The Best Three-Cheese Chicken Parmesan Recipe to Feed Your Family (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between chicken parmigiana and chicken parmesan? ›

What Is the Difference Between Chicken Parmesan and Chicken Parmigiana? Brace yourself for this one—they're the same dish! Chicken Parmesan and chicken Parmigiana are just different names for the same exact recipe. And, with a name like “chicken Parmigiana”, you might assume that this recipe is Italian.

Place the breaded chicken on a cooling rack (or a platter) and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. This cooling time will help the layers of breading ingredients solidify and adhere better after the chicken cooks. Once you start cooking the chicken, be patient and don't flip it over too early.

It's utterly delicious and served with a mixed leaf salad dressed with Ina's simple lemon vinaigrette with shavings of Parmesan it was perfection. The other reason I wanted to make it was to test out my new AMT Gastroguss Pan from Yuppiechef.

Despite being a staple of Italian-American cuisine, “chicken parmesan” is nowhere to be found in Italy. Instead, Italians nosh on parmigiana – eggplant layered with tomato sauce and cheese.

Eggplant parmesan is a lot healthier for you than chicken, but it comes at the cost of being a lot less filling.

You Don't Start Dry

The first step to breading chicken is crucial; make sure the chicken is completely dry before starting the dredging process. Using a paper towel, pat the meat dry on all sides. Excess moisture will cause the flour to get soggy and thus will not adhere properly to the chicken.

To maximize crispiness, I use panko breadcrumbs and fry the chicken in a little more oil (about an inch) than you might normally use when making parm. As soon as the cutlets are nicely browned and cooked all the way though, drain them on a rack or paper towels. They're crunchy; this will help them stay that way.

Chicken parmigiana encompasses everything we love about Italian food in one bite—the chicken's juicy interior, the crisp coating of the fried breadcrumbs on the meat's exterior, the bright and slightly sweet flavor of the rich tomato sauce, and the silky texture of the mozzarella, slightly browned under a broiler.

Parmigiano-Reggiano is often considered the gold standard of Parmesan cheese. Grana Padano: Similar to Parmigiano-Reggiano, Grana Padano is a hard, granular cheese with a slightly milder flavor. It's aged for a minimum of 9 months, making it a great option for those who prefer a less intense taste.

Why does chicken parm use mozzarella? ›

Jokes aside, chicken parm has a long, complicated history argued by many historians for different reasons. Believe it or not, there was not readily accessible chicken in Parma, Italy, so the idea started with thin slices of eggplant covered in Neapolitan tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.

Chicken parmesan or chicken parmigiana (Italian: pollo alla parmigiana) is a dish that consists of breaded chicken breast covered in tomato sauce and mozzarella, Parmesan, or provolone cheese.

Chicken parm (short for chicken parmesan or chicken parmigiana) in its current form – tender, breaded chicken cutlets with melted cheese and tomato sauce – was actually created in America, though its origins are Italian. Not surprisingly, several regions of Italy take credit for inventing baked parmesan dishes.

Some believe that it was created in Parma, hence the name. Others believe it comes from a Sicilian word that means slabs on a roof, referring to the thin slices of chicken covered in the sauce.

The cheese we know as parmigiana—or parmesan—is named after the city of Parma in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, where the delicate cheese was first produced.

So, even though chicken parmesan doesn't heavily feature parmesan cheese (instead using mozzarella), the meat or eggplant is prepared in the Parma style, hence the name.