Classic Chicken Parmesan
Chicken parm, you taste so good! This Classic Chicken Parmesan recipe is the perfect comfort food for chilly winter days!
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*In my best Peyton Manning singing voice* “Chicken Parm, you taste so good.” I’ve gotta say that I’m a huge fan of Peyton Manning. I loved that he ended his career as an NFL quarterback by winning the Super Bowl…and then retiring. Talk about the ultimate mic drop. I also love Peyton’s tv commercials. He’s been doing commercials for years, and he just seems like a good guy. He’s pretty darn hilarious. But this post isn’t about Peyton Manning. This post is about Classic Chicken Parmesan. “Chicken Parm, you taste so good.”
One of the first things that Laura and I realized when we moved to upstate New York is that every restaurant has chicken parm on the menu. You think I’m kidding? Even the Chinese place around the corner has chicken parm. Not that I’ve actually ordered it or anything…but it’s there. You know, just in case you go out for Sweet and Sour Pork, but decide to call an audible and go for Chicken Parm instead.
Several years ago, Laura stumbled across a little Italian restaurant down in Schenectady. And when I say little, I mean little. This place has maybe 10 tables…maybe. It’s dark. It’s somewhat cramped. And it has some of the best Italian food I’ve ever eaten. At the front of the restaurant is a long bar, and you have to walk past the bar and through a nondescript door in the back to get to their dining room. This is the kind of restaurant where you’d expect to see Vito Corleone…or Jimmy Hoffa.
Speaking of famous people, the walls of this tiny restaurant are packed with photos of the owner and all sorts of famous people. Like any good Italian restaurant near New York, the walls are filled with photos of New York Yankee legends, both past and present. But this isn’t just a sports bar. There’s a signed photo of Marilyn Monroe. Last time we were there, I spotted a photo of the owner with Lady Gaga. Seriously!? We’re talking a tiny hole-in-the-wall type of restaurant with 10 tables…maybe. Needless to say, this place gets a 10/10 on atmosphere on character.
And this place gets an 11/10 on it’s food! Every time we go, I order the chicken parm, and I end up with enough leftovers for another entire meal at home. (This may or may not have something to do with the basket of Italian bread that I polish off each time…but I digress.) I was thinking about that restaurant chicken parm the other day, and I decided it was time to post a Classic Chicken Parmesan recipe. After all, I live in New York, and I’m married to an Italian gal. That right there means I better know how to make a darn good Classic Chicken Parmesan!
We don’t fry food all that often here, but sometimes there are exceptions to the rule. And to make a Classic Chicken Parmesan, you’ve just got to make an exception. “Chicken Parm, you taste so good.” To be honest, making this Classic Chicken Parmesan is rather simple. It does require several dishes as you need to batter and bread the chicken breasts, but it’s worth it. This is one of those comforting meals that’s perfect for a cold winter day. When Laura walked in the door from work and saw that I’d made chicken parm for dinner, she busted into a spontaneous dance. Yep, this chicken parm recipe is dance-worthy!
If you’re in the mood for some Italian comfort food, then this Classic Chicken Parmesan is the answer! Cheers, friends! “Chicken Parm, you taste so good.”
Oh, and just in case you haven’t seen the Peyton Manning commercial, here’s the chicken parm clip:
Classic Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
- 16 oz. spaghetti
- 1 24-oz. jar marinara sauce (see note)
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts ~1½-2 pounds total
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups panko-style Italian breadcrumbs
- ¾ cup Parmesan cheese grated and divided
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 cup vegetable or canola oil
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves chopped
- 4 slices mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, spray a 9”x13” baking pan with nonstick spray. Spread half of marinara sauce into bottom of pan; set pan aside.
- Working with one chicken breast at a time, lay it between two pieces of plastic wrap and then pound thin using a kitchen mallet until ~ ½” thick. (Tip: A rolling pin works great here…just make sure to clean it with soap and water afterwards!) Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.
- Spread flour onto large plate.
- On a separate plate, combine the breadcrumbs with ½ cup of Parmesan cheese.
- Pour beaten egg into a separate shallow bowl.
- Using a large skillet, add oil and place over medium-high heat. (Tip: To determine when oil is hot enough, drop a pinch of breadcrumbs into the oil. If it bubbles up immediately, then the oil is hot enough. If the oil begins to smoke at any point, immediately reduce heat.)
- Working with one piece of chicken at a time, dip both sides of the chicken first into the flour, then into the beaten egg and then finally into the breadcrumb mixture. Place the chicken into the skillet. (Note: I typically do this in 2 batches of 2 breasts each so as not to overcrowd the skillet.)
- Fry chicken for 3-4 minutes per side, or until both sides are golden brown. Remove chicken from skillet and place on top of the marinara sauce in the prepared baking pan.
- Pour remaining marinara sauce on top of chicken breasts. Sprinkle chopped basil on top and then lay sliced mozzarella over chicken. Finally, sprinkle remaining ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese on top.
- Bake at 425° for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese has fully melted and started to brown.
- Serve over cooked spaghetti.
Notes
Looking for more delicious chicken parm recipes? Check out these Chicken Parm Meatball Subs!
Oh my goodness – now I feel I NEED chicken parmesan today! This droolicius concoction is most definitely dance-worthy (I say this as I’m virtually high fiving Laura).
Now onto that Chinese place that sells chicken parm – whaaaat??? Part of me feels I need to try that because – do they soy sauce it up, or sweet and sour it up? Or, something? Or …is it one of those menu items that don’t sell often so they recycle??? GAH – never mind, I lost the need to try it – I’d much rather come over to y’alls place and have this instead!
Happy Monday to all of the Spiced Clan – dude – it was in the 70s here this weekend and Lil Shashi and I tried blowing some of this warm weather up there as well – hope it helped warm y’all up! 🙂
Haha! I feel like that pretty much every day. I wake up, grab a cup of coffee and think “man, chicken parm would be delicious today!” Now as farm as chicken parm at the Chinese place…uh, yeah. Let’s pass on that one. We’ll make a batch here at home and party it up instead! HEY! Your blowing the warm weather our way totally worked. We’re in the mid-60’s today and mid-70’s tomorrow. Will you keep on blowing more warmth our way please? 🙂
Funny how the least assuming restaurants often have the best food! That’s hilarious that chicken parm is so popular, but I can totally understand why. But, looking at your pics and recipe, I definitely wouldn’t want to go to a restaurant to get it….yours looks FABULOUS! I agree with Shashi – I need this chicken parm and totally wish it was my dinner tonight. Have to try this one soon. Pinned! Have a great Monday 🙂
Oh man, those “hole in the wall” restaurants are the best! But to be fair, not every hole in the wall is amazing. But why does it seem like the best stories are about little places that you normally wouldn’t ever step foot into?? Chicken parm is so good! I’m happy to have you and Shashi over for a gigantic batch of pasta and chicken parm. 🙂
Yum, this chicken parmesan looks amazing. I haven’t made in a while, now I know that I have to put it on the menu.
Yes! Put chicken parm back on the menu for sure, Dawn. It’s such a delicious comfort food, and now I’m kinda wishing I had some leftovers for dinner tonight! Thanks! 🙂
Those little holes-in-the-wall always have the BEST food! The best restaurant in my hometown had about 10 tables too, and their salmon was so good I still tear up a little thinking about it. And don’t even get me started on their spaetzle! The best! As I’m sure this chicken parm is. It looks good enough to please even Peyton Manning :). Happy Monday!
No! Don’t tear up, Kelsie. I can’t be to blame for you being sad all day. But, yes, hole in the wall places are amazing. I bet you’ve got some amazing taco huts there in your area! If you are bored today, you can just overnight me some tacos, mmmkay? 🙂
You’re so funny with your Peyton commercial, David. I like him too, but did not love his Super Bowl win to retirement because that was the year the Panthers lost! Boo! This chicken parm sounds like a win though! I would love to visit that little restaurant too!
Yeah, I totally hear ya on the Peyton thing. I mean I would’ve been pulling against him, too, if the Saints were there that year. But chicken parm. It makes up for everything…even a loss in the Super Bowl. Come on up and we’ll hit up that hole in the wall Italian restaurant! But come hungry! 🙂
Chicken parm in the Chinese restaurant? Well I do believe those guys would make a delicious dish; however, I still prefer “narrow specialization”. I mean I wouldn’t go for a Peking duck in the Italian place or pizza in a sushi place. I’m exaggerating, but let’s be honest I don’t really trust the places which try to embrace all the possible cuisines. Also, let’s be honest I’ve never made Chicken parm. Indeed, I don’t recall when I ordered it last time…mmm maybe never? I think I just don’t like the battered and fried food. I won’t lie though – your creation looks mouthwatering, crispy and not soggy because of the fats. I would certainly like to try this. And by this I’m hinting you should send me some ASAP 😉
Yes! I am all about narrow specialization when it comes to eating out. There’s a restaurant around the corner from us (not the Chinese one) that tries to do everything…and I mean everything. The menu is seriously 30 pages long. We went one time, and then we’ve never been back. Imagine that! I know you’ve said you’re not a fried food fan before, and that’s cool. But I think you need to come down and go to this little hole in the wall Italian place. Bad fried food is really bad, but when someone knows how to fry…well, it changes everything! 🙂
So I had to Google who Peyton Manning is (then I saw your video clip further down) lol. But then again I didn’t have to Google Chicken Parmesan as we also have that here in our Italian restaurants in Scotland and it’s one of my favourite Go-to meals when Lynne and I are dinning out! Maybe I won’t have to choose Chicken Parmesan anymore now though that I’ve got your recipe and can make it at home! Thanks for this recipe David! 🙂
Ah! I didn’t think about that. I’m sure you figured out who Peyton Manning is by now, but that’s like you mentioning a Scottish football player…I’d have no clue! I actually remember your Italian restaurants there in Scotland, Neil. And funny enough they were really good. Maybe we got lucky? Laura and I decided it’s because Scotland is close(r) to Italy so they can get authentic ingredients. Either way, this recipe is terrific if you’re in the mood to tackle chicken parm at home! Thanks, Neil!
That sounds like my kind of restaurant and this is definitely my kind of dish! This chicken parmesan looks amazing! There are certain foods that just need to be fried….this is one of them!
I should’ve grabbed photos of that little Italian restaurant…it’s so hard to describe! But it really is the kind of place where you have to walk all the way through to a little sitting area in the back. Kinda nuts. And way delicious! Thanks so much, Kathy!!
Can you believe I didn’t discover Chicken parmesan until I was in my 20s! It’s should be a crime but that’s the truth. LOL, I love Payton Manning, his hilarious, so dry so funny. I vet Chinese Chicken farm is delicious. What!! I love restaurants like that, small, sweet, delicious and full of famous pictures. Have a great week David 🙂
Hey, I totally get it, Mary. We had a somewhat limited menu growing up, too.
There’s so many awesome foods that I didn’t discover until later…but better late than never, right?? Thanks so much, my friend. I hope your week is going well so far!
Peyton Manning is really funny, and he does seem like a nice guy. Glad he was able to retire without being accused of anything, plus still has his brains in tact! Great story about this restaurant. It looks like a wonderful recipe. I just have never been able to used anything jarred like a marinara. I don’t care how busy I am, I make it from scratch. 3 ingredients. Badaboom. Done!
You know, that’s a good point, Mimi. Peyton was able to avoid all of the cheating and doping scandals out there. I seem to recall one small one, but it was obvious it was just someone trying to make a quick buck off of him. Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting! In my best Peyton Manning singing voice: “Chicken parm, you taste so good!” 🙂
HAHAHAHA, do you remember Peyton Manning’s SNL appearance? The skit where he was kinda being a D and coaching those little kids? Hilarious.
Whelp, once again you have me drooling all over my desk because of one of your recipes. I haven’t had chicken parmesan for ages. AGES! I’m gonna need me some of this!!
Yes! I do remember Peyton’s SNL appearance. In fact, I just stopped and found it online and watched it again. Now that’s the way every Monday morning should start! 🙂 Also, chicken parm needs to happen in your house…and soon! It tastes so good. And it’s Peyton approved!
I love chick parm and have never made it at home so thanks for the recipe!
Do it, Jeff! This chicken parm is WAY better than anything you’d order out at a restaurant. In fact, I’m kinda wishing I had some leftovers for breakfast right about now…haha!
I’m totally in with you for Peyton’s contribution to the world of comedy. Have you seen some of his snl shorts? Or really about anything, he’s hilarious!
It’s funny your restauraunt reminds me of coney island here in downtown where you can actually enter in through the back door, walk by the dishtank and a stove before you come out to the actual dining area.
I would sure think your recipe does that restaurant justice because it looks pretty darn delicious!
Peyton’s SNL skits are hilarious! I love his dry sense of humor. It’s totally how I like humor. The kind of one-liner that you don’t immediate realize is a joke…and then you’re dying laughing.
Also, restaurants where you can come in the backdoor are pretty much 100% guaranteed to be delicious! 🙂 Thanks, Matt!
Chicken Parm, you look so good! These parms are gorgeous, David! I have a confession to make, though – I’ve never made Chicken Parm. I’ve never even ordered it in a restaurant. Now I’m planning to make this recipe and my family will be saying, “Where has this been all of our lives?”. (We don’t have any Italian grandmothers😕. Thanks for the recipe! Making it soon!
Wait…does that mean you’ve never had chicken parm before?? Stop everything right now, Laura. You NEED to make chicken parm ASAP. This is seriously one of the best comfort food meals I can think of. As long as folks like pasta and chicken, then I can promise this will be a huge hit! Chicken parm, you taste so good! 🙂
I’m cracking up that even the Chinese restaurant has Chicken Parm on the menu!
It’s a dish that I love, but haven’t made it at home. Your version looks simply spectacular!
Oh man, you should’ve seen the look on my face when I saw chicken parm on the menu at the Chinese restaurant. Uh…what?? Haha! Chicken parm is the ultimate comfort food in my book. Thanks so much, Marissa! 🙂
This was fantastic! My Italian husband was very happy. The only change I made was I browned the chicken a little less than what the recipe stated, it was browning pretty quickly. Other than that I followed it to the letter and will definitely make again!
Hey Anna! Thank you so much for stopping by to leave a comment. I’m really glad you enjoyed this one. It’s a classic…and it’s delicious! It tastes so much better when it’s homemade, right? 🙂 Cheers, and I hope you have a great weekend ahead!
I was thinking about chicken parmesan the other day and now you have provided a recipe. How amazing is that. Since I am going to the shop today I will get the items I need to make it. Thanks.
PS : yours looks great !!!
Hey Lee! It’s really hard to beat a classic, and chicken parmesan is a great one! I hope you get the chance to make this recipe soon…it’s one of our favorite classics for sure! 🙂 Thanks so much for leaving a comment, too!