Easy Chicken Parmesan

This Easy Chicken Parmesan recipe  is your next date night at home meal! Crispy chicken breasts topped with tangy tomato sauce and cheese baked until golden and bubbly. It's your favorite restaurant dish, made at home in simple steps. Use the how to video below to help you!

Hello, Friday date night! I'm a big proponent of the at-home date night.  You can spend a ridiculous amount of time on the first bottle of wine while leisurely cooking for each other.  I love to divide and conquer the chopping of vegetables or the steps of a recipe.  Easy chicken parmesan is a great meal to cook together with your partner.

I don't know a single person that doesn't love chicken Parmesan.  Crispy chicken topped with a tangy tomato sauce and creamy cheese is just something that can't be beat.  It's heaven on a plate, if you ask me.

Easy Chicken Parmesan method:

I've made a lot of chicken Parmesan in my day.  I've tried all sorts of coatings (fresh bread crumbs, stale/toasted bread crumbs, onion focaccia), and I've opened a jar of store-bought marinara more times than I've made a sauce from scratch.  It's one of those dishes that almost doesn't require a recipe once you know the method.  But, when you follow a recipe that works, you'll get great results every time.

This easy chicken parmesan recipe below is meant to be a starting place if you've never made the dish before. Once you've nailed it, feel free to make substitutions. You can double or triple this recipe to feed a crowd.

Whatever you do, do not skip the step of adding Parmesan cheese to the bread crumbs! This gives the chicken crust a crisp, cheesy flavor that makes this recipe better than any other recipe!

How to make Chicken Parmesan:

1. First, we're going to make a simple tomato sauce that will top our chicken cutlets and our pasta. It's simply a can of tomatoes pureed and sauteed with spices, but you are definitely welcome to open a jar of your favorite sauce instead! You'll save a few steps and a few dishes. I would recommend a canned pasta sauce that is tangy and vibrant with fresh tomatoes instead of loaded with sugar, because it compliments the chicken so much better.
2. One secret for getting a thick, crispy crust on chicken Parmesan is to dust the chicken breasts in a light coating of flour. This gives the eggs something to stick to on the chicken, which then enables more breadcrumbs to stick, too!
3. So, take two chicken breasts that are a similar size and thickness, and coat them lightly in flour.
4. Dunk the chicken breasts in egg, followed by the breadcrumbs mixed with the Parmesan cheese.
5. After sautéeing the chicken in a skillet to make a golden brown crust, simply place them on a pan, top with a dollop of tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella. A few minutes under the broiler will make everything come together!
6. There's nothing better than a crispy chicken cutlet topped with tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella all on top of spaghetti.

More chicken dinners for two you might like:

Instant Pot Chicken Teriyaki

Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs 

Chicken Spaghetti Recipe

Chicken Cacciatore Recipe

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Yield: 2

Dinner for Two: Easy Chicken Parmesan

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Easy chicken parmesan recipe for two with an extra cheesy crust.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

Quick tomato sauce:

• 1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, drained
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• salt to taste

For the chicken and spaghetti:

• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg
• ¾ cup panko bread crumbs
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 8-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 ounces whole-milk fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves
• 4 ounces uncooked spaghetti

Instructions

1. First, make the sauce: pulse the tomatoes in a food processor until coarsely ground, 6-8 pulses. Next, saute the garlic in the 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium skillet until fragrant but not burned, about 2 minutes over medium heat. Stir in the tomatoes, then bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until slightly thickened. Off heat, stir in the basil, sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Cover to keep warm.
2. For the chicken and spaghetti: adjust an oven rack to be 4 inches from the broiling element. Turn the broiler to high.
3. Spread the flour in a shallow dish. Beat the egg in a second shallow dish. Combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan in a third shallow dish. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Dredge each chicken breaset in the flour, then egg, then bread crumbs.
4. Heat the oil in a 10" large skillet over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Gently lay the chicken in the oil, and cook until golden brown on each side and the chicken registers 160 degrees (about 4-6 minutes per side). Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet.
5. Divide the cheese over the chicken, and broil until the cheese melts. Serve with the tomato sauce.
6. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in ample boiling water, and toss with tomato sauce before serving on the side.

Notes

You can skip the quick tomato sauce and use a jar of your favorite pasta sauce instead!

Recommended Products

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• 
  10" Staub Skillet
• 
  Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1509Total Fat: 76gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 58gCholesterol: 311mgSodium: 1290mgCarbohydrates: 104gFiber: 9gSugar: 17gProtein: 99g

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