Chicken Parmesan is classic for a reason. Juicy chicken, golden brown breadcrumbs, and tons of umami from Parmesan cheese and marinara sauce? I can’t resist it at any Italian restaurant. And because it’s so freakin’ delicious, I figured the only thing that could make this dish better is cooking it over the fire! Nothing crazy here, just very, very tasty food.
Why You’ll Love Chicken Parmesan
This dish has all the traditional flavors of a chicken Parmesan recipe, plus the benefit of a little extra smoke flavor from cooking our chicken cutlets over the fire. Don’t mess too much with a good thing, right? I’m a big believer that everything tastes better when you cook it outside, and this dish doesn’t disappoint. It’s a real fun crowd-pleaser to make for family and friends from your own kitchen (the outdoor one, that is).
I’m using boneless, skinless chicken breasts to make this recipe, but you could use boneless, chicken thighs if that’s what you have on hand. You could also swap Pecorino cheese for the Parmesan if you want a little extra bite. But, then it would be chicken Pecorino, right? And, if you don’t want to use olive oil to fry your chicken pieces, you can use a different type of neutral oil. I do think olive oil is most traditional, though, so see what feels right for you. Either way, you’ve got a delicious dinner ahead.
Want more Italian dishes in your life? Check out my recipes for Italian Sliders, Italian Beef Pinwheels, Steak Milanesa Napolitana and Seafood Scampi.
Chicken Parmesan Ingredients
- Chicken Parmesan: For the chicken portion of this recipe, we’ve got a full list of ingredients: boneless, skinless chicken breasts, SPG Seasoning, Italian breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, eggs, flour, marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, olive oil and fresh basil.
- Pasta: Because chicken Parmesan isn’t complete without pasta, right? I’m using rigatoni here and mixing with unsalted butter, grated Romano cheese and more Parmesan cheese. The butter is at room temperature, so just plan ahead for that!
Make Your Own Marinara
The jarred stuff from the supermarket will be just fine for this recipe. But, if you’ve got extra time and want something extra delicious, you can make your own!
Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add 3 minced garlic cloves, a pinch of red pepper flakes and 1/2 teaspoon oregano. You could also use a teaspoon of garlic powder if you don’t have the fresh stuff. Stir until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds.
Then, pour in one 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes (or whole, peeled tomatoes that you crush by hand before dropping in the pot, if you want to feel like a real Italian nonna). Add in a couple teaspoons kosher salt and let the sauce simmer for about 30 minutes. Enjoy with chicken Parmesan or plenty of other delicious pastas!
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How to Make Chicken Parmesan
Preparing the Chicken
Let’s start by pounding 2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts to ½” thick. Then, season generously with 2 tablespoons of SPG Seasoning.
Next, prep your coating on shallow plates: 1/2 cup flour on one, 2 whipped eggs on another, and 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs and 1/2 cup Parmesan on the last plate. Dredge each piece in flour, dip in the egg mixture, then coat in the Parmesan breadcrumb mixture.
Cooking the Chicken
Time to grill! Build a medium-high fire (about 350 degrees Fahrenheit) and place a large skillet, preferably cast iron, on the grill grates. Add ½” of olive oil to the skillet to heat up.
Place your breaded chicken in the skillet and cook 3-4 min per side until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Move to indirect heat if needed to finish cooking.
Spoon marinara over each piece of chicken, then top with sliced mozzarella. You’ll need about 1 cup marinara sauce and 4 ounces mozzarella cheese total. Cover loosely with foil or the skillet lid to melt the cheese.
When the cheese has melted, remove the chicken Parmesan from heat. Garnish with fresh basil and extra Parmesan.
Making the Pasta
Follow the instructions on your 16 ounces of rigatoni pasta to cook until al dente. Make sure to save 2 ounces of pasta water for the sauce. Once the pasta is done, strain and set to the side.
Add 1/2 cup room temperature butter into the middle of your pasta serving plate/bowl and flatten it. Top with the warm cooked pasta and mix around in the butter. Add your 1/2 cup grated Romano and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, along with 2 oz of your pasta water. Mix together until silky and creamy.
Serve your chicken Parmesan with the alfredo pasta on the side and extra sauce and enjoy!
What to Serve with Chicken Parmesan
This chicken Parmesan recipe would be so freakin’ delicious with a grilled green vegetable, like asparagus or zucchini, roasted broccoli, or sautéed rapini (check out the tip in this pizza steak skewers recipe for ideas). You could also make a simple green salad with Italian dressing or a Caesar salad for the full Italian ristorante experience — don’t forget a glass of red wine!
Leftovers and Reheating
For leftover chicken Parmesan, let it cool completely and then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Store the breaded chicken separately from the marinara if you can so the sauce doesn’t make the coating soggy. You can reheat in a 350-degree oven for about 10-15 minutes or your air fryer at the same temp for about five minutes. I’d use these methods and stay away from the microwave so the breading stays nice and crispy.
For More Parmesan
FAQs
The best way I’ve found is putting the chicken breasts between layers of plastic wrap or parchment paper before pounding to even thickness. That will keep the meat from flying around, if you’re worried about it!
If you’ve got time, freshly grated Parmesan cheese is much better. Pre-shredded Parmesan cheese typically has an anti-caking agent, so it might not melt as well and stick to the chicken the way we want.
Freshly grated Parmesan melts smoothly, has a superior texture and keeps its intense, nutty flavor throughout the cooking process. You’ll especially notice the difference in the pasta portion of this recipe.
Separating the breading ingredients into three separate dishes definitely helps! You could also use one hand for the wet ingredients (the eggs) and the other hand for the dry ingredients (the flour). To help the breadcrumb mixture adhere to the chicken, you can gently press the breadcrumbs into the chicken. And finally, you can let the breaded chicken sit for 15-30 minutes before cooking — this will help everything stick together.
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Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
Chicken Parmesan:
- 2 Whole Chicken Breasts boneless & skinless
- 2 tbsp SPG
- 1 cup Italian Breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese
- 2 Eggs whipped
- ½ cup Flour
- 1 cup Marinara Sauce
- 4 oz Mozzarella Cheese
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- Fresh Basil garnish
Pasta:
- 16 oz Rigatoni Pasta cooked
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter room temp
- ½ cup Romano Cheese grated
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese grated
Instructions
Chicken Parmesan:
- Start by pounding chicken breasts to ½” thick. Then season generously with salt, pepper and garlic powder
- Dredge each piece in flour, dip in whipped eggs, then coat in a mixture of breadcrumbs and Parmesan.
- Build a medium-high fire (about 350F) with a cast iron skillet. Add ½” of olive oil to the skillet to heat up.
- Place breaded chicken in the skillet and cook 3-4 min per side until golden brown and 165F internal. Move to indirect heat if needed to finish cooking.
- Spoon marinara over each chicken breast then top with sliced mozzarella. Cover loosely with foil or a skillet lid to melt the cheese.
- Remove from heat once the cheese is melted. Garnish with fresh basil and extra Parmesan. Serve with the alfredo pasta on the side and enjoy!.
Pasta:
- Follow the instructions on your pasta to cook until Al Dente. Make sure to save 2 oz of pasta water for the sauce. Once the pasta is done, strain and set to the side.
- Add your room temperature butter into the middle of your pasta serving plate/bowl and flatten it. Top with the warm cooked pasta and mix around in the butter. Add your grated romano & parmesan cheese along with 2 oz of your pasta water. Mix together until silky and creamy.
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