Cooked chicken breast coated in parmesan and breadcrumbs on top of a salad.

Another Thursday installment of the Barefoot Bloggers, and this Thursday features Ina Garten’s Parmesan Chicken, a wonderful selection from Megan of My Baking Adventures. Chicken pounded thin, coated in a traditional breading of flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs/Parmesan, and then sauteed in a combination of olive oil and butter – this is a classic dish that Ina has managed to perfect. Served over a bed of greens, this is a wonderfully satisfying meal.

I have made the same type of chicken dish many times before, but this variation was by far the best. Perhaps due to cooking the chicken over a medium-low heat was the trick, as I usually cook this type of chicken over medium-high heat, but the resulting chicken was incredibly moist and cooked perfectly. I cheated a bit as I already had thin-sliced chicken breasts in the freezer, so I didn’t go through the pounding step this recipe calls for. I also don’t like lemon-flavored things (as many of you have seen me say here), so I skipped the lemon vinaigrette and served the chicken with a spinach salad. A great recipe, and likely the way I will cook my breaded chicken from now on!

If you’re interested in a healthier alternative to breaded chicken that is fried in butter and olive oil, check out my light version of chicken parmesan.

Cooked chicken breast coated in parmesan and breadcrumbs on top of a salad.

Parmesan Chicken

An easy recipe for a weeknight meal
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Ingredients

  • 4 to 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 extra-large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 ¼ cups (150 g) seasoned dry bread crumbs
  • ½ cup (50 g) freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
  • Unsalted butter
  • Good olive oil
  • Salad greens for 6, washed and spun dry

For the Lemon Vinaigrette:

  • ¼ cup (61 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice, 2 lemons
  • ½ cup (108 ml) good olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) freshly ground black pepper

Instructions 

  • 1. Pound the chicken breasts until they are 1/4-inch thick. You can use either a meat mallet or a rolling pin.
  • 2. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. On a third plate, combine the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan. Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly.
  • 3. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2 or 3 chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts. Toss the salad greens with lemon vinaigrette. Place a mound of salad on each hot chicken breast. Serve with extra grated Parmesan.
  • 4. To make the Lemon Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Calories: 560kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 35g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 137mg, Sodium: 1054mg, Potassium: 666mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 1185IU, Vitamin C: 24.6mg, Calcium: 168mg, Iron: 3.4mg

Did you make this recipe?

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