Chicken Parmesan
- July 1, 2026
- 0 Comments
- Dinner
Chicken Parmesan with a Creamy Tomato Sauce

So, I know chicken parm is an absolute classic that doesn’t need to be messed with. Simple red sauce, mozzarella, done. And I truly love that version; genuinely no notes on it. But I started making it with a tomato cream sauce recently, and I truly just love it and wanted to share it with you all. By no means is this traditional, just a slight twist on a delicious classic
Few tips
- Pound your chicken to an even 1/2-inch thickness before you do anything else. This is what gives you a fast, even cook and a wide, flat surface for all that sauce and cheese to sit on. An uneven cutlet means some parts dry out before others are cooked through.
- Make sure to cook down your tomato paste for the full 4–6 minutes. Until it darkens and caramelizes at the edges of the pan is the whole reason the sauce tastes as deep and rich as it does. It’s where the sweetness and complexity come from.
- Let your breaded cutlets rest on the wire rack for 10 minutes before they go into the oil. This is what sets the crust so it doesn’t slide off in the pan.
- Use an instant-read thermometer and pull the chicken at 160°F, not 165°F. It will carry over as it rests on the rack, and pulling it at 165°F is the most common way to dry this dish out entirely.
- The layering order for the broil matters: Parmesan directly on the hot cutlet first so it melts into the crust, then the sauce (this helps keep the crust from getting soggy from the sauce), then the mozzarella on top for the classic finish.
- Make sure to watch your chicken when they are under the broiler. Two to three minutes sounds fast but that cheese can go from perfect to burnt so, so quickly. Keep on eye on the oven! It can be so easy to get distracted
Process







Chicken Parmesan
Chicken Parmesan with Creamy Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts If your chicken breasts are on the thicker side, just slice 2 chicken breasts in half to create 4
- 95 grams All-purpose flour 3/4 cup
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp milk
- 90 grams Panko breadcrumbs 1 1/2 cups
- 50 grams Parmesan 1/2 cup
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 1 tsp Onion powder
- 1/2 tsp White pepper
- 1 tsp Fine sea salt
- Neutral oil for frying
Sauce
- 3 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 Shallot, finely minced
- 6 cloves Garlic, grated
- 1 tsp Red pepper flakes or less, depending on heat preference
- 6 oz Tomato paste 1 small can
- 1/3 cup Vegetable broth or chicken broth
- 1 tsp Fine sea salt
- 1 tsp White pepper
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 3/4 cup Heavy cream
- 2 tbsp Butter, unsalted
Assembly
- Parmesan, freshly grated (for layering)
- Fresh mozzarella (for Layering)
- Fresh basil leaves, torn
Instructions
- Pound each chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap to an even 1/2-inch thickness. This step is what gives you that fast, even cook and the wide, flat surface for all your toppings. Set up your dredging station: one shallow dish with flour, one with the eggs whisked together with the milk, and one with the panko mixed with the Parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, and salt. Set a wire rack next to the station. Your cutlets will rest here before frying so the crust sets
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and sweat for about 4 minutes, until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes, turn the heat down to low-medium, and cook for 30 seconds just until fragrant. You don't want the garlic to take on any color
- Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring often, for 4–6 minutes until it darkens and caramelizes slightly at the edges of the pan.
- Deglaze with the broth, stir in the salt, white pepper, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder, and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 1 minute
- On low heat, stir in the heavy cream until fully incorporated and smooth, then off the heat add the butter and stir until it's melted and glossy. Taste and adjust salt. Set aside while you fry the chicken
- Dredge each cutlet in the flour first, shaking off the excess, then through the egg wash, then press it firmly into the panko mixture on both sides. Transfer to the wire rack and let them rest for 10 minutes.
- Pour the oil into your skillet (you can either do a shallow or deep fry) and pu the oil on medium-high until it reaches 350–365°F. Working in batches so you don't crowd the pan, fry the cutlets for 3–4 minutes until they're a deep golden brown and the internal temperature reads 160°F. Transfer back to the wire rack and let them rest. They should reach 165°F internally while resting
- Let the cutlets rest while you prep the Parmesan, sauce, and mozzarella for layering
- Heat your broiler. Arrange the fried cutlets on a rimmed baking sheet. Top each one with a layer of freshly grated Parmesan directly on the cutlet, then a generous spoonful of the warm sauce over that, then slices of mozzarella on top
- Broil for 2–3 minutes, watching closely, until the cheese is melted and just beginning to char in spots. This goes fast, so don't walk away
- Top with torn basil and serve immediately with the remaining sauce on the side for spooning (or look over the serving option)
- And you're done!
Serving option:
- You can use plain spaghetti as the base instead of (or alongside) other sides. Before draining your pasta, save about a cup of the pasta water. Once you've spooned the appropriate amount of sauce over the cutlets (on top of the fresh parm layer), thin out the remaining sauce in the pan with a splash of that reserved pasta water, then use it to sauce the plain spaghetti before serving
0 Comments
Join The Conversation