We were scrolling through our #fb feed and found a video by @ingatylam the other day! Inga cooked all @gordongram Ramsay recipes for an entire day! The chicken 🍗 parmesan looked delicious so we had to try it for ourselves! We loved that this recipe was not complicated, the chicken was crispy and flavourful, and the marinara sauce was tasty (and easy)!
The recipe below is our take on the dish after trying a few different versions online and adapting it to make it easy to make with less breadcrumb waste! Too many times in the past we have come across recipes that ask to prepare a far larger amount of breading than we actually need.
Ingredients
For the Chicken
6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
1 oz Parmesan Cheese Freshly Grated
1/2 Tbsp Parsley, Finely Chopped
1/2 Tbsp Fresh Oregano, Finely Chopped
1 Cup Panko Breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp Paprika
2 Whole Eggs
1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1 Tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
Approx. 2 Cups Canola oil for frying
8 oz Fresh Mozzarella balls,
For the Spaghetti
16oz Spaghetti
14 fl oz Store Bought Marinara Sauce
1 oz Parmesan Cheese, Finely Grated
Instructions
1. In a large cast-iron skillet, fill with oil until the depth is about 1 cm. Using a thermometer, heat the oil until it reaches 350 F. If you have a deep fryer (we've cooked this recipe both ways) heat pre-heat your oil to 350 as well. This is also a good time to heat water for boiling your spaghetti. In a large pot, fill with water and generously season with salt. Turn to high to boil.
2. While the oil and water is heating, prepare the breading bowls. You will need three large shallow bowls for this. In your first bowl, mix 1 cup all-purpose flour with 1 tsp Salt and 1/2 tsp Pepper. In your second bowl, whisk two eggs. In your third bowl, mix 1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs, 1 oz grated Parmesan Cheese, 1/2 Tbsp chopped parsley, 1/2 tbsp chopped oregano, and 1/2 tsp paprika.
3. Flatten the chicken. To reduce mess and cleanup, place one chicken thigh between two sheets of plastic wrap on top of a cutting board. Using a mallet, flatten the chicken thighs individually until they are about 1 cm in thickness.
4. When the oil has reached temperature, start the breading procedure. Working in batches, coat the flattened chicken thoroughly in flour, then in the egg, and finally in the panko bread crumbs. Using a pair of tongs, lower the chicken slowly into the oil. Do not crowd the pan. We find that a maximum of 3 pieces fit in a 12" cast iron skillet, or 2 pieces into our 3.5L deep fryer basket. If using a skillet, cook for 4 minutes on one side, then flip and cook for an additional 2 minutes. If using a deep fryer, cook for 3 minutes, then flip and cook for 1 additional minute. The chicken should be a nice golden color when done.
5. When the water is boiling and between batches of chicken, cook your pasta according to your package instructions until al dente. Strain using a colander and return the pasta back to the pot. Using low heat, add the pasta sauce and remaining parmesan cheese to the pot and stir until warmed through. Reserve some pasta sauce for plating.
6. To finish the plate, place slices of fresh mozzarella on top of the chicken and melt using your oven's broiler for 1 minute. We also love using a kitchen torch with a broiler attachment for this step as it's quicker and saves time and energy waiting for an oven to heat up. Top with some fresh basil and serve!
Notes
For this quick and easy Chicken Parm, we love to use pre-made spaghetti sauce. It speeds up the recipe and delivers an incredibly flavorful meal in under 30 minutes.
For a quick and easy vegetable, fry some broccolini with some crushed garlic, salt, and pepper. Or prepare an easy caesar salad for the side.
