Chicken Parmesan, or chicken parmigiana, is an Italian-American classic that combines thin chicken cutlets with a crisp coating, thick tomato sauce, and melted cheese. Three details are crucial to success: keeping the chicken pieces evenly thick, maintaining a sufficiently high frying-oil temperature, and reducing the sauce enough that it does not soak the coating. The quantities below are based on ingredients available in large supermarkets in Turkey.

Recipe overview

Four chicken breast cutlets pounded to an even thickness between sheets of parchment paper
  • **Servings:** 4, 1 large piece of chicken per person
  • **Prep time:** 30 minutes
  • **Cooking time:** 35 minutes
  • **Total time:** 65 minutes
  • **Oven temperature:** 220°C conventional or 200°C convection
  • **Frying-oil temperature:** 170–175°C
  • **Safe internal temperature for chicken:** At least 74°C

Ingredients

Chicken cutlets coated in Parmesan breadcrumbs frying in hot oil until golden

For the tomato sauce

  • 30 ml olive oil, 2 tablespoons
  • 12 g garlic, 3 medium cloves, finely chopped
  • 700 g tomato purée or plain passata
  • 20 g tomato paste, 1 heaping tablespoon
  • 4 g granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon
  • 2 g dried oregano, 1 teaspoon
  • 4 g salt, about 2/3 teaspoon
  • 1 g freshly ground black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon
  • 10 g fresh basil leaves, optional

For the chicken and coating

  • 700 g boneless, skinless chicken breast, 2 large pieces
  • 70 g flour
  • 2 large eggs, about 100 g total without shells
  • 15 ml water, 1 tablespoon
  • 120 g panko or coarse breadcrumbs
  • 50 g finely grated Parmesan
  • 3 g salt, 1/2 teaspoon
  • 1 g black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon
  • 1 g garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon, optional
  • 250 ml sunflower oil; although the actual amount in the pan will vary with its diameter, aim for a depth of about 5–7 mm

For the topping

  • 160 g low-moisture mozzarella, grated
  • 20 g finely grated Parmesan
  • 5 g fresh basil leaves

Optional, for serving

  • 280 g dried spaghetti
  • 3 liters water
  • 24 g salt

Equipment needed

You will need a cutting board, a sharp knife, parchment paper, a meat mallet or heavy flat-bottomed skillet, three wide shallow dishes, a 26–28 cm heavy-bottomed skillet, a small saucepan, tongs, a wire rack, a rimmed baking sheet, a fine grater, and an instant-read kitchen thermometer. Do not allow the board, tongs, or dishes used for raw chicken to come into contact with the cooked food.

Step-by-step instructions

  1. **Thicken the sauce.** Heat 30 ml olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds without letting it burn. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato purée, sugar, oregano, 4 g salt, and black pepper. Once the sauce begins to boil, reduce the heat and cook uncovered for 18–22 minutes. Stir every 3–4 minutes. The final volume should be about 500 ml, and a trail drawn through the sauce with a spoon should remain open for 2 seconds. If the sauce is still watery, boil it for another 3–5 minutes. Add the basil after removing the saucepan from the heat.
  1. **Make the chicken evenly thick.** Hold the knife parallel to the board and slice each chicken breast horizontally in half to make four cutlets. Place the pieces between two sheets of parchment paper and pound them to a thickness of 10–12 mm. Do not thin the edges to 5 mm, or they will dry out while frying. Pat the surfaces dry with paper towels and distribute a total of 3 g salt and the pepper over both sides.
  1. **Set up the breading station.** Put the flour in the first dish. In the second, whisk the eggs with 15 ml water until fully combined. In the third, mix the panko, 50 g Parmesan, and garlic powder, if using. Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour first and shake off the excess. Dip it in the egg mixture and let the excess drip off for 5 seconds, then press both sides into the breadcrumb mixture. Let the coated pieces rest on a wire rack for 8–10 minutes. This brief rest helps the coating adhere to the chicken.
  1. **Prepare the oven and baking sheet.** Preheat the oven to 220°C conventional or 200°C convection for at least 15 minutes. Set a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Using a rack reduces the chance that steam will soften the browned underside.
  1. **Fry the chicken carefully.** Bring the sunflower oil to 170–175°C in a heavy-bottomed skillet. If you do not have a thermometer, a single panko crumb dropped into the oil should immediately produce steady bubbles without turning dark within a few seconds. Place two pieces in the pan without letting them touch. Fry the first side for 2–2.5 minutes and the second for 1.5–2 minutes. The coating should be distinctly golden, not dark. Before frying the second batch, wait for the oil to return to at least 170°C. Transfer the pieces to the prepared wire rack.
  1. **Add measured amounts of sauce and cheese.** Spread 45 g, or about 3 tablespoons, of hot tomato sauce only over the center of each piece, leaving a 1.5–2 cm border around the crisp edges. Sprinkle each one with 40 g mozzarella and 5 g Parmesan. Too much sauce will soak the coating; serve the remaining sauce separately at the table.
  1. **Finish in the oven.** Place the baking sheet on the middle rack and bake for 7–10 minutes. The cheese should melt completely, and the sauce should bubble gently around the edges. Insert the thermometer sideways into the thickest part of each piece; the center must reach at least 74°C. If it has not reached that temperature, cook for another 2 minutes and check again. Do not rely solely on color or clear juices.
  1. **Rest and serve.** Let the chicken rest for 3 minutes after removing it from the oven. Add the basil leaves. If serving spaghetti, cook the pasta in 3 liters of boiling water with 24 g salt for the shortest time stated on the package, then drain and toss it with the remaining hot tomato sauce. Placing the chicken beside the pasta instead of on top helps the crust stay crisp longer.

Checking consistency and doneness

The sauce should not run off the spoon like water; it should remain on the chicken in a layer about 3–4 mm thick. The coating should not separate after the chicken enters the pan, and the edges without sauce should remain dry and crisp when they come out of the oven. The mozzarella should be melted and lightly browned in spots, but not cooked so long that it releases all its oil. The definitive measure of doneness is 74°C at the thickest part of the chicken.

Tips

  • Low-moisture mozzarella wets the coating less than fresh mozzarella stored in water. If using fresh mozzarella, slice 160 g and drain it on paper towels for 20 minutes.
  • If panko is unavailable, use plain coarse breadcrumbs. Very fine breadcrumbs form a tighter, heavier crust.
  • Grating the Parmesan very finely helps it disperse evenly among the crumbs and reduces clusters of burnt cheese.
  • After the first batch, remove loose crumbs from the pan with a slotted spoon; otherwise, they will burn during the second batch and create a bitter flavor.
  • Weighing the chicken cutlets and dividing them into four equal pieces helps them cook in the same amount of time.

Common mistakes

Frying in cold oil causes the coating to absorb too much oil and separate from the chicken. Filling the pan with all four pieces quickly lowers the oil temperature, so work in batches of two. Failing to reduce the sauce sufficiently or spreading it over the entire chicken softens the crisp surface. Leaving the cutlets at different thicknesses can cause thin sections to dry out before the thick center reaches 74°C. Do not return fried chicken to a dish that has been in contact with raw chicken.

Storage and reheating

Transfer leftover chicken Parmesan to a shallow, covered container within 2 hours at room temperature and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. Fully cooled portions can be wrapped individually and frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months, although the coating will not be as crisp as it was on the first day after thawing.

For the best reheating results, place a refrigerated portion on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and heat it for 12–15 minutes in an oven preheated to 190°C. You can reheat a frozen portion without thawing it for 25–30 minutes at 180°C. In both cases, bring the center to 74°C. Although a microwave can reheat it safely, the steam will soften the coating; use the oven if crispness is desired.

Serving suggestion

Serve chicken Parmesan with spaghetti lightly coated in tomato sauce, an arugula and lemon salad, or roasted zucchini. To keep the meal from becoming too heavy, do not add a separate creamy cheese sauce to the pasta. One piece of chicken, cooked spaghetti made from about 70 g dry pasta, and 100–120 g salad per plate make a balanced main-course serving.