet to a thickness of 1/2-inch.
• Season chicken thoroughly with salt and pepper. Using a sifter or strainer, sprinkle flour over chicken breasts, evenly coating both sides.
• Beat eggs in a shallow bowl and set aside. Mix bread crumbs and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese in a separate bowl, set aside. Dip a flour-coated chicken breast in beaten eggs. Transfer breast to the bread crumb mixture, pressing crumbs into both sides. Repeat for each breast. Let chicken rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Heat 1/2 inch olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer. Cook chicken in the hot oil until golden, about 2 minutes per side. The chicken will finish cooking in the oven.
• Transfer chicken to a baking dish. Top each breast with 2 tablespoons tomato sauce. Layer each chicken breast with equal amounts of mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, and provolone cheese. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan over top and drizzle each with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is browned and bubbly and chicken breasts are no longer pink in the center, 15 to 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

Notes

Tip

Use high-quality prepared tomato sauce for a better result. You may substitute pesto or dried Italian herbs of your choice for basil or omit entirely.

Nutrition

Calories: 1635kcalCarbohydrates: 67gProtein: 162gFat: 76gSaturated Fat: 34gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 25gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 750mgSodium: 3057mgPotassium: 2178mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 2030IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 1487mgIron: 8mg

Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content may vary depending on the brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and other factors.

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