Crispy Chicken Parmesan is an Italian-American classic and one of our favorite entrees! This dish is a magical blend of crispy, golden-brown perfection that envelopes juicy and tender chicken. The best part? It’s all topped with a generous serving of gooey melted mozzarella cheese and a rich, flavorful homemade tomato sauce. Get ready for a dinner game-changer – this chicken parmesan is bound to win the hearts (and taste buds) of your entire family!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Simple Yet Impressive: This Crispy Chicken Parmesan recipe brings a classic Italian dish to your table that’s actually pretty easy to make. The golden-brown, crispy exterior and gooey melted cheese create a delightful texture that makes this entree irresistible. Impress your family with a meal that’s easy to prepare yet tastes like it came from a gourmet kitchen.
- Family-Friendly Comfort Food: Crispy Chicken Parmesan is the ultimate comfort food, love by both kids and adults. With a medley of familiar flavors like tomato sauce, cheese and perfectly seasoned chicken, it’s a versatile dish that’s ideal for simple family dinners or special gatherings.
- Homemade Goodness: Creating a restaurant-quality dish at home is one of my favorite things of all time! Making chicken parmesan in the comfort of your own kitchen is not only fun to do, but allows you to control over fresh, wholesome ingredients. Skip the takeout, and sit in the satisfaction of serving a homemade dish that you can customize to your taste preferences.
- Kid-Friendly Prep: I love letting my kids join in on the fun by letting them help me with the breading process. They love getting their hands messy! Plus, it creates a great opportunity to get them involved in the cooking process which inevitably makes them feel more excited about eating whatever we’re making!
Ingredients for Crispy Chicken Parmesan
For the Homemade Tomato Sauce:
- Olive oil
- Small yellow onion
- Garlic
- Canned crushed tomatoes
- Basil leaves
- Kosher salt
- Pepper
For the Chicken Parmesan:
- Large eggs
- Panko
- Garlic powder
- Parmesan cheese
- All purpose flour
- Boneless and skinless chicken breasts
- Kosher salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- Vegetable oil
- Mozzarella cheese, grated or slices
- Cooked spaghetti or favorite pasta (for serving)
How to Make Crispy Chicken Parmesan
1. Make the Tomato Sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 4 minutes or until translucent. Next, add the garlic and continue to cook an additional minute. Then, add the tomatoes, 4 basil leaves, salt and pepper. Finally, bring the mixture to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until sauce is thick and fragrant. Remove basil leaves and set sauce aside.
2. Set Up Breading Station: Place 3 deep bowls in an assembly line. Whisk the eggs in the first bowl. In the second bowl combine the panko, garlic powder, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, and salt. Place the flour in the third bowl.
3. Pound Chicken: Place the chicken breasts between two pieces of parchment paper and with a meat tenderizer or mallet, pound the chicken evenly, about 1/4-1/2 inch thick.
4. Bread Chicken Breasts: Take a piece of chicken and coat evenly first in the flour, then the egg and finally with the panko mixture. Press the panko onto the chicken for better adherence. Set a aside on a plate. Repeat with remaining pieces of chicken. At this point, chicken can be covered and refrigerated up to overnight or frozen up to 3 months until ready to use.
5. Prep Oven: Preheat the oven to 425°F.
6. Cook Breaded Chicken: Heat the vegetable oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the coated chicken and cook 3-4 minutes on each side until golden or internal temperature reaches 165°F.
7. Build Chicken Parmesan: Remove the chicken to a parchment lined baking sheet and evenly top each chicken breast using 1/2 of the tomato sauce. Divide 1/2 cup parmesan cheese evenly on top of the tomato sauce. Add the mozzarella cheese on top of the sauce.
8. Bake Chicken Parmesan: Bake chicken for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and starting to turn golden. If you want to further brown the cheese, place under the broiler for a couple minutes, keeping an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.
9. Serve: Serve chicken parmesan on top of cooked spaghetti with remaining sauce on the side and topped with basil.
Sides to Serve with Chicken Parmesan
- Cooked Pasta – thin spaghetti, angel hair or fettuccini are our favorites
- Air Fryer Veggies – steamed or roasted veggies are great too!
- ​Winter Farmers Market Salad – or any salad you love! Chopped Salad with Citrus Herb Vinaigrette is a great option too.
- Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes – or Air Fryer Baby Potatoes or Crispy Smashed Potatoes if you want more of a crispy potato side.
- Sugar Snap Pea and Asparagus Saute
Tips for the Best Crispy Chicken Parmesan
- Uniform Thickness: Pounding the chicken breasts to a uniform thickness before breading ensures that they’ll get extra crispy and cook evenly. If you don’t have a meat mallet or tenderizer you can use a heavy bottomed pan to pound the chicken.
- Proper Breading Technique: When breading the chicken, follow the proper breading process. Dip in flour, then egg, then the panko mixture. Make sure you press the panko onto the chicken for better adherence and a super crispy exterior!
- Broil for Extra Crispiness: I love when the mozzarella cheese has a bit of brown to it and the chicken has some extra crispiness. To achieve this, pop it under the broiler for 1-2 minutes. Make to to keep an eye on it to prevent burning.
- Store Bought Sauce in a Pinch: I prefer to make the tomato sauce homemade for this recipe, but in a pinch you can use your favorite store bought sauce. Opt for a sauce that is relatively thick for the best results.
- Serve Immediately: Chicken Parmesan is best served immediately to preserve the crispiness of the chicken and gooeyness of the cheese.
Next time you’re looking for a simple dinner idea that packs an impressive punch, go for this Crispy Chicken Parmesan! It’s a total crowd pleaser that will have the whole family asking for it week after week. Let me know in the comments what you think and tag me social media if you make this recipe.
Images by Ivan Solis
Crispy Chicken Parmesan
Equipment
- 2 large sauté pans
- Baking sheet
Ingredients
For the Marinara Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 8 basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- pepper, to taste
For the Chicken:
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup panko
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated and divided in half
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
- Kosher salt to taste
- Fresh ground pepper to taste
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated (or 4 slices)
- spaghetti or favorite pasta, cooked (for serving)
Instructions
For the Sauce:
- Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 4 minutes or until translucent.
- Add the garlic and continue to cook an additional minute. Add the tomatoes, 4 basil leaves, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until sauce is thick and fragrant. Remove basil leaves and set sauce aside.
For the Chicken:
- Place 3 deep bowls in an assembly line. Whisk the eggs in the first bowl. In the second bowl combine the panko, garlic powder, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, and 1 teaspoon salt. Place the flour in the third bowl.
- Place the chicken breasts between two pieces of parchment paper and with a meat tenderizer or mallet, pound the chicken evenly, about 1/4-1/2 inch thick.
- Take a piece of chicken and coat evenly first in the flour, then the egg and finally with the panko mixture. Press the panko on to the chicken for better adherence. Set a aside on a plate. Repeat with remaining pieces of chicken. At this point, chicken can be covered and refrigerated up to overnight or frozen up to 3 months until ready to use.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the coated chicken and cook 3-4 minutes on each side until golden or internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Remove the chicken to a parchment lined baking sheet and evenly top each chicken breast using 1/2 of the tomato sauce. Divide 1/2 cup parmesan cheese evenly on top of the tomato sauce. Add the mozzarella cheese on top of the sauce and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and starting to turn golden. If you want to further brown the cheese, place under the broiler for a couple minutes, keeping an eye on it so it doesn't burn.
- Serve chicken parmesan on top of cooked spaghetti with remaining sauce on the side.
