Placeholder Image

Subtitles section Play video

  • (upbeat music)

  • - Hey, everybody.

  • It's Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com,

  • and today, I have such a treat for you.

  • I'm gonna teach you how to make our family favorite,

  • chicken Parmesan.

  • It sounds fancy, but it is ridiculously easy.

  • It has simple ingredients,

  • and it is just the juiciest chicken,

  • restaurant-quality, and perfect for a busy weeknight.

  • And, if you want to save even more time,

  • you can use a store-bought marinara sauce,

  • but homemade is ridiculously simple,

  • and you can't match the flavor.

  • So let's do this.

  • We're gonna do a quick prep of our ingredients.

  • Start out by chopping half of a medium onion.

  • You should have about half a cup chopped.

  • Set that aside.

  • Also mince three large garlic cloves.

  • And seriously, if you don't have one of these already,

  • a food scraper makes prep work so much easier.

  • I'll link to my favorite one in the notes.

  • Now place a saucepan over medium heat

  • and add two tablespoons of olive oil.

  • Then add the finely chopped onion

  • and stir that for about five minutes

  • or until it's softened and lightly golden.

  • Add your minced garlic and stir for another minute

  • or until fragrant.

  • Now add a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes,

  • and get the best-quality one that you can find.

  • I will link to the one we used in the notes.

  • Add half a teaspoon of dried oregano,

  • half a teaspoon of sea salt,

  • and a quarter teaspoon of black pepper.

  • Bring that mixture to a light boil,

  • then reduce the heat to a simmer,

  • and cook partially covered for 15 minutes.

  • While that sauce is simmering,

  • you can get started on your chicken Parmesan.

  • You'll need two large chicken breasts,

  • totaling about one and a half pounds.

  • Cut those in half lengthwise to get four even cutlets.

  • If your cutlets are uneven or very large,

  • you can pound them between two sheets of plastic wrap

  • for an even thickness.

  • This way, they'll cook much more evenly.

  • Lightly season both sides of your cutlets

  • with salt and pepper.

  • Now we're gonna set up a simple breading station.

  • In the first shallow bowl,

  • combine one half cup of all-purpose flour,

  • one teaspoon of sea salt,

  • and half a teaspoon of black pepper.

  • Stir that mixture together just to combine,

  • and in the second shallow bowl,

  • beat together two large eggs until frothy.

  • In a third shallow bowl,

  • combine one half cup of breadcrumbs,

  • I'm using Italian breadcrumbs for more flavor,

  • and one half cup of Parmesan cheese that's been shredded.

  • And if your Parmesan cheese is larger pieces,

  • break them up with your fingertips

  • as you mix that mixture together.

  • Now it's time to bread the chicken cutlets.

  • Dip the first one into the flour mixture

  • and tap off the excess.

  • Then transfer it to the beaten eggs.

  • Turn that to get an even coating,

  • and let the excess drip back into the pan.

  • Lastly, dip the cutlets into the cheesy breadcrumbs,

  • pressing the cutlets into the breading

  • to ensure a thick even coating of crumbs

  • and making sure you bread both sides.

  • Transfer that to a platter,

  • and finish breading the remaining cutlets.

  • Once all of the chicken is prepared,

  • we're gonna head back to the stove.

  • Our homemade marinara sauce has been simmering

  • for about 15 minutes.

  • Stir in one tablespoon of fresh chopped basil.

  • Then turn off the heat.

  • The marinara sauce is ready.

  • To cook the chicken, place a large nonstick pan

  • over medium heat and add enough oil

  • to coat the bottom of the pan or about two tablespoons.

  • We use a light olive oil

  • because it has a high smoke point

  • and it is great sauteing and baking,

  • but you can use any high-heat cooking oil here.

  • Once the oil is hot, add the chicken

  • and saute three to four minutes per side,

  • depending on the thickness of your cutlets,

  • or until the chicken is golden-brown on the outside

  • and the internal temperature reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit

  • on an instant-read thermometer.

  • As soon as it's cooked through,

  • take the chicken off the heat.

  • If you haven't already,

  • preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

  • We're gonna finish off this chicken Parmesan in the oven.

  • So in a nine-by-13 casserole dish,

  • spread half of your marinara sauce over the bottom.

  • Place your sauteed chicken in a single layer over the sauce.

  • My cutlets were quite large,

  • so they were overlapping slightly, but that's okay.

  • Spoon the remaining sauce generously

  • over the center of each chicken cutlet.

  • The marinara will help seal in the juiciness of the chicken

  • and adds incredible flavor.

  • And, last but not least,

  • top with a generous one cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.

  • Bake that uncovered on the center rack

  • of a preheated oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes

  • or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling.

  • Ho ho ho!

  • Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

  • Oh, I am so excited for this.

  • And I love to serve chicken Parmesan with some pasta,

  • so I've got that cooked already, some buttered noodles.

  • And when it comes out of the oven,

  • I love to garnish it with a little bit of fresh parsley

  • and some fresh basil.

  • You can use one or other, but I happen to have both,

  • so I'm just using both.

  • It just makes it so pretty,

  • and then it draws out that basil flavor

  • from the marinara sauce.

  • Mm.

  • Okay, here we go.

  • The taste test.

  • All right, serving this with some hot buttered spaghetti.

  • Yum.

  • Still steamy.

  • I'm so excited.

  • I'm so hungry too.

  • Okay, here we go.

  • And because this has marinara, it's so delicious over pasta,

  • so I'm gonna spoon on some sauce first.

  • And there's plenty in there, so you can be generous.

  • Okay.

  • All right, here we go.

  • I love how the cheese gets crisp and so good on the edges.

  • Yum, yum, yum.

  • Oh, wow.

  • Look at that cheese pull.

  • I'm a sucker for cheese.

  • Yum.

  • Okay.

  • Just a smidge more parsley.

  • And we're gonna cut right in, because I want you to see

  • exactly how juicy this chicken is.

  • Oh, that Parmesan crust just seals in

  • all the natural chicken juices and flavors.

  • Here we go.

  • Oh.

  • Look inside.

  • Look at that chicken.

  • It looks amazing.

  • Okay, here we go for the taste test.

  • Actually, that's a really big bite, too big.

  • What was I thinking?

  • I'm gonna cut that down just a bit,

  • so I can fit it in my mouth, because that's ridiculous.

  • Okay, here we go.

  • Mm.

  • Mm.

  • Mm.

  • Wow.

  • And that homemade marinara is just as good as the chicken.

  • Over some spaghetti.

  • Let's get some spaghetti up in here.

  • Mm.

  • And how do you like your spaghetti?