Easy Mozzarella Chicken Parm Recipe
This is one of those dishes that sounds difficult but it’s not. Read on for how easy it is to make this mouthwatering and easy Chicken Parm (Parmigiana) recipe at home. What makes the chicken parmigiana so easy is I use premade sauce and cook on the stove top in a skillet. My easy Slow Cooker Marinara Sauce Recipe {Small Batch} is great to have in the freezer. This is also a perfect recipe for making in an electric skillet.
These other hearty Sunday dinner ideas to try include my very popular dutch oven rib roast and my classic southern pan fried salmon patties.
Ingredients to make chicken parmigiana
Ingredient Substitutions and Variations
- I use an Italian Seasoned Bread Crumb or you can use Panko for a little lighter coating. Another option is to use homemade bread crumbs and add your own Italian blend of seasoning.
- A plain jarred marinara sauce is a perfect base, use whichever brand you like best. I’ll use my homemade marinara sauce when I have some leftover sauce stored in the freezer.
- If you don’t have or don’t like Mozzarella cheese then try your Chicken Parm topped with a Provolone, or get crazy and go with a velvety Gruyere
- If you don’t want leftovers or like to eat smaller portions then cut the recipe in a half.
How to Dredge the Chicken.
Place the bread crumb, flour, and beaten egg in three shallow bowls. Coat the chicken with flour then coat with the egg mixture. Next, roll the chicken in the bread crumbs and transfer to a heated skillet.
The chicken should me fried in a preheated skillet over a medium high heat. The chicken will release easy from the pan when it’s ready to flipped. Don’t force it before it’s ready otherwise you will the nice crispy crust on the bottom of the pan and not on the chicken.
The chicken should cook fast enough to crisp the crust but slow enough to ensure the chicken is cooked through without burning the crust.
I used two chicken breast and cut one in half for the next days lunch.
Use a meat thermometer to check the chicken has reached a safe temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
When the chicken is fully cooked, spoon the marinara sauce over each piece of chicken and top with Mozzarella. Lower the heat and cover the skillet and continue cooking just enough to heat the marinara and melt the cheese.
Serve over spaghetti and add some garlic bread and a nice glass of Chianti.
Surprisingly I never had this dish while living in Italy, well because it’s not really an Italian dish like Eggplant Parmigiana. I personally prefer Chicken Parm. 🙂
Visit A Weekend Cook’s Small Kitchen Store for great recommendations on the best products to use when cooking in your small kitchen and whipping up simple and scrumptious recipes for two.
Fun fact: Contrary to popular beliefs this is NOT an authentic Italian dish, however the recipe originated in the northeast United States from Italian immigrants, and became a popular staple in restaurants serving Italian-American cuisine by the 1950s. Never the less, damn, this is a tasty recipe!
Chicken Parmigiana
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breast boneless, skinless
- ½ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup jar marinara sauce use your favorite brand
- 2 slices mozzarella cheese
- ½ pound dried spaghetti cooked per box instructions.
Instructions
- Place chicken on a parchment-lined cutting board and use a meat mallet on a heavy rolling pin to flatten the chicken out to about 1/2 inch thickness.
- In a shallow dish mix together the flour and garlic powder and set aside.
- In a medium-size bowl lightly beat the egg and add the water
- Add the bread crumbs to a separate shallow dish.
- Dredge the chicken in the flour and dip it into the egg mixture.
- Next, roll the chicken in the bread crumbs to coat all sides.
- Heat the oil and butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken to the skillet and fry each side until fully cooked. Add more oil if needed.
- When chicken is cooked, reduce heat to medium.
- Top each chicken breast with 1/4 cup of premade pasta sauce and top with a slice of mozzarella,
- Cover the skillet and continue cooking until the cheese has melted and the sauce is heated.
- Sprinkle with basil and serve chicken over the spaghetti.
Notes
- If you don’t want leftovers or like to eat smaller portions then cut the recipe in a half.
- Substitute Panko for a lighter breading.
- Provolone is another traditional cheese used to top the chicken parmigiana
