These are tender chicken cutlets with marinara sauce, Parmesan cheese, and tons of melted mozzarella cheese, are the stars of this dish and perfect with any kind of pasta that's your family's favorite.
There is so much controversy about where Chicken Parmesan originated but is truly not from Italy, it's American, however, with the addition of tomato sauce, it has an Italian relationship.
Here are some fun facts to ponder recipes are born just from trial and error and just by experimenting with different ingredients we introduce different styles and meals..
Chicken Parmesano also known as "chicken parm", originated in the northeast United States from Italian immigrants, and became a popular staple in restaurants serving Italian-American cuisine by the 1950s.
In Italy, the most popular parmesan meal was eggplant, chicken wasn't made in this style but being eggplant was inexpensive the vegetable was a staple in many homes Eggplant Parmigiana Style, later in American Italian Immigrants thought chicken to be a great substitute and alternative to using a vegetable.
At some point, cooks in North America, and other regions of the world with large Italian immigrant populations, Chicken Parmigiana was invented.
This chicken parmesan recipe is easy, to make dish normally served with a side of spaghetti and many American restaurants serve it in sandwiches.
Scroll down to the recipe card for this full recipe
The Many Kinds Chicken Parmesan Worldwide
Other regions of the world have embraced the dish differently.
It’s considered a bar staple in Australia.
It makes a plain burger second on a list of great bar foods, and the Aussies serve it with salad and chips.
In England, it’s called Parmo and it’s served with a béchamel sauce.
You make milanesa a la napolitana in Argentina.
It’s traditionally made with beef but can be substituted with chicken. It can be topped with bacon, ham, or egg and served with fries.
Seeing how popular chicken parmesan is around the globe, parts of the world would instantly make you realize how delicious it must be.
Check out some of my other recipes for delicious chicken dishes below.
Perfect Chicken Parmesan
- use marinara sauce
- any kind of pasta you prefer is fine
- for best results use all fresh ingredients
- always test the chicken reaches 165 degrees for internal temperature
- leftovers are great in sandwiches or for topping a pizza
This Dish is Confusing in Italy with Americans
As with most Italian-American cuisine, chicken and veal parm probably came about as a way to show how much more Italian immigrants could suddenly afford in the New Country.
In Italy, most families were raised on cheap foods like beans, polenta, and black bread in brine. (You won't find that at your local Olive Garden)
After all, meat and pasta were expensive back in those days, Grandma called the great depression.
Instead of veal or chicken, (you will most likely only find eggplant in Italy ), or at least southern Italy, is melanzane alla parmigiana, or what we know (roughly) as eggplant parm — which again is eggplant fried and layered with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and parmesan, then baked.
Using meat instead, and throwing it on top of pasta, was an invention of Italian immigrants in the United States and Canada.
Fresh Tomato Sauce
We love using fresh plum tomatoes and making marinara sauce, it really compliments this dish.
Although this is an Italian American dish as a copycat of the eggplant dish, it's very popular here in America for sure.
In Italy, chicken dishes are often separated from the pasta on the plate and not with traditional pasta sauce on top.
We love this dish with its melted cheesy goodness and fresh tomato sauce.
It's a hearty delicious Italian American dish that everyone asks for time and time again.
Other Side Dish Suggestions
- mushrooms sliced, carrots, peas
- corn on the cob
- any kind of potatoes
- roasted vegetables
- pasta with butter
- rice white or brown
- Caprese salad
- baked artichoke hearts
Ingredients You Will Need
- boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- all-purpose flour
- salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano
- eggs
- Italian flavored bread crumb
- grated cheese
- canola or vegetable oil
- fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
- Fresh basil or parsley
- fresh or store-bought marinara sauce
- Optional: add 1/4 cup burgundy wine or another good dry drinking red wine
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A Tasty Delicious Dish!
IF you're a fan of Italian food, this will be your new favorite recipe.
Chicken Parmesan is a staple in our home, this is a spot on the perfect recipe.
Give it a try and let me know what you think, enjoy mom's recipe from our house to yours.
Chicken Parmesan
Yield: 6
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 14 MinTotal time: 29 Min
Chicken Parmigiana with Marinara is a classic Italian American with a crispy coated chicken, sauce and loaded with melted cheese usually served with some kind of pasta.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced lengthwise in half
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, mixed and seasoned 1/2 teaspoon each with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano, place in a zip lock bag
- 2 large eggs, beaten with 2 tablespoons water
- 2 cups Italian flavored bread crumb
- 1/4 cup grated cheese mixed into the bread crumbs
- canola or vegetable oil for frying or cooking spray for baking (you can mix some olive oil with either one as well)
- 1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan for the top
- shredded mozzarella cheese
- Fresh basil or parsley leaves, for garnish
- 4 cups or more store-bought marinara sauce or use my fresh marinara recipe CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE
- Optional: add 1/4 cup red wine Burgundy, Cabernet or Merlot wine to the sauce mix together, and pour around the chicken.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut chicken into 1/4 thick slices, using a meat pounder, thin them slightly.
- Dredge each breast in the seasoned flour, dip in egg back into the egg then into the breadcrumb mixture.
- Add chicken to hot oil and brown on both sides.
- Fry until golden brown on both sides around 2 minutes on each side or longer.
- Bake the cutlets after fried: transferring to a baking pan that's around 2 inches deep.
- To each chicken breast spoon some tomato sauce on top(add the wine to your sauce if using), sprinkle generously with shredded mozzarella, a little fresh or dried parsley and oregano, and about a tablespoon of Parmesan on top of each piece.
- Bake in the oven until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes at 400 degrees or until the cheese is melted and browned on top
- For crispy cheese, broil the top for around 1 minute.
- Remove from the oven and garnish with basil or parsley leaves.
- Serve with any pasta we prefer Angel hair and linguine.
- Note: For Air Fried: add them to an oil-sprayed basket for 12 minutes after coating with breading.
- Optional: You can bake these chicken cutlets after coating them instead of frying them if you want to cut calories. ,
- Lay the coated chicken on parchment paper, drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil, and bake until crispy around 15 minutes at 400 degrees or until the chicken is completed cooking.
- Then take out the top with sauce and cheese and return to the oven until the cheese melts or place on broil and brown the cheese..
Nutrition Facts
Calories
1225.68Fat (grams)
68.03Sat. Fat (grams)
16.84Carbs (grams)
82.44Fiber (grams)
7.17Net carbs
75.27Sugar (grams)
14.66Protein (grams)
62.54Sodium (milligrams)
2144.88Cholesterol (grams)
213.73
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Don't Forget the Marinara Sauce Recipe to Try Click Here