Crispy Chicken Parmesan

Name: Crispy Chicken Parmesan
Prep time: 29 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: 51 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1½ lb (2 large breasts, about 12 oz each, weighed before trimming) (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat and any tough white tendon, cold from the fridge; 1 tsp (4 g) kosher salt; ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; ½ cup (63 g) all-purpose flour; 2 large (100 g) large eggs, cold from the fridge; 2 tbsp (30 ml) whole milk; 1½ cups (75 g) plain panko breadcrumbs; ½ cup (40 g) Parmesan cheese, finely grated, lightly packed; 1 tsp (1 g) dried oregano; ½ tsp (1½ g) garlic powder; ⅓ cup (80 ml) olive oil (not extra-virgin) or other neutral oil; 1½ cups (360 ml) marinara sauce, store-bought or homemade; 6 oz (170 g) low-moisture mozzarella, coarsely shredded (about 1½ cups); ¼ cup (20 g) Parmesan cheese, finely grated; ¼ cup (6 g) fresh basil leaves, torn just before serving (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Thin chicken cutlets coated in a crunchy panko-Parmesan crust, pan-fried until golden, then topped with marinara and mozzarella and baked briefly until bubbling. The crust stays crisp because only the center of each cutlet gets sauce. The cutlets are generous (about 6 oz / 170 g raw each), so slice them in half after baking if you want smaller portions.

Prep: 29 min
Cook: 22 min
Wait: 13 min
Total: 1 hr 4 min
Makes: 4 large cutlets (4 servings)

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Ingredients

4 servings

1½ lb (2 large breasts, about 12 oz each, weighed before trimming) (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat and any tough white tendon, cold from the fridge
1 tsp (4 g) kosher salt
½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
For the breading
½ cup (63 g) all-purpose flour
2 large (100 g) large eggs, cold from the fridge
2 tbsp (30 ml) whole milk
1½ cups (75 g) plain panko breadcrumbs
½ cup (40 g) Parmesan cheese, finely grated, lightly packed
1 tsp (1 g) dried oregano
½ tsp (1.5 g) garlic powder
For frying
⅓ cup (80 ml) olive oil (not extra-virgin) or other neutral oil
For topping
1½ cups (360 ml) marinara sauce, store-bought or homemade
6 oz (170 g) low-moisture mozzarella, coarsely shredded (about 1½ cups)
¼ cup (20 g) Parmesan cheese, finely grated
¼ cup (6 g) fresh basil leaves, torn just before serving (optional)

Equipment (10)

12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet, preferably cast iron or stainless steel
Rimmed baking sheet, about 18×13 inches (46×33 cm), kept clean and away from raw chicken
Wire cooling rack that fits inside the baking sheet
3 shallow dishes or pie plates for breading
1 dinner plate reserved for raw breaded cutlets
Meat mallet or heavy rolling pin, plus plastic wrap or a zip-top bag
Sharp chef's knife and cutting board
Tongs and a thin metal spatula
Instant-read thermometer
Small saucepan for warming sauce

Steps

Before you start

Keep the chicken refrigerated until you are ready to slice it, and don't leave raw chicken out for more than 30 minutes total.
Grate the Parmesan and mozzarella yourself from blocks if you can; pre-shredded cheese often has anti-caking starch and melts less smoothly. Use low-moisture mozzarella, not fresh mozzarella packed in water.
Raw chicken juices spread easily: have hot soapy water, paper towels, and two separate plates ready. One plate is for raw breaded cutlets only. Cooked chicken goes only on the wire rack.
Keep the wire rack and baking sheet away from raw chicken until the chicken is fully cooked. The oven is preheated later, during the breading rest, so you don't need to turn it on yet.
You will fry in two batches, so plan to keep the first batch on the wire rack rather than stacking the cutlets.

1
Slice and pound chicken
- Lay one breast flat on the cutting board and, holding your palm on top, slice it horizontally into two even cutlets.
- Repeat with the second breast to get 4 cutlets.
- Place the cutlets between sheets of plastic wrap, a few inches apart, and pound with a mallet from the center outward until they are an even ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick.
- Pounding can spray raw juices, so keep the work area clear of other food.
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Ready when: Each cutlet is an even ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick with no thick lump at one end.
Tip: Even thickness lets the chicken cook through at the same moment the crust turns golden.
2
Season the chicken
- Peel the cutlets out of the plastic wrap and discard it.
- Pat both sides of each cutlet dry with paper towels and discard the towels.
- Sprinkle both sides evenly with the salt and pepper, leaving the cutlets on the cutting board.
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Ready when: Surface of the chicken looks dry, not wet or shiny.
Tip: Dry chicken holds flour and breading far better.
3
Set up breading station
- Wash your hands with soap and hot water first.
- Put the flour in the first dish.
- In the second, whisk the eggs and milk until no streaks of white remain.
- In the third, stir together the panko, ½ cup (40 g) Parmesan, oregano, and garlic powder.
- Set the empty dinner plate at the end of the line for the breaded cutlets.
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Ready when: Egg mixture is smooth and runny; crumb mixture is evenly speckled with cheese and herbs.
4
Bread the cutlets
- Working with one cutlet at a time, dredge it in flour and shake off the excess, dip it in the egg mixture and let the extra drip off, then press firmly into the panko mixture, turning to coat both sides completely.
- Use one hand for the dry dishes and the other for the egg, and switch hands as little as possible.
- Set each breaded cutlet on the dinner plate in a single layer.
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Ready when: No bare chicken shows, and the crumbs are pressed on rather than loose.
Tip: Pressing the crumbs on firmly keeps the crust from sliding off during frying.
5
Clean up raw chicken
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water for 20 seconds.
- Wash the cutting board, mallet, knife, and the flour, egg, and crumb dishes with hot soapy water as soon as you can, and wipe the counter with hot soapy water or a sanitizing wipe.
- Do not rinse or reuse the raw-chicken plate for anything cooked.
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Ready when: Hands, board, mallet, knife, and counter are all washed, and nothing that touched raw chicken is near the rack or baking sheet.
Tip: Scrape leftover egg and crumbs into the trash, not the sink, so they don't clog the drain.
6
Rest breading, preheat ovenOven 425°F / 220°C
- Put the plate of breaded cutlets on the lowest shelf of the fridge, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425°F (220°C).
- Set the clean wire rack inside the clean rimmed baking sheet.
- Pour the marinara into a small saucepan and set it on the stove.
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Ready when: Coating looks slightly tacky and matte rather than dusty, and the oven has reached 425°F (220°C).
Tip: Preheating now means the oven is ready right when the chicken is fried, instead of running empty for half an hour.
7
Pan-fry in batches
- Heat half the oil (about 3 tbsp / 40 ml) in the 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes, until it shimmers and a pinch of panko sizzles at once.
- Using tongs, lay 2 cutlets in the pan, away from you.
- Fry 2 to 2½ minutes per side, flipping with the spatula, until deep golden brown.
- Use the clean spatula, not the tongs, to move them to the wire rack in the baking sheet.
- Wipe out any burnt crumbs, add the remaining oil, heat it, and fry the other 2 cutlets the same way.
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Ready when: Crust is deep golden brown and crisp on both sides; the chicken is not fully cooked inside yet and finishes in the oven.
Tip: Don't crowd the pan, and reduce to medium if the crumbs darken faster than 2 minutes per side. Wash the tongs before they touch cooked food.
8
Warm sauce and top
- Warm the marinara in the saucepan over low heat for about 3 minutes, stirring, until steaming hot.
- Spoon about 3 tablespoons (45 ml) onto the center of each cutlet, leaving the edges bare; this uses about ¾ cup (180 ml), so keep the rest warm in the pan.
- Divide the mozzarella over the four cutlets, then sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup (20 g) Parmesan.
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Ready when: Sauce is steaming hot; cheese covers the sauce in an even layer.
Tip: Leaving the edges bare keeps the crust crunchy where it matters most.
9
Bake until meltedOven 425°F / 220°C
- Slide the baking sheet with the rack and topped cutlets into the 425°F (220°C) oven and bake 6 to 8 minutes, until the cheese is melted and lightly spotted with golden brown and the sauce is bubbling at the edges.
- Check the thickest part of each cutlet with an instant-read thermometer.
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Ready when: An instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of every cutlet reads at least 165°F (74°C).
Tip: If the cheese is melted but any cutlet is under 165°F (74°C), bake 2 more minutes and check again.
10
Rest and serve
- Let the cutlets stand on the rack for 3 minutes so the cheese sets slightly.
- Tear basil over the top if using, and serve with the remaining warm marinara (about ¾ cup / 180 ml) on the side or over pasta.
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Ready when: Cheese no longer runs when a cutlet is lifted.

Good to know

Tips

Thin, evenly pounded cutlets are the key: thick ones overcook outside before the center is done.
Don't sauce the whole cutlet; a small amount in the middle keeps the crust crisp.
Check doneness with a thermometer in the thickest part of every cutlet rather than relying on color or time.
If the oil smokes, lower the heat slightly and wipe out burnt crumbs between batches so the second batch tastes clean.

Make ahead

Bread the raw cutlets up to 4 hours ahead. Arrange them in a single layer on a parchment-lined tray, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate on the lowest shelf so raw juices can't drip onto other food. Fry, top, and bake them straight from the fridge, with no partial cooking ahead of time. Warm the marinara just before topping. Don't fry the cutlets in advance and finish them later. Fry and bake in one go, then cook to 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of every cutlet.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 2 months, with parchment between cutlets. Reheat on a rack-lined baking sheet at 375°F (190°C) for 12 to 15 minutes (20 to 25 from frozen), until hot in the center (165°F / 74°C). The oven keeps the crust crisper than the microwave.

Substitutions

plain panko breadcrumbs → plain dry fine breadcrumbs. Use about ¾ cup (85 g); the crust will be finer and less crunchy.
boneless, skinless chicken breasts → boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Pound to ½ inch (1.25 cm); they are juicier, and need the same 165°F (74°C) minimum.
all-purpose flour → gluten-free all-purpose flour with gluten-free panko. Makes the dish gluten-free; the crust is slightly more delicate.
olive oil (not extra-virgin) or other neutral oil → avocado or canola oil. Higher smoke point and a more neutral flavor for frying.