Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Recipe
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I'm always looking for new and exciting proteins to feed my family. I realize that chicken is not a new protein, and generally not all that exciting, but when done right, it can be. I have attempted different versions of parmesan-crusted chicken in the past, but until last night, none had been all that successful - the chicken was too thick, the breading fell off, etc. Not this time! This time, my chicken turned out golden brown and delicious, and exactly how I had pictured and intended it. I finally got it right, and you can, too...
What You Will Need:
6 chicken breasts, pounded to about 1/4" thickness, cut in half, and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper
3/4 cup flour
3 eggs, beaten
1 and 1/4 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
olive oil and vegetable oil for cooking
What to Do:
First, get yourself organized. Set up an assembly line of three shallow dishes followed by a plate. Put the flour in the first dish. Put the beaten eggs in the second dish. And mix the breadcrumbs, cheese, oregano, salt, and pepper in the third dish.
Next, run your first piece of chicken through the assembly line: (1) dredge it in the flour and shake off the excess so that it has a thin flour-coating, (2) dip it in the eggs and coat evenly, (3) dredge it in the breadcrumb/cheese mixture, turning to coat evenly and well, (4) place breaded chicken breast on plate. Repeat until all chicken is breaded.
Heat about 2 tablespoons each of olive oil and vegetable oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.
Once the oil is hot, place chicken in the pan and cook until the first side is golden brown (about 3 minutes), then flip and cook on the other side until the chicken is cooked through (about 3 more minutes). Depending on the size of your pan, you will probably need to cook the chicken in batches. If so, once the first batch is done, place the cooked chicken on a serving dish and cover loosely with foil to keep it warm. Then add more oil to the pan if necessary and cook the remaining chicken.
Serve with pasta or a salad (or really whatever you want - the chicken is so good, no one will care what else they are eating). I served mine with spinach, mushroom, and tomato orzo. Yum!
