Chicken Parmigiana (or Chicken Parmesan) – the great pub favourite has finally landed! Pollo alla parmigiana in Italian, but affectionately referred by Aussies as Parma, Parmi or “a schnitty with tomato sauce and cheese”, you’ll love this homemade recipe with extra crispy schnitzel, best ever parmigiana sauce and juicy marinated chicken.
Aussies love good pub grub. But all too often, the standard pub Parmi comes with soggy crumbing, dry chicken, a sub-par tomato sauce and greasy melted cheese.
The first step is to make sure the chicken stays juicy after the double cook (fry + bake) because this essentially overcooks the chicken. Schnitzel-thin chicken take just 4 minutes to cook – we want to fry for 4 minutes THEN bake for 15 minutes to make that cheese molten!
So we’re using a simple dry brine that acts as a marinade to keep the chicken juicy. Dry brine is better than the typical liquid marinades because they will cause the chicken to leech liquid as it cooks, making the crumb soggy.
While the chicken is brining, make the sauce. I like to make the sauce extra flavourful with a splash of white wine (evaporated to remove alcohol and just leave flavour – no trace of winey taste at all) and chicken stock/broth.
Referred to as breading in the US – and given it’s called bread crumbs, I feel like both “crumbing” AND “breading” make sense!
Here’s what you need for the crumbing. It’s a classic schnitzel…but with extra flavour from the parmesan, herbs and garlic!
And there you have it. The best Chicken Parmigiana of your life, made in your very own kitchen!!
That moment when you cut through the molten melted cheese, then you see some tomato sauce squirting out the side, then your knife hits the chicken which you can instantly tell just by feel is so juicy, and that first bite……
INGREDIENTS2 large onions, finely diced.5 cloves garlic, minced.2 Tbsp oil.6 Tbsp tomato paste.1/4 cup white wine.2 tsp dried basil.2 tsp dried oregano.2 tsp sugar.
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2 large onions, finely diced.
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5 cloves garlic, minced.
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2 Tbsp oil.
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6 Tbsp tomato paste.
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1/4 cup white wine.
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2 tsp dried basil.
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2 tsp dried oregano.
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2 tsp sugar.
How to crumb Chicken Parmigiana
Here’s how the crumbing goes down – flour then egg then breadcrumbs. Pile them up, ready to fry! (Or BAKE!)
How to make Chicken Parmigiana Sauce
Nothing ground breaking in the method, but it’s worth noting that the sauce is a thick saucy consistency, not a stodgy dry dolloping consistency (which kind of defeats the purpose of having delicious tomato sauce smothered on our Parmi!).
This is what the sauce should look like:
Referred to as breading in the US – and given it’s called bread crumbs, I feel like both “crumbing” AND “breading” make sense!
Here’s what you need for the crumbing. It’s a classic schnitzel…but with extra flavour from the parmesan, herbs and garlic!
- Flour – for dusting. This first followed by egg = strong glue for the breadcrumbs;
- Garlic and Italian dried herbs – to mix into the egg for extra subtle flavour. Layers upon layers of flavour, all throughout this parmi!
- Panko breadcrumbs – Panko breadcrumbs are larger than normal breadcrumbs so your schnitzel will be crispier. Find it next to ordinary breadcrumbs or in the Asian aisle (pro tip: cheaper at Asian markets!);
- Parmesan – I like using the sand-like store bought parmesan because the grains are bigger than grating your own which = more bold flavour. Parmesan in crumbing is a traditional Italian method for schnitzels. It adds sensational extra flavour into the schnitzel as well as making it more golden AND crispier. When parmesan is cooked, it is very crispy!
EASY CLASSIC CHICKEN PARMESAN Recipe
FAQ
What is parmigiana made of?
Is chicken parmesan the same as parmigiana?
Why is parmesan called parmigiana?
What does chicken parmigiana taste like?
How to make homemade chicken parmigiana?
The first part to making a homemade chicken parmigiana is to make a chicken schnitzel. To do this, you first need to tenderise and flatten the chicken. Take a chicken breast, slice it in half length ways (so you have two long flat pieces of chicken). Place the chicken between plastic wrap and give it a good old bash with a mallet or rolling pin!
What is chicken parmigiana?
Well, you are about to find out all about this iconic dish! As you already found out, Chicken Parmigiana is not truly an Italian dish but there is something that closely resembles it in classic southern Italian cuisine and that is melanzane alla parmigiana or eggplant parmesan.
Where did chicken parmigiana come from?
While Italian flavors are very much present here, the chicken parmigiana recipe actually originated in the U.S. during the early 20th century. To make it, crispy chicken cutlets are covered in tomato sauce, parmesan, and mozzarella, then baked until the cheese melts.
Can I use marinara sauce for chicken parmigiana?
Personally, I find this makes the chicken too soggy and I prefer a nice crispy chicken parmy. But feel free to give this way a go too! For the parmigiana sauce you can just use a jar of marinara sauce. You just need a tablespoonful for each piece of chicken.