Crispy Chicken Parmesan Recipe
Chicken parmesan recipe with crispy pan-fried cutlets, marinara, and melted mozzarella baked at 425°F. A 45-minute Italian-American dinner classic.
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Chicken parmesan is the dinner that gets everyone to the table early, and this chicken parmesan recipe keeps the breading crisp instead of letting it go soggy under the sauce. Cutlets get pan-fried until deep golden, then finished in a hot oven under marinara and mozzarella just long enough for the cheese to melt and brown at the edges.
Two moves keep the crust crunchy. The first is halving the breasts into thin cutlets so they fry fast and cook through in the oven in 15 minutes instead of 30. The second is sauce placement: spoon it down the center of each cutlet and leave the outer inch bare. Those exposed edges stay crackly while the middle turns into the saucy, cheesy part everyone is actually after.
The breading also needs a few minutes to settle. Letting the coated cutlets sit for five minutes before they hit the oil gives the flour and egg time to grab hold, so the crust stays put in the pan instead of sliding off in sheets.
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Parmesan Recipe
- Crispy breading that stays crispy. Frying first and saucing only the center keeps the crust crunchy through the bake.
- On the table in 45 minutes. Thin cutlets fry in 8 minutes and bake in 15, so it moves faster than most people expect.
- Parmesan in the breading itself. Mixing grated parmesan into the crumbs seasons the crust from the inside out.
- A guaranteed kid dinner. Breaded chicken, red sauce, melted cheese, and spaghetti clears plates without any negotiating.
Chicken Parmesan Ingredients
Buy low-moisture mozzarella, the firm block kind, not fresh mozzarella packed in water. Fresh mozzarella releases a surprising amount of liquid as it melts, and that liquid runs straight down into the breading you just worked to crisp up.
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lbs), halved horizontally into 4 cutlets
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan, divided
- 1/3 cup olive oil, for frying
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- 2 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella (8 oz)
- 12 oz spaghetti, for serving
- 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped, for garnish
Recipe Variations
- Use panko instead of Italian breadcrumbs for a coarser, crunchier crust. Add 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning to the panko since it comes unseasoned.
- Swap the chicken for thin-sliced eggplant to make eggplant parmesan. Salt the slices for 20 minutes and pat them dry first to pull out the extra water.
- Serve the cutlets on toasted hoagie rolls with the sauce and cheese for chicken parm sandwiches instead of a plated dinner.
How to Make Chicken Parmesan
- Prep the cutlets: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lay each chicken breast flat and slice it in half horizontally to make 4 thin cutlets. Pat them dry and season both sides with the salt and pepper.
- Set up the breading station: Line up three shallow dishes: the flour in the first, the beaten eggs in the second, and the breadcrumbs mixed with 1/2 cup of the parmesan in the third.
- Bread the chicken: Coat each cutlet in flour and shake off the excess, dip it in egg and let the extra drip away, then press it firmly into the crumb mixture on both sides. Set the breaded cutlets on a plate and let them rest 5 minutes so the coating sets.
- Fry until golden: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Fry the cutlets for 3-4 minutes per side, until deep golden brown. They won’t be cooked through yet. Transfer to a wire rack or paper towels.
- Assemble: Spread 1 1/2 cups of the marinara across the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Arrange the fried cutlets on top in a single layer. Spoon the remaining marinara down the center of each cutlet, leaving the outer edges bare, then top with the mozzarella and the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan.
- Bake: Bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted with browned spots and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F on a thermometer.
- Boil the spaghetti: While the chicken bakes, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted water according to the package directions until al dente, then drain.
- Garnish and serve: Scatter the fresh basil over the top and serve the cutlets over the drained spaghetti with extra sauce from the pan.
Recipe FAQs
How Do I Keep Chicken Parmesan from Getting Soggy?
Fry the cutlets until they’re properly golden before they go in the oven, and sauce only the center of each one. The bare edges stay crisp, and 15 minutes is short enough that the sauce doesn’t soak through.
Can I Make This Chicken Parmesan Recipe Ahead of Time?
Bread and fry the cutlets up to a day ahead and refrigerate them on a rack. Assemble and bake right before dinner. Assembling the whole dish early softens the crust.
Can I Skip the Frying and Just Bake It?
You can bake the breaded cutlets on a wire rack at 425°F for 20 minutes, then sauce and top them and bake 10 minutes more. The crust comes out drier and less golden, so brush or spray it with oil first.
What’s the Difference Between Chicken Parmesan and Chicken Parmigiana?
Nothing. Parmigiana is the Italian name and parmesan is the American shorthand for the same dish: breaded cutlets baked with tomato sauce and melted cheese.
Can I Use Chicken Thighs?
Yes. Boneless skinless thighs stay juicier but are uneven in thickness, so pound them to about 1/2 inch first and cook to 165°F just like the breasts.
Cooking Tips
- Use one hand for the dry dishes and one for the egg. Two wet hands turn into breaded club hands about halfway through the second cutlet.
- Let the oil come fully up to temperature before the first cutlet goes in. A drop of water should sizzle immediately. Oil that isn’t hot enough soaks into the breading instead of crisping it.
- Rest the fried cutlets on a wire rack, not paper towels, if you have one. Air circulating underneath keeps the bottom crust from steaming itself soft.
Storage and Freezing
To store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Store the spaghetti separately so it doesn’t absorb all the sauce.
To freeze: Freeze the breaded, fried cutlets before saucing for up to 3 months. Lay them flat on a sheet pan to freeze solid, then bag them. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before you assemble the pan, since the cutlets come out of the skillet deliberately underdone and need the full bake to finish. Bake as directed, adding about 5 minutes, and check that the chicken reads 165°F.
To reheat: Reheat at 375°F for 12-15 minutes or in an air fryer at 350°F for 5-6 minutes. The microwave works but turns the breading soft.
How to Serve Chicken Parmesan
Chicken Parmesan is traditionally served over spaghetti with extra marinara, though it’s just as good next to garlic bread and a Caesar salad if you’d rather skip the pasta. Roasted broccoli or green beans cut through the richness nicely. If you want a lighter, faster take on the same dinner another night, our Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan skips the skillet entirely.
Loved This Recipe?
Chicken Parmesan is one of those dinners that looks like a restaurant plate and comes together in 45 minutes on a regular Tuesday.
Leave a star rating in the comments below, it helps other people find this recipe. Made it? Tag @allwellfed on Instagram, I love seeing this one in other people’s kitchens.
Crispy Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts about 1 1/2 lbs, halved horizontally into 4 cutlets
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan divided
- 1/3 cup olive oil for frying
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- 1 1/4 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella 5 oz
- 12 oz spaghetti for serving
- 2 tbsp fresh basil chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Prep the cutlets: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lay each chicken breast flat and slice it in half horizontally to make 4 thin cutlets. Pat them dry and season both sides with the salt and pepper.
- Set up the breading station: Line up three shallow dishes: the flour in the first, the beaten eggs in the second, and the breadcrumbs mixed with 1/2 cup of the parmesan in the third.
- Bread the chicken: Coat each cutlet in flour and shake off the excess, dip it in egg and let the extra drip away, then press it firmly into the crumb mixture on both sides. Set the breaded cutlets on a plate and let them rest 5 minutes so the coating sets.
- Fry until golden: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Fry the cutlets for 3-4 minutes per side, until deep golden brown. They won’t be cooked through yet. Transfer to a wire rack or paper towels.
- Assemble: Spread 1 1/2 cups of the marinara across the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Arrange the fried cutlets on top in a single layer. Spoon the remaining marinara down the center of each cutlet, leaving the outer edges bare, then top with the mozzarella and the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan.
- Bake: Bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted with browned spots and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F on a thermometer.
- Boil the spaghetti: While the chicken bakes, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted water according to the package directions until al dente, then drain.
- Garnish and serve: Scatter the fresh basil over the top and serve the cutlets over the drained spaghetti with extra sauce from the pan.
