Chicken Parmesan

Lunch | American

Prep time: 40 min Cook time: 30 min Servings: 4

We're making the classic Italian-American chicken parmesan that's served with pasta. So it's slightly different from the classic Australian Chicken Parmi which is served witch chips and salad. I must admit that I quite like the addition of pasta in this one.

What is Chicken Parmesan?

Tender chicken breasts are coated in seasoned breadcrumbs and fried until golden brown, then topped with a rich tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Served over a bed of pasta.

It's an Italian-American dish that developed in the northeast United States during the 1940s. Italian immigrants adapted melanzane alla parmigiana, the Sicilian dish of fried eggplant layered with tomato sauce and cheese, substituting chicken because it was cheaper and more readily available than eggplant. Now, it's a staple in many Italian-American restaurants and homes.

Chicken method

The technique is a standard breaded cutlet where each chicken breast is butterflied, pounded lightly to an even thickness, and crumbed through flour, egg, and breadcrumbs before being shallow-fried until golden. The chicken then goes in the oven, under the grill with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan to finish.

The tomato sauce is a simple garlic and crushed tomato base simmered until it thickens and the flavour concentrates. Making the sauce first means both elements are ready at the same time, and any leftover sauce goes through the spaghetti.

Ingredient Notes

Chicken breasts: Butterflying each breast and pounding it lightly to an even thickness is essential (don't pound too hard, it's not meant to be flat). An uneven piece of chicken will cook unevenly: the thin end overcooks before the thick end reaches temperature. You’re aiming for a consistent thickness throughout, not making it paper thin, around 1–1.5cm is right. Slicing off the tapered end of the breast before pounding gives a more even, rectangular piece that sits better on the plate.

Breadcrumbs: Fine dried breadcrumbs or panko both work. Panko gives a coarser, crunchier coating; fine breadcrumbs give a tighter, more even crumb. If making breadcrumbs from scratch, use day-old bread rather than fresh, fresh bread is too moist and the coating will be dense rather than crisp after frying.

Mozzarella: Use low-moisture mozzarella rather than fresh buffalo mozzarella. Fresh buffalo mozzarella is packed in water and releases too much liquid under the grill, which makes the top of the chicken watery and prevents the cheese from browning properly. Low-moisture mozzarella, the kind sold in blocks or vacuum-packed balls in the deli section, melts cleanly and browns well.

Equipment

Chopping board
Chef’s knife
Rubber mallet or rolling pin (for pounding chicken)
3 small trays or bowls (for crumbing station)
2 trays lined with wire rack (for resting crumbed chicken and grilling)
Small sauté pan (for the sauce)
Wooden spoon or spatula
Large frying pan (for shallow frying)
Large pot (for pasta)
Broiler or oven grill
Microplane or fine grater (for Parmesan)
Offset spatula

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts
salt and pepper, to taste
200g (about 1 ⅔ cups) flour
3 eggs, beaten
200g (about 2 cups) breadcrumbs
2 tins crushed tomatoes
6 cloves garlic, diced
200ml (about ⅘ cup) olive oil
1/2 bunch basil
1 packet spaghetti
200g (about 7 oz) mozzarella cheese
50g (about ½ cup) Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

Butterfly chicken
Take a sharp knife and slice through the centre of each breast, opening it up so it's double the size. Place a piece of plastic film or parchment paper over the top and lightly pound to an even thickness throughout. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
Set up your dredge station with a bowl of flour, bowl of the beaten egg and another bowl for the breadcrumbs. Dredge each chicken breast in flour, dip in beaten egg, and coat with breadcrumbs. Set aside on a wire rack until ready to cook.
Cook the sauce
In a frying pan, heat 40ml (about 2 tablespoons) of olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced garlic with a pinch of salt. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until just softened, ensuring it doesn’t brown too much to avoid bitterness. Add the tinned tomatoes and a large piece of basil. Simmer for 20 minutes, until the sauce starts to thicken and intensifies in flavour. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
After the sauce has been cooking for 10 minutes, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
Cook the chicken
In a separate large, heavy pan, heat the remaining olive oil and shallow fry the crumbed chicken for 3-4 minutes each side, turning often until golden brown all over, and the internal temperature reaches at least 65°C.
Halfway through cooking the chicken, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package instructions (typically 10-11 minutes).
Once the chicken is golden brown on both sides and almost cooked through, transfer to an oven tray. Top each breast with a spoonful of tomato sauce, slices of mozzarella, and a sprinkle of Parmesan. Grill (broil) in the oven for 6-7 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.
Finish and serve
Drain the pasta, reserving some pasta water. Stir the remaining tomato sauce through the pasta, adding a few spoonfuls of pasta water to achieve the desired consistency. Serve the pasta on a plate with the cheesy, golden chicken on the side. Garnish with finely sliced basil, sprinkled over the chicken.

Recipe notes

Chef Tips

Trim and pound the chicken for an even thickness

After butterflying each breast, trim off the tapered thin end before pounding. This gives a more uniform, rectangular piece that cooks evenly and presents better on the plate. When pounding, aim for even thickness throughout: around 1–1.5cm, not as flat as possible. Too thin and the chicken will overcook before the crumb has a chance to brown properly.

Use one hand for wet and one for dry at the crumbing station

Designate one hand for the egg bowl and one for the flour and breadcrumb bowls. If you use the same hand for both, wet coating builds up on your fingers and transfers unevenly onto subsequent pieces. The wet hand goes into the egg; the dry hand handles the flour and breadcrumbs. Store the crumbed chicken on a wire rack rather than a flat tray: airflow underneath keeps the base of the crumb dry and prevents it going soggy before frying.

Storage

Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 180°C for 10–12 minutes rather than the microwave, which will soften the crumb. Leftover tomato sauce keeps separately in the fridge for up to 1 week, or freeze in an ice cube tray for up to 3 months, which is handy for adding a spoonful to other dishes.

FAQs

Can I make this ahead? The tomato sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. The crumbed, uncooked chicken can be stored on a wire rack in the fridge for up to 24 hours before frying. Fry and finish under the grill just before serving: the crumb won’t survive storage once cooked.

Can I use chicken thighs instead of breast? Yes. Boneless, skinless thighs work well and are more forgiving than breast because the higher fat content keeps them moist even if slightly overcooked. Pound them to an even thickness before crumbing in the same way as the breast.

What pasta works best? Spaghetti is traditional. Linguine or fettuccine work equally well. The pasta is dressed simply in tomato sauce, so long pasta that coats evenly makes more sense than shapes designed to hold chunky sauces.