Crispy Chicken Parmigiana

Try this classic chicken parmigiana at home for a deliciously filling dinner that the whole family will love! The best crispy chicken parmigiana (also called chicken parmesan) has the perfect fried breaded coating and is topped with homemade marinara sauce and bubbly melted mozzarella cheese.

Classic Italian Pollo alla parmigiana (also known as chicken parmesan in the US and affectionately known as a “parm” “parmy” or “parma” in Australia, because we can and will shorten every word we possibly can!) is one of the most loved and popular chicken recipes in the world.

While it is a favourite dish to order in pubs and restaurants, this crispy, tender, cheesy and saucy chicken parmesan is a suprisingly simple recipe to make at home too!

While it tastes and looks like it takes hours to prepare, in reality it all comes together in less than 30 minutes with easy pantry ingredients… including the homemade marinara sauce!

This is the only chicken parmigiana recipe that you will need. Skip the restaurant and give it a try at home instead!

How to make chicken parmigiana at home

The first step for crispy chicken parmesan is to bread the chicken for texture and flavour!

1. Coat the seasoned chicken pieces in the flour mix.
2. Dredge the chicken through an egg wash and coat in the breadcrumb mix.
3. Pan fry the chicken on both sides and rest on a paper towel to drain excess oil.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

To make the parmigiana, spoon a generous amount of the homemade tomato sauce over the top and cover with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake the chicken on a tray until the chicken has cooked through and the cheese has bubbled and melted, around 7-8 minutes. Top with fresh chopped parsley and basil.

This recipe makes six medium pieces, but can easily be multiplied for more.

• 

• 

• 

Chicken parmigiana sauce

For maximum flavour, try this rich and delicious homemade marinara sauce, packed full of punchy flavours! It is my go-to homemade pizza sauce recipe, but works perfectly with the crispy breaded chicken and melted cheese too!

You can also use store bought pasta sauce, tomato paste, marinara sauce or pizza sauce.

Tips to keep the crumbs sticking to the chicken

One of the challenges faced when making breaded chicken at home is that the coating can fall off of the chicken. There are a few simple steps that you can follow to ensure that this doesn’t happen;

• Coat the chicken in flour before dredging through the egg wash. The flour helps the egg stick to the surface of the chicken, which will hold the breadcrumbs in place.
• Don’t overcrowd the pan! When frying, cook in batches if needed to avoid the chicken pieces hitting each other and knocking off the coating.
• Start in hot oil. Wait until the oil is almost smoking hot (canola or vegetable oil is best) before adding the chicken. You can test by adding a small piece of chicken or crumbs. If it immediately bubbles, the oil is ready.

To lighten this dish up

To make this classic chicken parmesan recipe a bit healthier, try these options;

• Oven bake the chicken breast instead of frying. Just drizzle a little olive oil over the top and bake at 200 C for 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through. Then add the tomato sauce and cheese and bake until the cheese has melted. Cooking times will vary depending on the size of the chicken pieces.
• Skip the crispy coating and use oven baked chicken breast instead.
• Lighten the calories by serving with a simple salad or zucchini noodles instead of fries or pasta.

What to serve with chicken parmesan

• Oven baked chips (fries) and salad
• Crispy sweet potato fries
• Steamed vegetables
• Zucchini noodles/”zoodles”
• Mashed potatoes
• Pasta; fettucine, spaghetti or your favourite pasta of choice
• Roast pumpkin salad

Something a little different…

For a spin on a classic chicken parmesan, try these suggestions;

• Try eggplant parmesan instead, for a vegetarian option! Follow the recipe below, but use thick slices of eggplant instead of chicken. It will seriously change your life!
• For chicken parmigiana with ham, simply add a thin slice of ham to the tomato sauce before adding the cheese and baking.
• For a Mexican parma, switch the marinara sauce for some tomato salsa, black beans and cheese before grilling and top with guacamole, sour cream and crumbled corn chips.

More chicken recipes that you will love;

Try these delicious recipes to jazz up your next chicken dinner!

• Try these amazing Chicken Parma Balls by Lucy at Bake Play Smile! They are one of our favourite family dinners.
• Mexican chicken and vegetable soup
• Crispy chicken burgers
• Creamy chicken pies with puff pastry (pie maker and pot pie methods)
• Crispy chicken tacos
• Chicken with cashews

Thanks for reading! If you try this crispy chicken parmigiana recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Feel free to leave a comment or review below, or send me a message. For more food inspiration, tips and to share your own recipes and creations, head over to my Facebook Recipe Group. 

Are you following along on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest? Subscribe to The Cooking Collective to have more beautiful recipes delivered straight to your inbox.