When I think of one of my favorite Italian dishes, Chicken Parmesan is at the top of my list. I love the tender chicken, the crispy crust and a cheesy topping paired with a sweet and spicey Marinara sauce, this recipe will most definitely give you just that combination. Homemade Marinara sauce is easier to make than I thought it would be, and believe me this marinara sauce recipe is sweet, spicy, and just out right delicious.
If you notice in my video, I did not spread a layer of marinara sauce in the pan to lay the chicken on, I use to do that, but it made the crust of the chicken soggy on the bottom. So, I only put the sauce on the top while baking, and the chicken stayed nice and crispy, but also tender and juicy inside. But be careful not to overcook this recipe, that is why I recommend only 20-25 minutes for baking, just enough for the cheese to melt and get slightly brown on top.
You can use any type of breadcrumbs, but I recommend the Panko breadcrumbs because your crust on the chicken will be crispier and not too bready if that makes sense? In my recipe I used 6 chicken breast halves for the size of my family, but you can use 4 if 6 is too many. When I made this recipe for my family, they devoured it, I should have made more, my husband even made himself a Chicken Parmesan sandwich. I mean, who knew? I did not know that my family would love this recipe as much as they did. This recipe will go in my archive of favorite recipes to make. View the video and recipe below, and please leave a comment to let me know how yours turn out. Enjoy!
CHICKEN PARMESAN
WITH HOMEMADE MARINARA SAUCE
INGREDIENTS
4-6 Chicken Breast Halves
Fresh Parmesan Cheese
Fresh Sliced Mozzarella Cheese
Grated Parmesan
Vegetable Oil for Frying
MARINARA SAUCE
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
1 Small Onion Chopped
2 Tablespoons of minced Garlic
1 29 oz Tomato Puree
1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Tablespoon Salt
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Teaspoon Basil
2 Teaspoons Italian Seasoning
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Red Pepper
1/4 Cup of Parmesan Cheese
COATING
2-3 Eggs Beaten.
1-2 Cups Flour
2 Cups of Panko Breadcrumbs
1/2 Cup of Grated Parmesan
DIRECTIONS
For Marinara sauce - In medium saucepan add Olive oil, chopped onions, and minced garlic, cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add tomato puree, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and sugar, stir well. Then add basil, Italian seasoning, ground red pepper and parmesan cheese, stir for 1 minute to combine. Cover and simmer sauce for 15 minutes.
For chicken breast - Add salt and pepper to taste on both sides. For the coating, in three separate containers, Container 1 add 1-1/2 cups of flour, container 2, add 2-3 eggs beaten, in container 3, add 2 cups of panko breadcrumbs and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, blending breadcrumbs and cheese together. Dip chicken first in flour, then eggs, then breadcrumbs, making sure chicken is completely coated.
In skillet, heat oil over medium heat, brown chicken on both sides, 3 minutes per side.Lightly grease baking sheet and add chicken. Spoon marinara sauce over chicken, then top with fresh parmesan cheese, and Mozzarella cheese. Bake uncover at 420F for 20-25 minutes until cheese is nice and bubbly. Serve with desired side, in my video I used Thin Spaghetti, I did not put a layer of sauce on the bottom of pan, because it makes the chicken breading soft and mushy, but you can put a layer on the bottom if you prefer. Enjoy!