Chicken Parmesan is basically a breaded chicken scallop, covered in a luscious tomato sauce and smothered with cheese. All elements are delicious and combined they make for a crazy good dish as all Italian dishes are. I am very fond of the Italian kitchen and I love the way they translate their culture into food.
For this recipe you will need boneless chicken breasts, and it is best if you slice them in half length-wise this way they will cook faster without drying out. So each breast will yield you 2 chicken pieces. Some people pound the breast until it is thin enough to cook all the way through. You could do this as well.
Ingredients:
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- Mozzarella
- Parmesan
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion
- 2-3 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 1/2 cup juiced tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- Salt & pepper
- 3-4 fresh basil leaves (optional)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
*Start by prepping the chicken. Slice the breasts in half or pound them, whatever you choose to do.
*In a plate break the egg, whisk it and add the milk, salt and pepper. You might need 2 eggs if your eggs are small.
*In a different plate place the bread crumbs and season them with some salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.
*Now start by dipping the chicken breasts in the egg mixture, lift it to drain the excess and then place it on a bed of breadcrumbs. Coat it from all sides then shake off the excess. Do this for all the chicken pieces and set aside.
*You have the option now to cook this in the air fryer or in a pan. Traditionally it is fried in a shallow pan with some olive oil for a few minutes on each side until golden. But you can do this in an air fryer if you want to. I did. Although I might say, frying in a pan leaves the chicken a little less dry. Still no worries, you will be covering this with a delicious sauce anyway.
*While the chicken is being cooked, make the sauce. In a pan, sauté the very finely chopped onions in the olive oil along with the crushed garlic. You want them to turn a very light gold. (You can make the sauce in the beginning and then work on the chicken)
*Once that happens, add the juiced tomatoes, salt, pepper, sugar, dried and fresh basil and the tomato paste. Leave them to simmer until the tomato is cooked and the sauce thickens slightly.
*The chicken should be ready by now, place them in an oven dish and cover each piece with a generous amount of our lovely sauce.
*Top each piece with mozzarella and to that add shredded parmesan until they are totally covered.
*Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the cheese melts and the chicken is cooked through.
*Serve immediately before the cheese gets cold. Enjoy alongside some fries, mashed potato or some pasta. Enjoy.
