This recipe for chicken Parmesan does a couple of things differently than most standard chicken parmesan recipes. For starters, we use buttermilk to marinate and tenderize the chicken. Secondly, we bake it in the oven. These simple steps and a few basic ingredients create a classic dish that’s so savory and delicious.
Buttermilk is the secret tenderizer
That’s right, buttermilk is a fantastic marinade for chicken! Where as many marinades simply soak the meat in various flavors, buttermilk not only adds flavor, but it does a great job of tenderizing the meat. For this recipe we simply add a cup of buttermilk to a large ziploc bag and add 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts of about 1/2″ thick. If you have the time, letting them marinate overnight or for several hours will produce great results! But, at the very least, if you can let the chicken soak in the buttermilk for at least a half hour, you’ll still a delicious, moist and tender Chicken Parmesan (but trust me, a few hours makes it even better!)
Help it brown with cooking spray
These chicken breasts will cook in the oven on a foil lined baking sheet that’s been sprayed with no-stick cooking spray. The spray is just a simple vegetable based oil – usually canola oil. Once the chicken is breaded and in the pan, give it a spray with the cooking spray. The additional layer of oil will help the browning process in the oven.
Think thin
This recipe can be made with small sized boneless, skinless chicken breasts. If using larger sized chicken breasts, lay them on a cutting board, and slice them in half with the knife parallel to the cutting board. We’re looking for a uniform thickness of about 1/2″.
Also great for salads!
This recipe makes awesome breaded chicken breasts that are perfect for salads. Simply skip the last step of adding the sauce and cheese. Slice up the chicken and add to a salad with your favorite dressing. I especially love ranch or blue cheese dressing on breaded chicken.
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PinIngredients
- 4 small chicken breasts (or 2 large cut in half to 1/2″ thick)
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup breadcrumbs, Italian seasoned
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/2 tablespoon seasoned salt
- 2 eggs, beaten
Instructions
- Marinate chicken in 1 cup of butter milk for at least 30 minutes (overnight, or for several hours even better!)
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet or pan with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and seasoned salt. In another bowl beat 2 eggs.
- Remove chicken from buttermilk and let excess drip off. Dip chicken into eggs, then dredge through breadcrumb mixture, shaking off any excess. Lay out on the foil lined sheet.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes until browned. Carefully remove pan from oven, spoon some marinara or spaghetti sauce on each piece and top with grated mozzarella cheese and return to oven for an additional 5 minutes.
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