Chicken Parmesan
Breaded chicken thighs or breasts are covering in a homemade marinara and cheesiness, served over spaghetti pasta!
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Quick and Simple Marinara or 24 ounces store-bought marinara
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (fat trimmed), or chicken breasts
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste
- 3 eggs, beaten with 1 1/2 tablespoons of water
- 1 1/2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 3 - 4 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning
- 2 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
- 3 - 4 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded, see Notes
- 4 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded, see Notes
- 1 pound spaghetti noodles, cooked according to package directions with salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- If you choose to use my marinara recipe, begin cooking the marinara, so it can be simmering while you’re working on everything else.
- If you are using thighs, don’t cut in half, but gently pound the thicker parts to create an even thickness. If you’re using chicken breasts that are thick, use a very sharp knife to cut the chicken breasts in half long-ways through the middle to make 2 thinner breasts. If necessary, gently pound the breasts to even thickness, being careful not to tear them. (If you’re not halving them, you can still pound them to even the thickness as best you can.)
- In one shallow bowl/dish (a pie plate works great), whisk the flour, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. In another shallow bowl, beat eggs with the water until blended well. In a third shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, poultry seasoning, lemon pepper seasoning, and ½ teaspoon salt. Be sure to adjust salt if your lemon pepper is salt-free.
- Heat 1 - 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. (You can use a large electric skillet for this and may be able to cook all the chicken pieces at once. Otherwise, you may have to cook in batches.)
- You’ll be using a dry-wet-dry method: Dredge both sides of the chicken breasts into the flour and gently shake off any excess. Then dip into the eggs, both sides again, allowing the excess egg to drip back into the bowl. Lastly, dredge them into the bread crumbs, pressing the crumbs onto the chicken, covering as much of each chicken breast with the crumbs as possible.
- Cook the chicken approximately 3 to 4 minutes per side, until the breading is nicely browned. Add more oil as necessary throughout cooking. Turn the heat down if the crust is browning too quickly.
- As the chicken pieces are browned, gently remove them to a baking dish, nestling them together is fine.
- Pour the marinara sauce evenly over the chicken breasts and top with the cheeses. Place the chicken into the oven and bake until the chicken pieces are cooked through (a digital thermometer reading 165 degrees F), and the cheese is melted with a few golden brown spots, approximately 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the thickness of your chicken.
- Serve over warm spaghetti pasta noodles.
Notes
You may use slices of fresh Mozzarella in place of the traditional block of low-moisture mozzarella cheese. Please, do not use pre-shredded cheese. It does not melt as well. I always push for you to shred your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheeses do not have the texture nor the flavor of the real-deal.
Store-bough marinara is convenient and there are some very good brands out there. Generally speaking, the more expensive the jar, the better the quality.
Another cooking option for the chicken is to completely cook on the stovetop. Cook the chicken pieces until a digital probe thermometer reads 165 degrees F., top with the marinara and cheese. Then, plate over the cooked, warm pasta.
The nutritional chart is a courtesy to you. Please, calculate for yourself if you need more accurate amounts.
Nutrition Facts
Chicken Parmesan
Amount per Serving
Calories
946.72
% Daily Value*
Fat
39.91
g
61
%
Saturated Fat
14.06
g
88
%
Trans Fat
0.16
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
5.09
g
Monounsaturated Fat
16.99
g
Cholesterol
203.64
mg
68
%
Sodium
1770.9
mg
77
%
Potassium
570.08
mg
16
%
Carbohydrates
80.86
g
27
%
Fiber
5.91
g
25
%
Sugar
12.14
g
13
%
Protein
63.03
g
126
%
Vitamin A
1326
IU
27
%
Vitamin C
31.62
mg
38
%
Calcium
462.36
mg
46
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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