Easy Chicken Parmesan
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Making traditional chicken parmesan can be quite time-consuming, but this weeknight-friendly version incorporates a few smart shortcuts, so you can have a delicious meal on the table in just 45 minutes!
Chicken parmesan is a major family pleaser, but the traditional recipe can be time-consuming to make. Between the homemade tomato sauce and pounding, breading, and pan-frying the chicken — not to mention melting the cheese over the chicken in the oven — the classic preparation takes well over an hour and leaves you with a sinkful of dishes. This easy recipe incorporates a few smart shortcuts, like using good-quality jarred sauce and chicken tenderloins, making it totally doable on a weeknight. You’ll notice that I don’t smother the chicken with sauce and cheese; this keeps the crust crispy (and you can always serve more sauce on the side).
Chicken parm is a great dish to serve when you have people over since much of the prep can be done ahead of time. It pairs well with pasta, polenta, spaghetti squash (see how to cook spaghetti squash), an arugula salad, or roasted broccoli.
Table of Contents
“Huge hit with the family! Seasoning, moisture, crispness all on point…This is some really great chicken.”
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Parmesan
- Chicken tenderloins: While most recipes call for boneless skinless chicken breasts, which need to be sliced in half horizontally and pounded thin, I use chicken tenderloins, which can be quickly flattened with the palm of your hand to ensure even, quick cooking. Unlike the ready-to-cook thinly sliced chicken cutlets you find at the store, they are guaranteed to be tender and juicy.
- Marinara Sauce: Since the recipe only calls for 1-1/2 cups of sauce, I recommend using a good-quality jarred marinara sauce, such as Rao’s or Victoria).
- Panko: Japanese-style panko creates a feathery, crisp crust, and it also stays crispy long after it is cooked, so you don’t have to pan-fry the chicken at the very last minute.
- Fontina Cheese: While mozzarella cheese is usually called for in chicken parmesan recipes, I prefer fontina, a semisoft cheese with a buttery, nutty flavor. Fontina stays gooey after it’s melted, while mozzarella tends to turn rubbery as soon as it comes out of the oven. Most large supermarkets carry Swedish or Danish fontina (with a red wax rind), which is ideal for cooking. If you can’t find it, shredded whole milk mozzarella is fine.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prep and Bread the Chicken
Begin by prepping the tenderloins. You may notice a white tendon at the end of the tenderloin. Go ahead and trim it off with a knife or kitchen shears. Using the palm of your hand, gently flatten the tenderloins so that they are an even 1/4-inch thickness.
Season the flattened chicken all over with 1-1/4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
In a large shallow bowl (I use a pie plate), combine the panko, 3/4 cup of the Parmigiano Reggiano, the oregano, the thyme, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mix well, making sure there are no clumps of cheese.
Place the flour in another shallow bowl. Beat the eggs in a third bowl. Set up a breading station in this order: flour, eggs, panko. Dredge the chicken in the flour; dip in the eggs, letting any excess drip off; then dredge in the panko mixture.
Place the breaded chicken on a lined baking sheet. (The recipe can be prepared up to this point, covered, and refrigerated up to 8 hours ahead of time. The breaded tenders can also be frozen for up to 3 months.)
Step 2: Pan-Fry the Chicken
In a large nonstick skillet, heat about 1/8 inch of oil over medium heat until shimmering. Place 5 or 6 tenders in the pan in a single layer.
Cook until the first side is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Cook the remaining chicken in the same manner, adding additional oil only if necessary.
Step 3: Top the Chicken with Cheese and Broil
Place the cooked chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the fontina and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano over the center of the chicken tenderloins, leaving the sides bare so that they remain crispy.
Broil until the cheese is melted and bubbling, 1 to 2 minutes.
Step 4: Serve
Warm the marinara sauce, then taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. With store-bought sauce, I find a generous pinch of sugar and some fresh basil go a long way.
Transfer the chicken to a serving platter or individual plates. Spoon the marinara sauce over the cheese, again leaving the sides bare so that they stay crispy. Sprinkle with fresh basil and serve.
You May Also Like
- Eggplant Parmesan
- Chicken Marsala
- Chicken Piccata
- Parmesan Crusted Chicken
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Marry Me Chicken
Chicken Parmesan
Making traditional chicken parmesan can be quite time-consuming, but this weeknight-friendly version incorporates a few smart shortcuts, so you can have a delicious meal on the table in just 45 minutes!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken tenderloins
- 2 teaspoons salt, divided
- ¾ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 1½ cups panko
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano, divided
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ cup flour
- 3 large eggs
- Olive oil, for cooking
- 1½ cups homemade or store-bought marinara sauce, best quality such as Rao's or Victoria
- 6 oz fontina, shredded (about 1½ cups)
- 3 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
Instructions
- Using kitchen shears, trim off any white tendons at the ends of the tenderloins. Using the palm of your hand, gently flatten the tenderloins so that they are an even ¼-inch thickness. Season the chicken all over with 1¼ teaspoons of the salt and ½ teaspoon of the pepper.
- In a large shallow bowl, combine the panko, ¾ cup of the Parmigiano Reggiano, the oregano, the thyme, the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper. Mix well, making sure there are no clumps of cheese.
- Place the flour in another shallow bowl. Beat the eggs in a third bowl. Set up a breading station in this order: flour, eggs, panko. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easy clean up. Dredge the chicken in the flour, coating evenly; dip in the eggs, letting any excess drip off; then dredge in the panko mixture, turning and patting to adhere. Place the breaded chicken on the prepared baking sheet. (The recipe can be prepared up to this point, covered, and refrigerated up to 8 hours ahead of time.)
- Preheat the broiler and set an oven rack about 4 inches from the heating element. Bring the marinara sauce to a simmer over low heat. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking (with store-bought sauce, I find a generous pinch of sugar and fresh basil go a long way). Cover and keep warm.
- Line another baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment for easy clean up; set aside. In a large nonstick skillet, heat about ⅛ inch of oil over medium heat until shimmering. Place 5 or 6 tenders in the pan in a single layer and cook until the first side is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Place the cooked chicken on the prepared baking sheet. Cook the remaining chicken in the same manner, adding additional oil only if necessary. You may need to lower the the heat as you go, so that the chicken doesn't brown before it is cooked through.
- Sprinkle the fontina and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano over the center of the chicken tenderloins, leaving the sides bare so that they remain crispy. Broil until the cheese is melted and bubbling, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken to a serving platter or individual plates. Spoon the marinara sauce over the cheese, again leaving the sides bare so that they stay crispy. Sprinkle with fresh basil and serve.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The chicken tenders can be breaded and refrigerated up to 8 hours before pan-frying. The chicken is best and crispiest when fried right before baking, but it can also be fried up to 4 hours in advance and refrigerated. Reheat the chicken in a 350°F oven until warmed through, 15 to 20 minutes, before adding the cheese and proceeding with the recipe.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The breaded cooked chicken tenders can be frozen for up to 3 months. Freeze the chicken on the baking sheet until firm, about 1 hour, then transfer to a resealable freezer bag or layer in an airtight container with sheets of parchment between the tenders. Defrost in the refrigerator before cooking.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (About 12 servings)
- Serving size: 1 piece
- Calories: 410
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated fat: 8 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 21 g
- Sodium: 751 mg
- Cholesterol: 101 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Another perfect recipe!
The chicken tenders are perfect for this recipe. I can’t go back to my old recipe for chicken parm. Concise instructions as well. I browned all the pieces (and the breading didn’t fall off!!) and saved half on a baking sheet with foil for the next day’s dinner… warmed up in the oven and finished with the cheese (broiled) and warmed tomato sauce. Tasted just as good as the night before. I always take longer to prepare than the recipe says, but this one is worth it. Besides, I had plenty for 2 dinners. Thank you Jenn for a dinner I would make for company!
Absolutely delicious! I have made this twice for family and it’s been a huge hit! This recipe is a keeper!
My husband does not eat meat but the rest of the family does. He does not mind if I cook his food near or food (same pan is ok). Would this same recipe work if I included an eggplant – just adjusted cooking times?
Sure, Dani, I think that should work. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it with eggplant!
Delicious! I served the chicken with angel hair in a tomato basil jar of sauce. Everyone went back for seconds and my other half thanked me for dinner and told me it exceptional. Well worth the effort.
This was another winner from Jenn! So tasty – my husband and I really enjoyed it. Very easy with great step by step instructions. Delicious!
These were fantastic. Thanks so much for this recipe! It’s a keeper. Leftovers tasted just as good reheated.
This was a great, easy weeknight dinner….and I am always looking for easy weeknight dinners! My husband and teenage son loved it. I believe “outstanding” is the word I kept hearing 🙂 Thank you, Jenn for another great one. Your recipes never disappoint.
Delicious, and not too difficult at all! The chicken was tender and crispy. I did not season my chicken as much (based on another reviewer’s comments) but think I could have used the extra salt. Thanks for another keeper!
I made (and reviewed) this dish about a week ago. I didn’t need the entire batch, so I followed Jen’s directions for freezing the breaded tenders. I pulled them out, thawed them in the fridge, and had a quick and easy weeknight meal tonight. I would have never thought to freeze raw, breaded chicken. Thanks for the tip!