Easy, Delicious Chicken Parmesan Recipe

Crispy, cheesy, and comforting, chicken Parmesan is a classic restaurant dish. But it's sneakily easy to make at home. There are nearly as many ways to eat chicken parmesan as there are people who enjoy eating it. You can put it on pasta, in a sandwich, on pizza, or eat it as a main dish with a salad. No matter how you make it, this recipe is the simplest and most straightforward way to prepare a chicken Parmesan dish.

What is the difference between Chicken Parmesan and Chicken Parmigiana?

It's the same thing! "Parmigiana" is just a more Italian-ified way of saying Parmesan. If you want, you can make the Italian chef-kiss gesture after you say "Parmigiana." 😉

What is the history of Chicken Parmesan?

It may seem like an Italian dish (especially if you make that chef-kiss gesture). The truth is, however, Chicken Parmesan is as American as apple pie. (More, actually, since apple pie is British.)

Italian Americans living in the Northeast United States invented Chicken Parmesan in the 1940s or 1950s. They were likely riffing off Eggplant Parmesan. This was a time and place when breaded chicken cutlets were much more popular than eggplant. The dish took off and quickly became a staple in restaurants across the country.

Does Chicken Parmesan come with pasta?

You can definitely do it, but it's not necessarily traditional. In Italy, Eggplant Parmesan is a main dish, not served with pasta.

But Chicken Parmesan is already a transformation, and we live in a country where you can make your own rules. Italian restaurants across the U.S. serve Chicken Parmesan with pasta, and you're welcome to do it!

Personally, we love it best served as a main with a side salad and a glass of red wine.

How do you get breading to stick to Chicken Parmesan?

As with any breaded and fried dish, the trick to keeping the breading on is to use a good binder. Eggs are traditionally the most popular option. If you want the eggs to work best, beat them very, very well. Once they're a little foamy and no dollops of egg white remain, they're ready.

If the breading doesn't stick in some places, you can press it in a bit to make it stick better.

Why is it called Chicken Parmesan if it's made with mozzarella cheese?

In Italian, "Parmigiana" actually means "from the city of Parm."

Both Parmesan cheese and Eggplant Parmesan (and, by association, Chicken Parmesan) are called this because the foods originated (or are alleged to have originated) in Parm.

However, both Eggplant Parm and Chicken Parm traditionally use a blend of both mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. So it wouldn't be accurate to claim they only use mozzarella.