Let’s get one thing straight: We love chicken Parmesan, but we’ve had our fair share of mediocre versions. So we took it upon ourselves to do a deep dive into this iconic dish. Six weeks, 20 pounds of chicken, and several arguments later, we came up with our Platonic ideal.
Each step and ingredient in BA’s Best Chicken Parmesan is given its due: We kept the butterflied cutlets on the thicker side, so they don’t overcook. We marinated them in lemon, olive oil, and garlic to tenderize the meat as much as flavor it. We then opted for panko over Italian breadcrumbs, for their superior crunch, and gave the breaded cutlets a shallow fry to achieve an evenly golden-brown crust. When it comes to that blanket of simple yet rich tomato sauce, we added tomato paste for extra depth. (Just make sure to leave a few patches of cutlet uncovered by sauce so they stay extra crispy.) And for the melty ooey-gooey layer (the reason we’re all here), we landed on a combo of Parmesan cheese, for its salty edge, and low-moisture—not fresh—mozzarella cheese, for its creamy texture.
A word to the wise: Although you’re only using four breasts, this chicken parm recipe will feed up to eight people—more if you’re serving it with accompaniments like a big green salad, high-quality pasta, or great bread! But don’t fret about leftovers: They make for a great sandwich the next day.
Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published in May 2020.
