Recipes Dinner Poultry Dishes Chicken Main Course If You Love Marry Me Chicken, You’ll Say Yes to Proposal Chicken Parmesan 4.7 (3) 3 Reviews This decadent riff on the classic Italian-American dish is served with a luscious sun-dried tomato cream sauce. By Nicole Hopper Nicole Hopper Nicole Hopper is a recipe tester and developer based in Birmingham, Alabama. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on April 26, 2024 Tested by Jasmine Smith Tested by Jasmine Smith Jasmine Smith is a recipe developer and tester at Dotdash Meredith Corporation. In addition to her work in test kitchens, Jasmine is a freelance culinary producer for a variety of food festivals. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Save Rate PRINT Share Active Time: 50 mins Total Time: 50 mins Yield: 4 servings Jump to recipe We combined two beloved chicken dinners to create this crowd-pleasing take on Chicken Parmesan. Juicy panko and Parmesan-breaded chicken cutlets are fried, then blanketed with mozzarella slices, broiled until golden, and served over a delectable sun-dried tomato cream sauce inspired by Marry Me Chicken. The comforting, decadent dish comes together in under an hour. Serve over pasta, or with a green salad and crusty bread for sopping up the sauce. Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Nicole Hopper / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle Frequently asked questions What is Chicken Parmesan? Chicken Parmesan is an Italian-American dish that consists of breaded and fried chicken cutlets topped with tomato sauce and cheese such as mozzarella, Parmesan, or provolone; broiled until the cheese is melted; and served with more sauce. What is Marry Me Chicken? For this modern classic chicken dish, seared chicken breasts bake in the oven with a sun-dried tomato cream sauce. The popular dish was created by Delish editor Lindsay Fuston in 2016 and earned its name when a video producer claimed it was good enough to warrant a marriage proposal. We spiced up our take on Marry Me Chicken by adding Calabrian chiles and ricotta. What are chicken cutlets? Chicken cutlets are thin slices of chicken breast; they’re ideal for breaded and fried chicken dishes as the thinner size ensures they will cook within the few minutes it takes for the exterior coating to get nice and crispy. We used store-bought chicken cutlets to reduce prep time, but you can use two boneless, skinless chicken breasts if you’d prefer. Cut them in half and pound them with a mallet to no more than 1/4-inch thickness before breading. You can also use turkey cutlets or pork cutlets instead of chicken. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen If you can’t source oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, you can use olive oil for the sauce. Use mozzarella that comes vacuum-sealed in plastic (in log or ball form) rather than mozzarella that comes in a tub with brine, which retains more moisture and can make your dish soggy. Avoid adding too much sauce to the chicken cutlets before topping with cheese to avoid sogginess and to keep the sauce from running off and becoming oily. Make ahead You can prepare the sauce up to two days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge, and reheat gently before using. The chicken can be breaded, placed on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and stored in the fridge up to 12 hours before frying. Leftovers do not hold well, as the breading on the chicken gets soggy very quickly once it’s covered in sauce. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients Sauce 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato oil, plus 1/2 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes, divided (from 1 [8.5-ounce] jar julienne-cut sun-dried tomatoes in oil with herbs) 4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 tablespoons) 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil 1 teaspoon tomato paste 1 cup chicken broth 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup) Chicken 4 (4- to 5-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken cutlets 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1 large egg, beaten 1 cup panko 2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup) 1 teaspoon dried oregano Canola oil, for frying Assembly 8 ounces vacuum-sealed fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced Torn fresh basil leaves, for garnish Directions Prepare the Sauce Heat 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato oil in a large skillet over medium. Add garlic and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add sundried tomatoes, basil, and tomato paste; cook, stirring often, until fragrant and tomatoes are starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Pour in broth; cook until reduced by about half, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in cream, salt, and pepper, and bring to a simmer over medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in Parmigiano, stirring constantly until cheese is fully melted. Set aside and cover to keep warm. Preheat oven to broil with rack in center position and prepare the Chicken: Pat chicken cutlets dry and season evenly with salt and pepper. Stir together flour and garlic powder in a wide shallow dish, and set aside. Place egg in a separate shallow dish, and set aside. Stir together panko, Parmigiano, and oregano in a third shallow dish. Working with one cutlet at a time, place chicken in flour, turning to coat, and shake off any excess. Place in egg mixture, turning to coat, and allow any excess to drip off. Place in panko mixture, turning until fully coated, pressing to adhere. Transfer breaded chicken to a plate. Repeat process with remaining chicken. Fill a large, deep-sided skillet with oil to a depth of 1/4 inch. Heat over medium-high until shimmering. Working in two batches, carefully lay breaded cutlets in skillet. Cook, flipping once, until golden and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain. Repeat with remaining chicken. Place chicken cutlets on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Spread 2 teaspoons Sauce over each cutlet, then top evenly with sliced mozzarella. Broil in preheated oven until cheese is melted and golden, and a thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken registers 165°F, 3 to 4 minutes. To serve, spread remaining Sauce over a serving platter. Transfer cutlets to platter over the sauce, garnish with basil, and serve immediately. Rate It Print