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Chicken Parmigiana Recipe for a Classic Chicken Parma in the Italian Australian Style. Great Sunday dinner ideas. Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.
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5 from 3 votes

Chicken Parmigiana Recipe for a Classic Chicken Parma in the Italian Australian Style

Our chicken parmigiana recipe makes a classic chicken parma in the Italian Australian style that became a popular mid-week pub counter meal special in the 1980s. In our homemade take on the parmy, succulent chicken breast fillets with a crunchy breadcrumb coating are topped with a rich tomato sauce and melted parmesan cheese and mozzarella, and served with lemon wedges and a side salad. You might never order it at a pub again!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Chilling Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Australian, Italian, Italian-Australian
Servings: 2
Calories: 2086kcal
Author: Lara Dunston

Ingredients

  • 2 300 g chicken breast fillets halved
  • 4 tbsp plain flour
  • 1 egg whisked
  • 60 g milk
  • 80 g Panko breadcrumbs
  • 30 g Pecorino cheese finely grated
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 5 g celery leaves finely chopped
  • ½ lemon finely grated zest only
  • 1 cup olive oil for shallow frying
  • 200 g smoked ham wafer-thin slices
  • 400 g tomato pasta sauce
  • 80 g Parmigiano Reggiano / parmesan cheese grated
  • 200 g mozzarella grated
  • 10 g fresh basil and flat leaf parsley finely chopped and combined
  • 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
  • Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper – to taste
  • ½ lemon cut into quarters for serving

Instructions

  • Wrap the chicken breasts in cling wrap and use a kitchen mallet to beat each of the chicken breasts into an even flat-ish fillet with a thickness of 1-2cm.
  • Line up a flat plate, two bowls large enough to hold a chicken breast fillet, and a fourth plate for the breaded chicken breast fillets: pour the flour onto the first plate; whisk the egg and milk in the second bowl; and combine the breadcrumbs, half a teaspoon of sea salt, Pecorino parmesan, finely chopped celery leaves and lemon zest in the third dish.
  • Press a chicken fillet into the flour, one side then the other, so that it’s completely covered in flour; dip the flour-dusted fillet into the milky-egg wash; press the fillet onto the breadcrumb mix, one side then the other, ensuring it’s completely covered in crumbs; then move the fillet to the empty plate, and repeat with the other fillets.
  • Refrigerate the chicken breast fillets for 30 minutes and, if you don’t have a favourite tomato pasta sauce to hand, you could make our rich tomato sauce recipe in 30 minutes. (link above).
  • Pre-heat your oven grill/broiler to high and line a large rimmed oven tray with baking paper, as you’ll be taking the shallow-fried chicken fillets direct from the fry pan/skillet to the grill/broiler.
  • In a fry pan or skillet just large enough to hold two chicken breast fillets, heat 1cm of olive oil until hot, then shallow-fry the first two fillets for around 4-5 minutes a side (no more) until golden-brown. Transfer to a rack to drain off any excess oil and repeat with the next fillets.
  • Space your chicken fillets evenly apart on the baking tray. If using ham, lay wafer-thin slices on top of the fillets. Use a tablespoon to spread on generous scoops of our rich tomato pasta sauce so the fillets are smothered in the stuff.
  • Sprinkle on the grated Parmigiano Reggiano (parmesan cheese), a little of the mix of finely chopped fresh basil and flat leaf parsley, and the grated mozzarella so that the cheeses completely cover the sauce, drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkle on some sea salt.
  • Slide the tray onto the top shelf close to the oven grill/broiler and don’t go away: grill for 5 minutes or so, just until the cheese has melted, then remove and serve immediately.
  • Sprinkle more of the mix of fresh basil leaves and flat leaf parsley onto the chicken parmas, grind some fresh cracked black pepper on top, and serve with lemon wedges, and a simple side salad – or potato fries for the true pub experience.

Nutrition

Calories: 2086kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 104g | Fat: 160g | Saturated Fat: 41g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g | Monounsaturated Fat: 95g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 352mg | Sodium: 5289mg | Potassium: 1813mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 2416IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 1334mg | Iron: 9mg