The Best Chicken Parmesan

Why This is the BEST Chicken Parm:

• Inspired by my mom, Noni’s, famous chicken cutlets (this chicken milanese recipe is the one that started it all!)
• Thinly pounded chicken breasts… thin, thin, thin for the crispiest results!
• Seasoned flour so flavor is layered in from the very first step
• Pan-fried for maximum crunch, then finished under the broiler
• My go-to trick keeps the breaded chicken crispy even after adding the marinara and cheese

• Chicken breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts work best because you can control the thickness (more on why that matters below!). You can also use store-bought chicken cutlets or chicken tenders; adjust the cook time as needed.
• All-purpose flour: Creates a dry surface on the chicken so the egg can actually stick. And once the egg sticks, the breadcrumbs stick. Skip the flour, and the breading is far more likely to slide off in the pan. I always season the flour generously with salt and pepper to layer in flavor from the very first step.
• Eggs: Act as the glue between the flour and breadcrumbs. I sometimes add a small splash of milk to thin them out, which helps create a more even coating on the chicken. It’s optional, but it’s a trick I use often.
• Panko breadcrumbs: Panko gives you a lighter, crunchier crust than traditional breadcrumbs. You can use regular breadcrumbs, but I like Italian-seasoned panko for extra flavor right in the breading. Gluten-free Panko works, too.
• Parmesan cheese: Mixed into the breadcrumbs to add salty, nutty flavor and help the crust brown beautifully.
• Marinara sauce: Use a marinara you love, whether that’s homemade (my homemade marinara sauce recipe takes just 10 minutes!) or store-bought. 
• Mozzarella cheese: I stick with shredded, low-moisture mozzarella here. Fresh mozzarella is delicious, but it releases more liquid and can make the cutlets soggy.
• Oil for frying: I like using avocado oil because it has a high smoke point and can handle the heat needed for a deep golden crust. Vegetable oil works, too. I skip olive oil here as it can burn before the chicken is cooked through.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Success Tip: Start with Perfectly Thin Chicken Cutlets

The key to the best chicken parmesan isn’t the sauce or the cheese—it’s the cutlets. Crispy is the goal, and the way you get there is by pounding the chicken breasts thin. And then thinner. Thin, thin, thin is the name of the game.

Thin cutlets cook quickly and evenly, which means the breading has time to turn golden and crisp without the chicken drying out or absorbing excess oil. Thicker pieces tend to steam instead of fry, which is how you end up with soggy breaded chicken, and nobody wants that.

Place each chicken breast between two pieces of parchment or wax paper and use a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet to pound it to about 1/2-inch thickness. Try to keep the thickness as even as possible so the chicken cooks at the same rate across the pan.

This one step makes all the difference. Get the cutlets right, and everything else—crispy breading, juicy chicken, perfectly melted cheese—falls into place.

Once you’ve got perfectly thin chicken breasts, it’s time to bread and fry them. I like to set up my breading station using baking sheets because they give me more room to work, but large, shallow dishes work just as well.

Add the flour to the first, whisk the eggs with a splash of milk in the second, and combine the Panko breadcrumbs with grated Parmesan cheese in the third. Dredge each chicken cutlet in the flour, then the egg wash, and finally the breadcrumbs, gently pressing so the coating sticks.

Kelly’s Tip: Just like when making my air fryer mozzarella sticks or homemade arancini, you’ll want to follow the golden rule of breading: keep one hand for the dry steps (flour and breadcrumbs) and one hand for the wet (eggs). That way you’ll bread the chicken and not your fingers!

Once your chicken is coated, it’s time to pan-fry. Make sure your oil is hot before adding the breaded chicken. You’ll know it’s hot when it shimmers across the surface of your skillet. If you want to test if the oil is hot enough, drop in a small pinch of breadcrumbs—if they sizzle immediately, you’re good to go. Starting with hot oil helps the breading crisp up right away instead of soaking in oil.

Carefully add the cutlets to the pan, working in batches if needed so you don’t overcrowd the skillet. Let them cook undisturbed until deeply golden on the first side, about 3 minutes. Flip once and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink (if you like extra reassurance, an instant-read thermometer should register 165°F in the thickest part of the meat). Resist the urge to keep flipping—one flip is all you need for the best crust.

Now for my favorite part, and the step that makes this chicken parmesan recipe a little different…

My Secret to Keeping the Cutlets Crispy

Most chicken parmesan recipes have you spoon marinara sauce and cheese directly onto the fried cutlets and pop everything under the broiler. Totally fine, but it can cost you some of that hard-earned crispiness.

If you want to keep the cutlets extra crispy, here’s what I do instead: warm the marinara sauce in an oven-safe skillet, top it with the shredded mozzarella, and broil until the cheese is melted and lightly golden. Then slide that glorious blanket of sauce and cheese right onto the crispy cutlets just before serving.

Crispiness maintained. Cheesiness guaranteed.

FAQs

Serving Ideas

Once you learn how to make this comfort food favorite, you’ll want to make it on repeat. I like to switch up the sides depending on my mood or what I have in the fridge. Here are a few favorites:

• Cacio e Pepe
• Noni’s Basil Pesto Pasta – fresh, herby, and a favorite with my crew
• Leftover Mashed Potato Gnocchi
• No-Yeast Focaccia – a must for soaking up extra sauce
• Kale Caesar Salad
• Caprese Skewers
• Roasted Green Beans
• Or take a cue from my favorite Caesar sandwich and serve it on a toasted hoagie roll.