Chicken Parmesan Recipe with Easy Marinara (2024)

Homemade chicken parmesan recipe featuring a crust made of panko bread crumbs mixed withParmesan cheese. Topped with marinara and fresh Mozzarella.

I don't know what it's like in your household, but at the Anthony residence, any day fried chicken makes an appearance on the table, it is a special day indeed.

Particularly if that chicken happens to be dredged in panko and freshly grated Parmesan before it hits the oil. And, even more so, if it's topped with a bright, yet savory marinara, creamy Mozzarella cheese, and finally baked to melty, heavenly perfection.

For the longest time, chicken parmesan was only a far-and-away restaurant treat, but when you really think about it...why? The elements of chicken parmesan are really very simple when you break it down, and with this recipe, you can make chicken parmesan at home better than any Italian restaurant you frequent. Guaranteed.

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE CHICKEN PARMESAN

Homemade chicken parmesan consists of three main elements:

1. Thinly sliced chicken breasts (a.k.a. chicken cutlets) coated in a mixture of Parmesan and breadcrumbs, and lightly fried in oil.
2. Marinara sauce -- either homemade (see recipe below) or your favorite store-bought jar will do.
3. Mozzarella cheese.

And, of course, don't forget the spaghetti on the side.

HOW TO THE COOK CHICKEN FOR CHICKEN PARMESAN

FIRST THINGS FIRST: WHAT CHICKEN TO BUY

It's easiest to start with storebought chicken cutlets for chicken parmesan. If you're unable to find cutlets at the store, you can also purchase boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

If you are going the boneless skinless chicken breast route, you will need to pound out the breasts to just under a ½ inch in thickness. To do this, you will also need a gallon-sized zip top bag and a meat mallet. You could also use two sheets of wax paper and a rolling pin.

Place the chicken breasts one at a time in the ziptop bag, remove the air, and seal it shut. Using the smooth side of the meat mallet, pound out the chicken breasts until under a ½" in thickness.

PAT THE CHICKEN DRY AND SEASON IT

Pat the chicken dry using a paper towel, and season it. This step is essential to giving the chicken itself, rather than just the breading, flavor.

THE PERFECT COATING FOR CHICKEN PARMESAN

The best coating for crispy, flavorful chicken parmesan is a mixture of panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese -- panko for the crispy, and freshly grated Parmesan for the flavor.

THE DREDGE

Once the chicken is ready and the coating is mixed up and ready to go, all that's left is to dredge and fry.

Your dredging station for chicken parmesan will consist of three trays: (1) seasoned flour, an egg and milk mixture, and your panko/Parmesan mixture.

To dredge the chicken, the seasoned chicken cutlets are first coated inseasoned flour, thendunked in the egg and milk mixture, and finally, coated with the panko/Parmesan mix.

A QUICK TRIP TO THE FRYING PAN

The chicken cutlets are transferred to hot oil, and fried briefly, for about 2-3 minutes on each. The cutlets cook through very quickly.

TOP WITH MARINARA & MOZZARELLA AND BROIL

After the cutlets are fried, they are topped with marinara and, in this case, fresh Bocconcini Mozzarella.

Fresh mozzarella is a game-changer when it comes to chicken parmesan. It's soft and creamy, and no other cheese seems to get quite as perfectly melty. You can typically find fresh Mozzarella near the deli area of the grocery store.

The toppings go on, and the chicken spends only A small amount of time under the broiler. THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO STEP AWAY, FOLKS.

The chicken is not going under the broiler to finish cooking. The purpose of the broiler is tosolely melt the cheese on top. Broilers have a tendency to go from 0-60 in no-time-flat, and it's important that you keep an eye on your chicken so that it does not burn.

Chicken parmesan cooked to crispy perfection, dripping in marinara and oozing with fresh mozzarella cheese: A restaurant specialty made even better in your very own kitchen.

Now that is extraordinary.

6 MORE ITALIAN DINNERS YOU'LL LOVE

• Homemade Chicken Parmesanfeatures a crispy crust made of panko bread crumbs mixed with Parmesan cheese. Topped with marinara and fresh Mozzarella.
• Baked Spaghetti Casseroleis made of spaghetti noodles coated in parmesan and butter, an easy marinara meat sauce, savory cottage cheese, and a topping of stretchy mozzarella, and baked until bubbly!
• Chicken Scallopini features thinly sliced, golden chicken cutlets drenched in a buttery lemon sauce with capers is essentially the definition of irresistible.
• Easy Spaghetti and Meatballsfrom scratch! Featuring homemade meatballs baked in the oven.
• Stuffed Shellsare loaded with Ricotta, Mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese, topped off with marinara and cheese, and baked for a crowd-pleasing casserole!
• Chicken Scallopini is a must-make, Italian restaurant classic featuring thinly sliced, golden chicken cutlets drenched in a buttery lemon sauce with capers.