Best Chicken Parmesan
This best chicken parmesan delivers a crispy, cheesy delight with juicy chicken, a rich tomato sauce, and gooey mozzarella. Perfect for a family meal or a weeknight treat!
Ingredients
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
- 1 3/4 cups buttermilk, divided
- 2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 loaf crusty Italian bread, crust removed, sliced into 1/2-inch slices
- 5 ounces grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 quart Italian-American red sauce (see notes)
- 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 10 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, basil, or a mix
Instructions
- Slice chicken breasts in half horizontally, then pound each piece to 1/4-inch thickness.
- In a bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Coat chicken and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Dry out bread slices on a rack for 4 hours, then blend into fine crumbs with 4 ounces Parmesan cheese and black pepper.
- Set up a dredging station with separate plates for flour, beaten eggs with remaining buttermilk, and breadcrumb mixture.
- Coat each chicken piece with flour, then egg mixture, and finally, press into breadcrumbs, ensuring a thick coating.
- Heat oil in a large skillet to 375°F. Fry chicken in batches until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spread 1/3 of the sauce in a casserole dish, layer chicken on top, and add remaining sauce.
- Top with a mix of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 20 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh parsley or basil, and grate additional Parmesan on top. Let rest for 3 minutes before serving.
Notes
For best results, let the chicken brine in the buttermilk for at least 4 hours. If pressed for time, you can cut the brining time down to 1 hour and still get good results. You can use our All-Day Red Sauce or our Quick and Easy Red Sauce for this recipe, or a jar of your favorite tomato sauce (we recommend Rao's). For the mozzarella, I recommend the fresh variety available in cryovack containers, not the water-packed variety (which tends to be too moist).