Categories: ChickenMain Dishes

Parmesan Chicken with Tomato Basil Sauce

Chicken fried in breadcrumbs and parmesan breading, baked with tomato basil sauce is a perfect dish for the romantic dinner with mediterranean hints in taste.

You can use canned tomatoes instead of fresh to save some time and possible money, but I believe sauce prepared with fresh tomatoes tastes a way better.

Breadcrumbs are also easy to make at home by drying and then crumbling in blender couple of slices of italian bread.

Ingredients:

  • Chicken breasts, about 1.5lb
  • 1 cup of white bread crumbles
  • 1 cup of grated parmesan
  • 2 eggs
  • 8oz mozzarella slices (around 8 slices)
  • 4 roma tomatoes
  • 1 big onion
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • Fresh basil
  • Salt to taste
  • Olive oil

How to prepare, step-by-step:

  1. Prepare ingredients: I usually make breadcrumbs myself by chopping white bread (italian or such, sliced and dried in the oven) in blender:
    Parmesan Chicken with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 1
  2. Start from preparing sauce. Put a pot with water to the burner for blanching tomatoes. Peel onion and grate it on big slots of the grater, warm up a tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan and add grated onion to it, fry onions stirring from time to time for 2-3 mins:
    Parmesan Chicken with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 2
  3. Peel and chop garlic cloves and add them to onions, continue stirring while onions and garlic are cooking:
    Parmesan Chicken with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 3
  4. Blanch tomatoes in the water prepared earlier (leave seeds in), then grate them or press (you can also use blender to chop tomatoes but that will break seeds which may influence the taste):
    Parmesan Chicken with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 4
  5. Add tomato puree to the saucepan, mix, bring to light simmer (reduce heat if needed) and let sauce cook while you prepare chicken:
    Parmesan Chicken with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 5
  6. In a bowl mix a half cup of parmesan and breadcrumbs:
    Parmesan Chicken with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 6
  7. Crack eggs into another bowl, add a bit of salt to taste and mix:
    Parmesan Chicken with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 7
  8. Rinse chicken breasts and slice them into portion pieces, lay them down on the cutting board, cover with food wrap and beat with meat tenderizer from one side:
    Parmesan Chicken with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 8
  9. Then flip to another and repeat, remove warp:
    Parmesan Chicken with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 9
  10. Warm up skillet with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Work with each piece of meat one by one. Start from dipping a chicken piece into egg mix:
    Parmesan Chicken with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 10
  11. Then to breadcrumb and parmesan mix:
    Parmesan Chicken with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 11
  12. Add prepared chicken piece to the warmed up skillet and fry until golden from one side:
    Parmesan Chicken with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 12
  13. Then flip to another side and fry until golden again. Repeat with all chicken, move prepared chicken to a plate:
    Parmesan Chicken with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 13
  14. Once chicken is ready, warm oven up to 400F; remove sauce from the burner and mix in half of fresh chopped basil, salt to taste:
    Parmesan Chicken with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 14
  15. Pour sauce to the baking pan, even the layer up:
    Parmesan Chicken with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 15
  16. Arrange fried chicken in the pan:
    Parmesan Chicken with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 16
  17. Garnish with remaining chopped fresh basil:
    Parmesan Chicken with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 17
  18. Lay a layer of mozzarella slices:
    Parmesan Chicken with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 18
  19. And sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese:
    Parmesan Chicken with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 19
  20. Bake in the warmed up stove for about 10 mins or until mozzarella gains some color:
    Parmesan Chicken with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 20
  21. Serve baked chicken parmesan over the bed of your favorite pasta topped with remaining sauce:
    Parmesan Chicken with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 21
Enjoy!