Chicken Parmigiana (Parmesan)

Whether you know it as chicken parmi, parmy, parma or parmesan, this Italian-American staple is universally loved for it's crisp exterior, gooey melty cheese and variety of toppings you can enjoy with it.

In Australia, the parmi is a pub classic and generally one of the better selling items on the menu. They're a little bit naughty from the crispy, oil fried exterior and are typically served with chips & salad or vegetables (who ever gets the vegetables?)

The secret to cooking the best chicken parmi? Deep frying the chicken and using a screaming hot grill to melt and brown the cheese. This is absolutely "treat food" territory, but if you're watching those calories (or kilojoules!) I'll give you some healthier options as well for cooking it.

The keys to doing the best parmi - not just at home - is to make the most of the few ingredients:

• Seasoning the chicken well before breading it.
• Using a quality Napoletana sugo as the base tomato sauce.
• Where possible, use good quality cheese; genuine Parmesan (aka Parmigiano Reggiano) that's aged from Italy and proper mozzarella cheese.
• Leave the schnitzels on a wire rack in a warm oven while you're cooking in batches so the air continues to circulate and prevent the crust from going soggy.
• Ensuring an even thickness so that the parmi cooks evenly.

What is chicken parm/parmi/parma/parmesan?

Chicken parmigiana is an Italian American classic dish consisting of a breaded chicken schnitzel topped with a Neapolitan tomato sauce and finished with mozzarella and parmesan cheese which is melted under a grill.

In Australia it's common to be served with chips & salad or vegetables and is something usually found in pubs. In the US, it's common for it to be served with a side of pasta.

Essentially, it's a chicken schnitzel topped with a Napoletana sauce and topped with melted cheese.

What you need to make chicken parm

• A deep fryer. You can make the recipe without one if you'd prefer - see instructions below - but this is how you get the best result.
• A grill to melt the cheese.

Chicken parm ingredients

• Chicken breast - we halve the breast and pound it out, to reduce and even out its thickness so that it doesn't take too long to cook, and that it cooks evenly. If the tenderloins are attached, remove them.
• Panko breadcrumbs bring the crunch!
• Plain/all purpose flour.
• Dried Italian herbs and garlic powder bring the flavour to the schnitzel.
• Eggs bind the flour and the panko breadcrumbs.
• Neapolitan tomato sauce.
• Quality Parmesan - use an aged Italian Parmigiano, and grate it fresh.
• Mozzarella use a vacuum sealed fresh whole mozzarella. The pre-grated stuff isn't great and is often coated with cornflour which will cause the cheese to split. Mozzarella in brine can make the crumb too wet.

How to make Chicken Parmigiana (Parmesan)

Prepare chicken

1. Halve chicken - the chicken needs to be halved because breasts are otherwise too thick. Place the breast on your chopping board and rest your hand flat on top of the breast. Press down and slowly slice your knife through the breast, between your hand and the chopping board, taking care to angle the knife so that it doesn't cut your hand.
2. Flatten - cover the chicken with baking/parchment paper or plastic wrap and use a heavy based pot, meat mallet or rolling pin to flatten the chicken out so that it is the same thickness.
3. Season - apply salt and pepper to one side of the chicken and set aside while you prepare the breading.
   

Breading

1. Make the breadcrumbs by combining the panko breadcrumbs, garlic powder, the parmesan and the Italian herbs. Mix well with your hands.

   

2. Egg - crack the eggs into a bowl or deep tray and whisk with a fork to ensure the yolk and whites are combined.

3. Flour - add the flour to a tray, bowl or plate.

4. Bread the chicken - for each piece of breast, roll it in flour. Lift it up and shake off the excess and place into the egg. Coat both sides of the chicken in egg (1) and place into the breadcrumbs (2). Press down and ensure the breadcrumbs are pressed well into each side. Lift up and gently shake off any excess and then place on a tray (3) while you prepare the rest of the chicken.

Cook schnitzel

See the recipe card further down for instructions on deep frying, pan frying, air frying or baking in the oven.

Melt cheese

1. Preheat grill over high heat.

2. Sauce the chicken - divide the Napoletana sauce between all of the chicken - place a few spoons on each cooked schnitzel.

   

3. Add cheese - divide both the mozzarella and parmesan between all breasts - place the mozzarella on top of the Napoletana sauce and then top off with the parmesan.

   

4. Cook - place the chicken on a tray and place under the grill to melt and brown the cheese. Keep an eye on it though, because the cheese goes from perfect to burnt very quickly!

Cooking methods

Deep frying or pan frying

Using a deep fryer will allow better control of browning due to the schnitzel not being in contact with the heating element, like it would be sitting in the bottom of a pan. The deep fryer also yields a crispier exterior and a better texture because it cooks from all sides at once. I deep fry at 180C.

Cooking in a pan can be easier but you need to watch that the heat isn't too high - it will burn the breadcrumbs.

Deep frying takes approx. 5-6 minutes, but will vary depending on thickness of the schnitzel. Pan frying takes approx. 4 minutes per side, but will vary depending on thickness of the schnitzel.

Air fryer

Air fry at 210C for about 8 minutes. The exact time will vary depending on thickness. Spray some spray oil to both sides of the schnitzel before placing in the air fryer.

Baking

Want to save a hundred calories or so from the oil? Bake it! The texture won't be as good as if it were pan or deep fried, but it's a simple substitution to make that will save a large number of calories.

Spray some spray oil to both sides and bake at 250C for about 10 minutes in a preheated oven, note time will vary depending on thickness of the schnitzel.

My preference

My preference order for cooking parmis is as follows:

1. Deep frying - yes, it's unhealthy, but this isn't something you eat every day.
2. Pan frying
3. Air fryer
4. Oven baked

The importance of flattening your chicken

It's important to flatten your chicken breast out, for a few reasons.

1. Even cooking - chicken breasts can vary in thickness, which can result in uneven cooking. Flattening them ensures that they cook evenly, reducing the risk of one part being overcooked while another remains undercooked. Using a thick breast there is a good chance that the exterior will be burnt before the interior is completely cooked through.
2. Faster cooking - flattened chicken breasts cook more quickly than whole, thick ones. This can be particularly beneficial when you're short on time or cooking for a large group.
3. Increased Tenderness - pounding the chicken breast breaks down some of the muscle fibre, making the meat more tender.

How to flatten your chicken breast

To halve your chicken breast, place your hand on top of the breast and hold firmly. Use a sharp knife to slice through halfway between your chopping board and your hand, so that the chicken is cut into two. While slicing, keep an eye on the angle of your knife to make sure that the knife is not coming up towards your hand.

Place plastic wrap or baking/parchment paper over the top of the two halves flatten to an even thickness using a meat mallet, heavy pan, or something similar.

Other topping ideas

• Ham and pineapple - after putting down the sauce, place a slice or so of quality ham and a few pineapple rings and then top with cheese.
• Ham and salami - optionally replace the Napolitana sauce with BBQ sauce and top with ham and salami, followed by the cheese.
• Mexican - make up a batch of taco mince, and top the schnitzel with the mince, salsa, avocado, pickled jalapeños and sour cream, followed by the cheese.

What type of mozzarella should I use?

Mozzarella comes in three broad styles:

1. Pre-grated
2. Vacuum packed, and
3. Fresh - wet, in brine

For the best result, use vacuum packed whole mozzarella. The pre-grated cheese is often coated with cornflour or other things to prevent the cheese binding together, which can split when it's grilled. Fresh mozzarella has a great texture but a high moisture content, which can make the schnitzel soggy. If you choose to use brined mozzarella, dry it on paper towel before slicing - you won't be able to grate it because it's too wet.

I find the vacuum packed whole mozzarella to be the best choice and it's great either grated or sliced.

Chicken Parmigiana (Parmesan)

Unrated

Sam Knight

Deep fryer Chicken breast Italian-American cuisine

Prep	Cook	Total
15 mins	10 mins	25 mins

Serves 4

A pub classic for a reason, my chicken parmigiana is full of flavour and crisped to perfection, and topped off with melty cheese.

• 2 chicken breasts around 500g each, remove the tenderloin if attached - see note 1
• 150g (1 cup) plain flour
• 3 eggs
• 4 cups panko breadcrumbs
• 1 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
• 80g (1 cup) finely grated parmesan use quality Italian Parmigiano, see note 2
• 4 tbsp dried Italian herbs see note 3
• Neutral oil, for frying or deep frying i.e. light olive oil, canola, rapeseed, etc

For the toping

• 400g Napoletana sauce see note 4
• 100g (1 1/4 cup) finely grated parmesan use quality Italian Parmigiano, see note 2
• 200g fresh mozzarella vacuum packed - sliced or grated, see note 5
• Fresh parsley, to serve optional

To serve

• Hot chips
• Salad

Steps

Prepare chicken

1. Halve chicken - the chicken needs to be halved because breasts are otherwise too thick. Place the breast on your chopping board and rest your hand flat on top of the breast. Press down and slowly slice your knife through the breast, between your hand and the chopping board, taking care to angle the knife so that it doesn't cut your hand.
2. Flatten - cover the chicken with baking/parchment paper or plastic wrap and use a heavy based pot, meat mallet or rolling pin to flatten the chicken out so that it is the same thickness.
3. Season - apply salt and pepper to one side of the chicken and set aside while you prepare the breading.

Breading

1. Flour - add the flour to a tray, bowl or plate.
2. Egg - crack the eggs into a bowl or deep tray and whisk with a fork to ensure the yolk and whites are combined.
3. Make the breadcrumbs by combining the panko breadcrumbs, garlic powder, the parmesan and the Italian herbs. Mix well with your hands.
4. Bread the chicken - for each piece of breast, roll it in flour. Lift it up and shake off the excess and place into the egg. Coat both sides of the chicken in egg and place into the breadcrumbs. Press down and ensure the breadcrumbs are pressed well into each side. Lift up and gently shake off any excess and then place on a tray while you prepare the rest of the chicken.

Cook chicken

I have instructions here for deep frying, pan frying, air frying and oven. I think this is the order that yields best results, but use whichever method you prefer. If you need to work in batches, hold the cooked chicken in your oven - heat it to 80C and place them on the rack so air can circulate and they won't go soggy.

Deep fry

1. Preheat your deep fryer to 180C.
2. Cook - add your chicken and cook (in batches, if needed) for 5-6 minutes until the chicken is nicely golden and cooked through.

Pan fry

1. Add oil to a large pan to around 1cm depth and heat to medium high. When the oil starts to shimmer add the chicken (in batches, if needed).
2. Cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes per side until cooked through. Keep an eye on the chicken and if it's starting to get too much colour slightly reduce the heat.

Air fryer

1. Spray both sides of the schnitzel with spray oil.
2. Place in the air fryer and cook at 210C for 8 minutes or until cooked through.

Oven

1. Preheat oven to 250C.
2. Before placing the schnitzel into the oven, spray both sides with spray oil.
3. Cook for 10 minutes or until cooked.

Melt cheese

1. Preheat grill over high heat.
2. Sauce the chicken - divide the Napoletana sauce between all of the chicken - place a few spoons on each cooked schnitzel.
3. Add cheese - divide both the mozzarella and parmesan between all breasts - place the mozzarella on top of the Napoletana sauce and then top off with the parmesan.
4. Cook - place the chicken on a tray and place under the grill to melt and brown the cheese. Keep an eye on it though, because the cheese goes from perfect to burnt very quickly!

Notes

1. Chicken breasts - it's important that the breasts are of uniform thickness to make sure they cook evenly. See the post for details on how to flatten the breasts, essentially you halve them and then cover them with plastic or baking/parchment paper and use a meat mallet or heavy pan to flatten them out.
2. Parmesan - use a quality Italian parmigiano reggiano aged for at least 12 months. Grate it fresh because the quality is always better.
3. Italian herbs are available from most supermarkets. It's a blend of Italian herbs such as basil, thyme, rosemary, etc. Use a blend that you like or use equal quantities of dried basil, rosemary, parsley, thyme, marjoram and oregano.
4. Napoletana sauce - make your own (SEE MY RECIPE) or purchase a good quality sauce. Make sure it's not too watery because it will make your schnitzel soggy.
5. Mozzarella - I discuss this in more detail in the post, but essentially vacuum packed mozzarella is the best choice because it's not full of moisture. Slice it, or grate it - do whatever works for you.
6. Cooking method - when you eat a parmi at a pub or restaurant, it will almost always be deep fried - it yields the best result.
7. Seasoning the chicken - many recipes will tell you to add salt & pepper to the flour, but you end up with a better result when you eyeball it directly on the chicken.
8. Cooking times are approximate and vary with the efficiency of your appliances and the thickness of your schnitzels. Use an instant read thermometer and ensure the thickest part of your schnitzel reaches 74C.