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My father ordered chicken parmesan at every Italian restaurant we ever walked into, and every single time the plate came to the table he said the same thing: they drowned it, and my mother’s was better. In our house the sauce went under the chicken, never over the crust. My mother pounded the chicken thin, dipped it in flour, egg and a mix of breadcrumbs and grated parmesan, and fried it in a skillet until it was golden and crackling. Then she spooned the tomato sauce onto the plate first, set the hot cutlet on top, and laid the mozzarella right over the crust.
That is the whole secret. A crisp fried crust and a ladle of hot sauce cannot live together for long; the crumbs soak it up and turn into a soft coat. Keep the sauce underneath and the cheese on top, give it a few minutes under the broiler, and the crust is still crunching when it reaches the table. Here is how to keep the crust crisp under the cheese, along with my mother’s simple tomato sauce.
Why this chicken parmesan works
- Thin, even cutlets. Pounding the chicken to an even half inch means it cooks through by the time the crust is golden.
- Parmesan in the crumbs. Cheese in the coating browns deeply and adds flavor right in the crust.
- A rested coating. A few minutes on a rack lets the crumbs set so they stay on in the pan.
- Sauce underneath. The crust never sits in liquid, so it stays crisp.
- A quick broil. The mozzarella melts and browns in a few minutes, too fast for the crust to soften.
Ingredients
Serves 4 from 2 large chicken breasts cut into 4 cutlets. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets.
For the tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 can (28 ounces, 794g) crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- Salt and pepper
- A few fresh basil leaves
For the chicken
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 680g)
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (65g)
- 2 large eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
- 1 1/2 cups plain dry breadcrumbs (150g)
- 3/4 cup finely grated parmesan (60g)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon fine salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- About 1/2 cup vegetable or light olive oil for frying (120ml)
To finish
- 8 ounces low-moisture mozzarella (225g), sliced or shredded
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan (20g)
- 12 ounces spaghetti (340g), to serve
Use low-moisture mozzarella, the firm kind sold in a block. Fresh mozzarella in water lets off liquid and softens the crust.
How to make chicken parmesan
- Make the sauce. Warm the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic and cook until fragrant but not brown. Add the tomatoes, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper and simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring now and then. Tear in the basil at the end.
- Cut each chicken breast in half horizontally to make 4 thin cutlets. Place them between sheets of plastic wrap and pound them to an even 1/2 inch thickness. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Set out three shallow dishes: flour in the first, the beaten eggs in the second, and the breadcrumbs mixed with the parmesan, garlic powder, salt and pepper in the third.
- Dredge each cutlet in flour and shake off the excess, dip it in egg and let it drip, then press it firmly into the crumbs on both sides. Set the cutlets on a rack for 10 minutes.
- Heat the broiler with a rack about 6 inches from the heat. Put a pot of salted water on to boil for the spaghetti.
- Heat the frying oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until a crumb sizzles at once. Fry the cutlets two at a time for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deep golden and cooked through (165 degrees inside). Drain on a rack, not on paper, so the bottoms stay crisp.
- Spread a thin layer of sauce in a baking dish or on a sheet pan just big enough for the cutlets. Set the cutlets on top of the sauce, side by side. Cover the tops with mozzarella and sprinkle with parmesan. Keep the tops free of sauce.
- Broil for 2 to 4 minutes, watching closely, until the cheese is melted, bubbling and browned in spots.
- Cook the spaghetti while the cheese melts, drain it and toss with a few spoons of sauce. Serve each cutlet on a spoonful of sauce with the spaghetti beside it.
Tips that make the difference
- Press the crumbs on firmly with your palm. A loose coating falls off in the oil.
- Do not crowd the skillet. Too many cutlets drop the oil temperature and the crust goes greasy.
- Drain fried food on a rack. Paper towels trap steam under the crust and soften the bottom.
- Serve extra sauce in a bowl at the table for anybody who wants more.
Variations
- Baked. Spray the breaded cutlets with oil and bake on a rack at 425 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes, turning once, before adding the cheese.
- Chicken parmesan sandwich. Tuck a cutlet and a spoon of sauce into a toasted roll with the melted cheese.
- Eggplant parmesan. Use thick slices of salted, drained eggplant in place of chicken.
- Spicy sauce. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes with the garlic.
Storage and make-ahead
Keep leftover cutlets and sauce in separate containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat cutlets on a rack in a 375 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes so the crust crisps again, then warm the sauce on the stove.
The sauce freezes well for up to 3 months.
Frequently asked questions
How do I keep chicken parmesan from getting soggy?
Put the sauce under the cutlet instead of over it, drain the fried chicken on a rack, use low-moisture mozzarella and broil only until the cheese melts.
Why does the breading fall off?
The chicken was wet, the flour layer was skipped, or the coating was not rested. Pat dry, dredge in flour first and let the breaded cutlets sit before frying.
Can I use store-bought sauce?
Yes, a plain marinara works. The homemade sauce takes 20 minutes and is simpler than most jars.
Can I prepare it ahead?
Bread the cutlets up to 4 hours ahead and keep them uncovered on a rack in the refrigerator, then fry them just before supper.
Put the sauce underneath, listen to the crust crunch when you cut it, and you will understand my father.
Chicken Parmesan with a Crust That Stays Crisp (Sauce Under, Cheese Over)
Old-fashioned chicken parmesan: thin chicken cutlets in a parmesan breadcrumb crust, fried golden, set on a simple garlic tomato sauce and topped with melted mozzarella under the broiler so the crust stays crisp.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 can (28 ounces, 794g) crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- Salt and pepper
- A few fresh basil leaves
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
- 1 1/2 cups plain dry breadcrumbs
- 3/4 cup finely grated parmesan
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon fine salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- About 1/2 cup vegetable or light olive oil for frying
- 8 ounces low-moisture mozzarella (225g), sliced or shredded
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan
- 12 ounces spaghetti (340g), to serve
Instructions
- Make the sauce. Warm the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic and cook until fragrant but not brown. Add the tomatoes, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper and simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring now and then. Tear in the basil at the end.
- Cut each chicken breast in half horizontally to make 4 thin cutlets. Place them between sheets of plastic wrap and pound them to an even 1/2 inch thickness. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Set out three shallow dishes: flour in the first, the beaten eggs in the second, and the breadcrumbs mixed with the parmesan, garlic powder, salt and pepper in the third.
- Dredge each cutlet in flour and shake off the excess, dip it in egg and let it drip, then press it firmly into the crumbs on both sides. Set the cutlets on a rack for 10 minutes.
- Heat the broiler with a rack about 6 inches from the heat. Put a pot of salted water on to boil for the spaghetti.
- Heat the frying oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until a crumb sizzles at once. Fry the cutlets two at a time for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deep golden and cooked through (165 degrees inside). Drain on a rack, not on paper, so the bottoms stay crisp.
- Spread a thin layer of sauce in a baking dish or on a sheet pan just big enough for the cutlets. Set the cutlets on top of the sauce, side by side. Cover the tops with mozzarella and sprinkle with parmesan. Keep the tops free of sauce.
- Broil for 2 to 4 minutes, watching closely, until the cheese is melted, bubbling and browned in spots.
- Cook the spaghetti while the cheese melts, drain it and toss with a few spoons of sauce. Serve each cutlet on a spoonful of sauce with the spaghetti beside it.
