This chicken parmesan is smothered in an easy marinara sauce, topped with fresh mozzarella and packed with plenty of fresh basil. It’s also completely baked in the oven!
Whether you call it chicken parmesan, chicken parm or chicken parmigiana, we’re here today to celebrate it in all its glory. This glorious dish is usually initially fried, but today I’ll show you how easy it is to get a crispy chicken parmesan in the oven. Follow me…
Chicken Parmesan Breadcrumbs
There’s nothing worse than a soggy chicken parmesan, but since it’s always at least half baked in the sauce, it’s never going to be teeth-shatteringly crispy. To give ourselves the best chance of the chicken itself being crispy we want to build up a nice crust.
Panko Breadcrumbs
Panko breadcrumbs are great because they’re big and airy. As such, once they’re baked they come out nice and crispy. A little trick to making them extra crispy is to toast them in butter before you coat the chicken. You can do this on a tray in the oven or a pan. Since we’re already going to be using a pan for the marinara sauce, it makes sense here to use a pan here for the breadcrumbs too.
Marinara Sauce for Chicken Parmesan
A lot of chicken parmesan recipes call for store-bought marinara sauce, but it’s way too easy and delicious not to make at home. Here’s what you’ll need:
Marinara Sauce Ingredients
Tomato Passata – The bulk of the sauce (see below).
Onion & Garlic – Creates a flavour base.
Oil – Extra virgin olive oil to fry the garlic/onion.
Herbs – The main herb is fresh basil, then I like to add a little dried oregano too, just to boost flavour.
Additions – Chilli flakes for a little heat, a pinch of sugar if needed if the tomatoes are a little sour.
Tomato Passata
This will make the base of the sauce. Tomato passata, which is essentially pureed & strained tomatoes, makes the perfect base for a marinara sauce because it’s nice and smooth. Because you’re going to be spreading the marinara sauce over the
chicken you don’t really want big chunks of tomatoes. As such, I usually steer clear of canned chopped or plum tomatoes. Not a deal breaker though if that’s what you have, just make sure they’re smoothed out as you cook the sauce. In all cases just make sure you use good quality tomatoes for a richer and slightly sweeter flavour.
Can I make the sauce ahead of time?
Yep! If you want to make the sauce in advance and just focus on the chicken, you can definitely do so. Just allow to completely cool and tightly store in the fridge until needed. Reheat then use as necessary.
