love chicken parm but can never get it quite right? this restaurant quality chicken parmesan will change that! coming together quickly, you’ll swear it came straight from your favorite local joint!
Do you have recipes that you LOVE to eat when you’re out but can never seem to recreate with the same quality at home?
For me that was chicken parm. I have at-home recipes that I really like, but they’re definitely a departure from our favorite restaurant’s.
Well my friends, things have finally changed around here! I’m happy to say that I finally found an easy, at-home RESTAURANT QUALITY chicken parmesan recipe for ya (all thanks to my favorites over at America’s Test Kitchen)!
This recipe has it all, from the great crisp on the outside to the melty cheese and a perfectly simple homemade marinara. It sounds elaborate, but I swear to you, it’s really not!
I made a few tweaks to the ATK recipe (which I’ve detailed below) but mostly I stuck to what they recommended.
I like to pair this chicken with whole grain spaghetti and a side of steamed broccoli or salad to not only bump up the fiber in the dish but also to make it feel exactly like how we get it at our favorite Italian place.
The whole meal got 2 big thumbs up from everyone in the household so if that’s not a success, I don’t know what is! Happy eating everyone!
restaurant quality chicken parm
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 chicken breasts 1x
- Category: dinner
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- Drizzle of olive oil (~2 teaspoons)
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled & minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (I like McCormick)
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
For the chicken:
- 2 6 oz. portions of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half horizontally and pounded to about 1/2 inch thick
- 1 cup shredded fresh mozzarella
- 1 1/2 cups shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (I like McCormick)
- Optional: pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1/3 cup canola oil (or other oil with a high smoke point – NOT olive oil)
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- For garnish: freshly chopped basil
Instructions
For the sauce:
- Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat until glistening. Add garlic, salt, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes, cooking until fragrant (~30 seconds)
- Stir in tomatoes and sugar, increase heat to high and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, lower heat to medium-low and allow to cook until sauce is thickened (15-20 minutes).
- Once thickened, remove from heat, add additional salt & pepper as desired, stir in basil.
- If desired, run through a food processor or simply set aside as is.
For the chicken:
- Sprinkle each side of chicken with a pinch of salt and set aside.
- Combine mozzarella and 1/2 cup of the parmesan into a bowl and set aside.
- Into a large shallow bowl, add egg and flour, whisking until smooth.
- In a second large shallow bowl, add remaining cup of parmesan, bread crumbs, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
- Move the oven rack to the top of the oven and put it on broil. Lay a piece of parchment onto a baking sheet, set aside and grab a large plate to transfer the chicken to.
- Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel, then take one piece at a time and dunk into egg & flour mixture (allowing excess to drip off) then into bread crumb and cheese mixture, pressing firmly to ensure it adheres. Place each finished piece onto the large plate. Repeat until remaining chicken has been coated.
- Grab a second large plate and line it with paper towels and place next to the stove (you’ll transfer the chicken to this once cooked).
- In a large non-stick skillet, add canola oil and heat until glistening. Add 1-2 chicken breasts, cooking for about 2 minutes per side or until crisp and golden brown. Transfer to paper-towel lined plate and cook remaining chicken.
- Once cooked, transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet, top evenly with mozzarella/parmesan cheese mixture and place under the broiler for 3 minutes or until the cheese is just melted.
- Top with sauce and freshly chopped basil and serve.
Notes
Recipe from America’s Test Kitchen with a few of my own tweaks
Keywords: chicken parmesan, chicken, dinner, easy
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