Easy Chicken Parmigiana

I'm not fancy. I like good old comfort food and lots of it. Besides, sometimes simple meals are the best. Everyone always goes crazy over this easy chicken parmigiana, and I've given out the recipe many times. My children's friends have gone home asking their mothers to make it, and I even once had an Italian grandmother ask for the recipe!



It's incredibly good, but just as importantly, it's a quick and easy dinner! Truthfully, I don't even measure for this dish it's so forgiving and it always comes out tasting great but I've broken it down for you here. Your family is going to love you for this.

Serve with pasta and a salad and your done!

I used to make my own tomato sauce, but then I discovered Rao's Marinara Sauce. When it cooks down, it thickens and turns a dark red. I always try to have a case on hand. You can use a pan lid to press down the chicken as it's frying to get a more even, crispy brown coating.

Easy Chicken Parmigiana

Serves six

3 large chicken breasts, sliced in half to make 6 thin cutlets

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for sprinkling on top

1 32 ounce jar marinara sauce

6 slices fresh mozzarella

salt and pepper

Extra virgin olive oil for frying

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix together the breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup Parmesan and salt and pepper. 

In a casserole dish, approximately 12" by 8" wide, cover bottom of dish with about 1/2 " of marinara sauce. set aside.

Add about 1/8th of an inch of olive oil to the bottom of a large pan and heat over medium-high heat. Coat chicken in egg batter, then dip in the breadcrumb mixture covering breast thouroughly on both sides. Fry in the pan, adding more salt and pepper until medium brown and crispy on both sides.  Remove chicken and place in the casserole dish on top of sauce.

Add about a tablespoon more of of marinara sauce on top of each chicken breast, making sure that most of the chicken breast is showing through. Add a slice of mozzarella on each breast and then top the whole thing with a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Bake until sauce is dark, thick and bubbling and cheese is starting to brown on top (start checking after 20 minutes).

Warm marinara sauce for pasta on the side.