Chicken Parmesan for a Crowd
An amalgamation of my family's chicken cutlet recipe and my boyfriend Gabe's version of this Italian American classic, this chicken parmesan is perfectly crispy, savory, and great for a dinner crowd.
Prep Time 45 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr
For the tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 small onion, diced
- 6-8 cloves garlic, minced
- 2-3 anchovy filets, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 cup red wine
- olive oil
- salt
- crushed red pepper
For the chicken cutlets
- 3 lb chicken breasts
- 6 cups panko bread crumbs
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley
- salt and pepper
- vegetable oil, for frying
For the chicken parmesan
- tomato sauce (see recipe)
- chicken cutlets (see recipe)
- 1 16 oz brick mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
- fresh basil, for topping
- pasta, for serving
For the sauce
Drizzle some olive oil into a small saucepan over medium heat. Saute garlic, onions, and anchovy filets until anchovies are broken down and garlic and onion are softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Add in tomato paste and stir, cooking 1-2 minutes.
Deglaze the pot with red wine, using a spatula to scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Add tomatoes and stir to combine. Lower the heat to low and simmer tomato sauce until thickened and all the flavors have come together, at least 1 hour. Season with salt and crushed red pepper as needed.
For the chicken cutlets
Butterfly the chicken breasts and pound out until 1/4 inch thick. Dry the chicken breasts well with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
Set up a chicken dredging station using 3 shallow but wide bowls. In one, add the flour. In the second, whisk the eggs. In the third, add the panko breadcrumbs, parsley, and season with salt and pepper.
Dredge the cutlets. Start with a dusting of flour, followed by a dip in the egg wash, shaking the cutlet to remove the excess egg, and then press into the breadcrumbs to coat evenly. Transfer the cutlets to a parchment paper lined sheet tray as you bread them, and keep them in the fridge until ready to fry.
Fry the cutlets in 1/4 inch of vegetable oil over medium heat until golden brown on both sides, 3-4 minutes per side. You will need to do this in batches; change the oil in the pan every 2 batches. Allow the cutlets to drain on paper towels or a cooling rack.
For the chicken parmesan
On a sheet tray or shallowing baking pan, place an even layer of chicken cutlets. Top each with a spread of sauce and a few slices of mozzarella. Bake until cheese is melty and slightly browned, about 15 minutes.
Remove chicken from the oven and immediately top with basil. Serve with pasta and extra tomato sauce.