Skillet Chicken Parmesan

One of the first classic Italian dishes I mastered was a traditional chicken parmesan. It’s a special dish, but it requires serious work. A classic chicken parmesan recipe will likely take a few hours to roast, bake and clean up. However, as a reward, there will be a huge amount of food.

This Skillet Chicken Parmesan has the same flavors as the traditional version but is ready in a much shorter time. Plus, everything is prepared in an ovenproof pan! Can you tell easy cleaning?!

Easy Chicken Parmalade in a skillet

The only thing you need to make this recipe come true is a good ovenproof skillet to cook it all. I use a cast iron skillet with high sides.

First I bread the chicken and then lightly sear it on the stovetop in a little olive oil. You can use any oil you have, but I like the flavor that olive oil gives. Just a note: you may need to fry in batches; If the pan is overcrowded, the chicken may not turn out as crispy as you like.

Once the chicken is fried, remove it from the pan and pour out the oil (you can save it for a few more frying sessions if you like). Then sauté the onions, garlic and sauce in the same pan. Not only does this save on cleanup because you don’t have to clean it before reusing it, but you get loads of flavor by scraping off the bits stuck to the pan from the chicken.

Once the sauce comes together, return the chicken pieces to the pan and quickly bake in the oven to finish cooking the chicken and melt the cheese on top. Done deal!

Low carb chicken parm option

Discard the breading, add a small amount of olive oil to the pan and simply sear the chicken cutlets in the pan until almost cooked through (four to five minutes per side). Then finish the recipe as listed, and you’ll end up with a low-carb, no-breading version of Chicken Parmesan!

How to serve chicken parmesan

I usually serve this chicken parmesan over spaghetti but feel free to experiment with it as the flavors are great for so many things. You can serve it over rice and taste great, or with a large piece of crusty bread and a salad.

How to store and warm up

Chicken Parmesan will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days, or you can freeze it once it has cooled.

I find it’s best reheated in the oven with some of the sauce. If the sauce from the fridge is too thick, thin it out with a little water before reheating the dish. Reheat the chicken in a 325°F oven for about 20 minutes to thoroughly heat and remelt the cheese.

Looking for easier chicken recipes?

Italian fried chicken with spinach, tomatoes and onions
Skillet Lemon Rosemary Chicken
Skillet Chicken Puttanesca
Cheesy Bruschetta Chicken Chops
Herbes de Provence roast chicken with potatoes and vegetables

preparation time
10 mins

cooking time
30 minutes

total time
40 minutes

portions
4 servings

1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 Cup all purpose flour
1 big egg
1 Cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/2 Cup grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 to 2 lb chicken cutlet
1 Cup olive oil
1/2 Cup rolled Onion
2 cloves Garlic, cut
2 cups Marinara tomato saucehomemade or store bought
6 ounces mozzarella cheesecut
Fresh basil, garnish
Red pepper flakes, garnish
Cooked spaghetti or rice to serve

Preheat oven to 400°F:

And heat olive oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.
Bread chicken:

Prepare your breading stations by mixing together the salt and pepper with the flour in one bowl, whisking the egg in a second bowl, and measuring out the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese in a third bowl. Coat chicken cutlets with seasoned flour. Dust off excess flour.

Add the chicken chops to the egg mixture and coat in breadcrumbs. Then add to the breadcrumbs and bread. Place the breaded chicken on a plate.
Roast the chicken:

You’ll know the oil is ready when a few breadcrumbs sizzle immediately when added to the oil (325°F). Add breaded chicken cutlets and fry 4 minutes per side. The chicken should be 90 percent cooked through at this point; it should not be 100 percent cooked through. (Just a note: you may need to cook in batches; if the pan is overcrowded, the chicken may not come out as crispy as you like.)

Remove the chicken from the pan and gently pour the olive oil into a bowl to cool, leaving about a tablespoon in the pan. Do not rinse the frying pan.
Make the sauce:

Add onion and garlic to skillet and sauté over medium-high heat until onion is translucent, 2 minutes. Add the marinara sauce and bring to a simmer.
Finish the Chicken Parmalade:

Return the chicken to the pan in the sauce. Top each piece of chicken with a slice of mozzarella.

Place pan in oven and bake until sauce is bubbly, cheese is melted and chicken reaches 165°F at the thickest points, 10 to 12 minutes.
Surcharge:

Serve chicken parmesan immediately over pasta, rice, or even with bread and a salad. Garnish with red pepper flakes and fresh basil.

LEFTOVERS! Leftover chicken parmesan can be stored in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days after chilling. For best results, reheat chicken parm in a 325°F oven with some sauce until cheese is melted again.