The greatest Chicken Parmigiana
There is nothing better than a succulent breaded chicken cutlet, smothered in delicious marinara sauce, fresh basil and creamy mozzarella. This is the best chicken parm I have ever had - it even beats most Italian eateries that I have frequented.
Ingredients
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup all-purpose flour, seasoned with salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder
1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon milk and seasoned with salt and pepper
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs combined with 1/2 cup Parmesan
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Marinara Sauce, (see recipe)
4 fresh basil leaves
4 slices fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Start off preparing the chicken breasts (one breast for each person). Season well with salt and pepper, sandwich the breasts between plastic wrap / cling film and pound the chicken breasts to one uniform thickness to ensure they will cook evenly.
Prepare your breading station: 1) Season all purpose flour with salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder; 2) Eggs beaten with a splash of milk and seasoned with salt and pepper; 3) italian seasoned breadcrumbs mixed with finely grated Parmesan cheese. Dredge the chicken in the flour & shake off excess, dip in egg and let excess run off and then dredge in breadcrumbs.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Use olive oil with a small piece of butter to add flavour in the pan. Fry the chicken and cook until golden brown (2-3 minutes each side). On the bottom of the baking dish put a layer of homemade marinara sauce (recipe here) Transfer the chicken breasts to a baking dish, on top of the marinara sauce. Top each breast with more marinara, some basil leaves and some shredded or sliced mozzarella and some Parmesan cheese. Bake in the oven until chicken is cooked through and the cheese has melted (approx. 6-8 minutes).
Remove from the oven and serve with spaghetti in the same marinara sauce and a roasted vegetable medley.
Additional Tips :
- Use fresh sliced mozzarella to get extra creaminess, pre-sliced or shredded mozzarella tends to be quite dry.
- To add a bite, you can add some red pepper or chili flakes to the marinara sauce
- Fresh basil leaves are the best for this recipe
middleeastcoastchef
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