Chicken Parmesan: Crispy Breading, Red Sauce, and Melted Mozzarella
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Overview
This video guides you through making chicken parmesan with a focus on preserving the crispness of the cutlet under marinara and melted mozzarella. Learn techniques for proper breading, shallow frying, and finishing to achieve a perfect balance of textures and flavors. The goal is to ensure the cutlet remains the star, offering a delightful contrast in every bite.
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Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 beaten eggs
- 1 1/2 cups Italian breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- Olive oil
- 2 cups marinara
- 8 ounces mozzarella
- Basil
Instructions
- Split and pound 2 large chicken breasts into 4 even cutlets, then season with salt and pepper. Set up dredging stations with 1/2 cup flour, 2 beaten eggs, and a breadcrumb mixture of 1 1/2 cups Italian breadcrumbs plus 1/2 cup grated Parmesan.
- Bread each cutlet carefully, flour, egg, then crumbs, pressing the coating on so it grips.
- Shallow fry the cutlets in olive oil until deeply golden and cooked through, then transfer them to a rack or tray.
- Top each cutlet with a light layer of marinara, about 2 cups total for all 4 pieces, and add 8 ounces mozzarella.
- Finish the cutlets in a 425 degree oven or under the broiler just until the mozzarella melts and begins to bubble.
- Garnish with basil right before serving.
- Plate immediately while the cheese still stretches and the cutlet still holds.
- Serve hot with extra basil if you like, and let the cutlets be the star. The ideal bite should give you crisp, sauce, cheese, and chicken in that order.
- Cut in and listen for the crust underneath. That sound matters. The finest chicken parm is not soft from end to end.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you keep chicken parmesan crispy?
- The challenge of chicken parmesan is preserving contrast, ensuring the cutlet stays crisp enough to matter even after it gets crowned with marinara and mozzarella. Good breading acts as armor, and a brief finish in the oven melts the crown without destroying the crispness underneath.
- What ingredients are needed for chicken parmesan?
- You will need 2 large chicken breasts, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup flour, 2 beaten eggs, 1 1/2 cups Italian breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, olive oil, about 2 cups marinara, 8 ounces mozzarella, and basil for garnish.
- How do you properly bread chicken cutlets for chicken parmesan?
- First, season 4 cutlets with salt and pepper. Set up dredging stations with flour, beaten eggs, and a breadcrumb mixture of Italian breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan. Bread each cutlet carefully: flour, egg, then crumbs, pressing the coating on so it grips firmly.
- How much sauce and cheese should I use on chicken parmesan?
- Top each cutlet with a light layer of marinara, about 2 cups total for all 4 pieces, and add 8 ounces mozzarella. Use enough to flavor and melt, but not so much that the crisp crust gets submerged.
- What temperature should chicken parmesan be finished at in the oven?
- Finish the cutlets in a 425 degree oven or under the broiler just until the mozzarella melts and begins to bubble. This is a brief finish, designed to melt the crown without a long cook that could soften the cutlet.
Transcript
Cuisine Host: Red Sauce Supper Club: Welcome. Before we begin, the whole challenge of chicken parmesan is preserving contrast: the cutlet must stay crisp enough to matter even after it gets crowned with marinara and mozzarella. This dish wins when the sauce and cheese support the cutlet instead of burying it.
Recipe Agent: Chicken Parm Build Guide: Step 1: split and pound 2 large chicken breasts into 4 even cutlets, then season with salt and pepper. Set up dredging stations with 1/2 cup flour, 2 beaten eggs, and a breadcrumb mixture of 1 1/2 cups Italian breadcrumbs plus 1/2 cup grated Parmesan.
Chef: Cutlet Crown Maestro: Step 2: bread each cutlet carefully, flour, egg, then crumbs, pressing the coating on so it grips. Good breading is not decoration. It is armor. If it separates in the pan, the whole structure starts losing respect.
Cuisine Host: Red Sauce Supper Club: Step 3: shallow fry the cutlets in olive oil until deeply golden and cooked through, then transfer them to a rack or tray. The crust should already look dinner-ready before any sauce touches it.
Recipe Agent: Chicken Parm Build Guide: Step 4: top each cutlet with a light layer of marinara, about 2 cups total for all 4 pieces, and add 8 ounces mozzarella. Use enough to flavor and melt, but not so much that the crust gets submerged.
Chef: Cutlet Crown Maestro: Step 5: finish the cutlets in a 425 degree oven or under the broiler just until the mozzarella melts and begins to bubble. This is a brief finish, not a second long cook. You are melting the crown, not destroying the throne underneath it.
Recipe Agent: Chicken Parm Build Guide: Step 6: garnish with basil right before serving. The final cutlet should still show crisp edges and not look drowned under a blanket of sauce.
Chef: Cutlet Crown Maestro: Step 7: plate immediately while the cheese still stretches and the cutlet still holds. Chicken parm should feel generous, yes, but always with enough structure to keep the crispness alive under the sauce.
Cuisine Host: Red Sauce Supper Club: Step 8: serve hot with extra basil if you like, and let the cutlets be the star. The ideal bite should give you crisp, sauce, cheese, and chicken in that order.
Chef: Cutlet Crown Maestro: Final step: cut in and listen for the crust underneath. That sound matters. The finest chicken parm is not soft from end to end. It keeps a little defiance under the red sauce and cheese.
Note: Informational only. Figures are a guide — verify before relying on them.