We don’t really see Chicken Parmesan in Italian restaurants in the UK. If I do see it though, that’s what I’m ordering. It’s that perfect combo of crispy chicken with rich marinara sauce, stretchy melted mozzarella and a nice big pile of spaghetti. Carbs+Fat+Salt+Crunch+Tang – it’s got it all!! I’ve got to admit, when I first had Chicken Parmesan with spaghetti, I thought it looked a little strange. I don’t know if it’s a UK thing, but a big piece of chicken just doesn’t seem right with spaghetti. Spaghetti goes with meat sauce or meatballs, and big pieces of chicken go with chips! And using a knife when you’re eating a spaghetti dish? I don’t know, it just seems wrong. I have to chop all the pieces of chicken up first – like I’m a three-year-old-child. That way I can discard that erroneous knife and eat spaghetti like it should be eaten.
So what do we need to make this dinner classic?
How to make it (full instructions and quantities in recipe card below).
We start with the marinara sauce. Soften the onion in a little olive oil in a pan, then add garlic, passata, oregano and sugar. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 10 minutes.
For the chicken, we only need two big chicken breasts to serve 4 people. Each breast is sliced through the middle to make 4 equal-sized thin fillets. We dust with flour, dip in egg, then coat in a mixture of panko, paprika, salt, pepper, parmesan and olive oil. Adding olive oil to the panko mixture is a GREAT way to ensure a lovely, even golden crispness. So long as you give the panko a good stir, each piece will be coated in the olive oil, without it all clumping together. Trust me, you get a much better, even result (and use less oil), then breading the chicken and drizzling with oil. Once they’re coated they’re baked for an initial 10 minutes.
Then we take the chicken out of the oven, cover the base of your baking dish with ¾ of the marinara sauce, and place the chicken back on top. Spoon a little of the sauce on each piece of chicken (not too much – you want that chicken to be crispy and it will go soggy if you coat it in sauce), then top the chicken with mozzarella (I use sliced, but grated/shredded is fine too), parmesan and a pinch of oregano. Bake to 15-20 mins until the cheese is melty and bubbling. Serve the chicken with cooked spaghetti a little fresh basil.
What to serve with Chicken Parmesan
Traditionally it’s served with spaghetti but you can serve it in lots of different ways if you fancy a change. How about:
Crispy Roast Potatoes Boiled rice Potato wedges from this recipe Baked parmesan carrot fries
Swap out the chicken for:
Pork steaks – cut off visible fat first, as the coating will hide it, so you might end up biting into a big fatty piece. Sliced aubergine/eggplant. Most auberigine parmigiana dishes are made into a kind of layered bake, but you can make it in the same way as my recipe, replacing the chicken like-for-like with thick slices of aubergine that have been lightly scored. Fish – White fish like haddock and cod work great! They need a less cooking time, so it’s best to use thick fillets of fish so they’re not overcooked. Also, bake for 5 minutes initially in the breadcrumbs, then for 10-12 minute for the second time in the oven with the sauce (ensure the fish is piping hot throughout). Quorn or firm tofu – replace like-for-like with the chicken Halloumi – as halloumi is quite salty, I would leave the salt out of the breadcrumb coating. Make in the same way you would the chicken parmesan, but cook for about 5-10 minutes less than you would when it’s in the sauce. Just cook until the mozzarella has melted. This is so the halloumi doesn’t dry out.
The Video:
Crispy buttermilk chicken burger with honey mustard coleslaw Crispy Chicken Tenders with Chimichurri Dip Sticky AND Crispy Asian Chicken Wings Crispy Chicken with Broccoli Crispy Sesame Chicken with a Sticky Asian Sauce Crispy Honey Garlic Chicken Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.
