Notes

This isn’t my recipe— chicken parm is an Italian-American staple that’s been around far longer than I have— but I’ve cooked it many times and feel quite confident in this version.

At its core, chicken parm is a simple dish— breaded and fried chicken topped with tomato sauce and cheese. But I’ve found that the greatness of this dish is found in the primary ingredients. Seek out the best chicken you can find locally, hunt down some great mozzarella from your local dairy farm or cheese shop, and so on.

Some notes on ingredients:

Personally, I much prefer chicken thighs to chicken breasts (which are more traditionally used in this dish). They’re more tender, more flavorful, and hold up better in the cooking process. You can use breasts if you wish, but I think thighs are the way to go.

There are a lot of different ways to go about approaching the tomato sauce. You can use canned tomatoes (optionally adding some basil and garlic), you can use Marcella Hazan’s famously simple recipe, or you can just buy jarred/canned tomato sauce— no shame in that. If you do, I highly recommend Bianco DiNapoli.

I use olive oil to cook the chicken every time I make this. Some people are hesitant about high-heat cooking in olive oil, but I am not one of them. Olive oil actually has a much higher smoke point than you’re likely to get to with pan-frying, and the antioxidants in good olive oil will prevent oxidization from happening. Plus, the flavor is well worth it.

Ingredients

  • 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1.5 cup Italian or panko bread crumbs
  • 2 cups tomato sauce
  • 1 ball of mozzarella cheese
  • Parmesan cheese
  • basil
  • salt
  • olive oil

Process

Start by trimming your chicken thighs of any excess fat or sinew. Often, chicken thighs are well-cleaned when you buy them. But I like to trim off any excess white fat, which can sometimes be too chewy in the final product.

Generously salt the thighs all over on both sides. If they’re really thick, pound them flat until they’re uniform.

Line up 3 medium-sized plates.

In the first, put your all-purpose flour and a bit of salt.

In the second, crack the two eggs and beat them until they’re uniform (like you’re going to scramble them).

In the 3rd, add in your breadcrumbs. If you have it, grate a bunch of Parmesan cheese into the breadcrumbs and mix to combine.

Take one thigh at a time and dredge it.

First, dip it in the flour and cover it completely on all sides. Shake off the excess, then dip it in the egg wash. Make sure both sides are fully covered. Finally, dip it in the breadcrumbs and cover all sides. Gently shake and set aside.

Repeat this process for all of the chicken.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat up a bunch of olive oil. You should have about a half inch of oil covering the entirety of the bottom of the pan.

Once the oil is hot, put a piece of chicken in. You can cut off a small piece to test the oil. It should bubble and sizzle, but not too much. If you have a thermometer, the oil should be around 375-400.

Fry the cutlets for a few minutes on each side. I like to give them several turns until they’re deeply golden brown.

Once they’re cooked, pull them from the oil onto a paper towel lined sheet tray. Repeat until all of your chicken is cooked.

Turn your oven’s broiler to high. Line a baking sheet with foil and lay down the chicken cutlets. Dollop a big spoonful of your tomato sauce onto each cutlet. Then lay a couple pieces of sliced (or torn) mozzarella on top of each.

Place the tray in the oven’s top rack under the broiler for just a few minutes. Keep a close eye on them, as they’ll cook quick. You’ll know they’re ready when the cheese has bubbled and browned in spots. Pull them out at that point.

To finish these off, I like to top them with a big shaving of parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil, and some hand-torn basil leaves.

Serve these immediately— they’re best piping hot. And enjoy!