Chicken Parmesan (Parmigiana)

🍅 The Ingredients

The ingredients for homemade chicken parmesan are readily available, and many of them you probably already have on hand in your pantry. They come together effortlessly to create a delicious, restaurant-quality dish. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and variations) below.

An arrangement of ingredients for chicken Parmesan (Parmigiana) on a grey wooden background including uncooked chicken breasts, marinara sauce, cheese, spices, herbs, breadcrumbs, eggs, butter, milk, and oil.

👉 Substitutions and Variations

Protein – Thin chicken breasts are traditional. If you can’t find thin-sliced breasts, then pick up boneless, skinless breasts and use a sharp knife to slice them in half, lengthwise. Then place between two pieces of plastic (or wax paper) and use a mallet (or heavy measuring cup) to pound the meat to about ¼-inch thickness. Thinly sliced veal or even butterflied shrimp are excellent substitutions for the chicken.

Breadcrumbs – We like the texture that the combination of Panko and regular fine breadcrumbs creates. However, you can go with either one and still have a wonderful, crispy exterior. You can use fresh breadcrumbs, but we recommend letting the bread dry out for a few hours (or overnight) before pulverizing them.

Marinara – Homemade marinara sauce gives the dish a truly elevated taste. However, in a pinch, you can use top-notch jarred marinara. The homemade version can be made up to several days in advance. And it freezes easily.

See the recipe card (with video) below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

👩🏼‍🍳 How To Make Chicken Parmesan

A person holding the edge of a thin uncooked chicken cutlet that has been dredged through a pan full of seasoned flour.

Step 1: Coat the thin chicken breast with flour

A person using his fingers to soak a thin chicken cutlet that had been coated with flour in an egg bath in a metal pan.

Step 2: Submerge the floured breasts in the egg bath, shaking off excess

A person dredging an egg coated thin chicken cutlet through a mixture of breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese in a metal pan.

Step 3: Dredge the coated breasts through the breadcrumb mixture

Two thin chicken cutlets that have been coated with breadcrumbs, cheese, and seasonings are being lightly fried in a skillet filled with simmering oil and butter.

Step 4: Heat the oil and butter in a skillet and cook the cutlets until golden.

A person placing shredded mozzarella cheese over the top of a lightly breaded and fried chicken cutlet that is also topped with marinara sauce and grated Parmesan cheese.

Step 5: Add a spoonful of marinara to each cutlet and then top with Parmesan cheese and mozzarella.

A serving of chicken Parmesan (Parmigiana) resting on a bed of cooked linguine with a small mound of homemade marinara sauce just underneath the cutlet.

Step 6: Bake until cheese is melted and serve over pasta with additional marinara.

🍽️ How to Serve

This dish is so good, you can serve the freshly baked cutlets right out of the oven.

Our favorite way of serving them is on a bed of pasta with marinara sauce.

For a beautiful presentation, we often nestle each cutlet into the large saucepan we used to heat the marinara.

They also make amazing sandwiches. Simply open a crusty roll (Italian is best), lightly toast it, smear on plenty of marinara, and then top with the cheesy chicken parm cutlet.

🙋🏽‍♂️ Frequently Asked Questions

What type of cheese is best for chicken parmesan?

Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses are traditionally used, with mozzarella providing the melty, gooey texture and Parmesan adding a sharp, savory flavor.

Can I make the marinara sauce ahead of time?

Yes, homemade marinara sauce can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week or frozen for longer, making meal prep easier.

Can the chicken parmesan cutlet be baked instead of pan-fried?

Yes, baking the chicken cutlets is a great alternative to pan-frying and can result in a crispy, delicious texture with less oil.

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