Crispy Breaded Chicken Parmesan (Printable)

Golden breaded chicken cutlets topped with tomato sauce and melted cheese, served over pasta.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Breading

03 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
04 - 2 large eggs
05 - 2 tablespoons milk
06 - 1.5 cups Italian-style breadcrumbs
07 - 0.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ Tomato Sauce

08 - 2 cups marinara sauce
09 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
11 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
12 - 1 teaspoon dried basil

→ Cheese

13 - 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
14 - 0.25 cup grated Parmesan cheese for topping

→ Pasta

15 - 12 ounces spaghetti or linguine

→ Garnish (optional)

16 - Fresh basil leaves
17 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese

# How To Make:

01 - Heat oven to 400°F and prepare a baking dish by lining with parchment paper or lightly oiling.
02 - Place chicken breasts between plastic sheets and pound to 0.5-inch thickness. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
03 - Arrange three bowls: one with flour, one with beaten eggs and milk, and one with breadcrumbs mixed with 0.5 cup Parmesan.
04 - Dredge each breast in flour, dip into egg wash, then coat thoroughly with breadcrumb mixture, pressing gently to adhere.
05 - Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry chicken 2–3 minutes per side until golden. Transfer to paper towels.
06 - Sauté garlic in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat for 1 minute. Add marinara, oregano, and basil; simmer for 5 minutes.
07 - Spread 0.5 cup sauce on baking dish bottom. Arrange chicken in single layer, top with remaining sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
08 - Bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese melts and chicken reaches internal temperature of 165°F.
09 - Boil pasta in salted water according to package instructions. Drain and keep warm.
10 - Place chicken over pasta; garnish with fresh basil and extra Parmesan as desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • That crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside chicken is genuinely addictive and becomes your secret weapon for impressing people at dinner.
  • It comes together faster than takeout, and there's something deeply satisfying about making something this restaurant-quality in your own kitchen.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully, tasting just as good the next day when you're standing in front of the fridge at lunch time.
02 -
  • Pound the chicken to even thickness or you'll end up with one piece that's dry while another is barely cooked through—I learned this the hard way at a dinner party and never made that mistake again.
  • Don't skip the oil under the sauce in the baking dish; it prevents the breading from getting soggy and keeps everything from sticking to the bottom.
  • Fresh Parmesan makes an enormous difference in flavor compared to the pre-grated kind, and it's worth the three minutes it takes to grate it yourself.
03 -
  • Pound your chicken breasts between plastic wrap instead of directly on the cutting board, and you'll have far less cleanup and a much more even thickness.
  • Fry the chicken completely before assembling the dish—it firms up slightly as it sits, making it less likely to fall apart when you top it with sauce and cheese.
  • If your oven runs hot, cover the baking dish loosely with foil for the first 10 minutes so the cheese doesn't brown before the chicken heats through.
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