Skillet Chicken Parmesan
Easy! One-Pan! Kid-Friendly! Crowd-Pleasing! Need I say more?
This recipe for Skillet Chicken Parm from The Dinner Plan by Kathy Brennan and Caroline Campion is a winner. It skips the typical breading stage to speed up the preparation and in the process, makes this Italian classic more healthy. With all of the fresh tomato sauce and gooey cheese, you won’t miss the breading. I served the Parm with a side of spaghetti, but sub rolls (to make sandwiches) or even just a crusty baguette (to mop up the delicious sauce), would be great alternatives.
You can prep this dish up until the baking stage and leave it covered in the fridge until dinner time. Or for those of us dealing with the dreaded “staggered meal time,” once baked you can leave the pan out to be served warm or at room temperature. No matter how you slice it, this is a meal that while not exactly authentic, delivers smiles all around. Enjoy!
Skillet Chicken Parmesan
- 2 Tbls olive oil
- 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs total), patted dry*
- salt and pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- large pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- One 28-oz can crushed tomatoes (I use San Marzano)
- 2 c shredded packaged mozzarella or sliced fresh mozzarella, patted dry
- freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese (optional)
- handful of fresh basil leaves (optional)
- Preheat oen to 400F, with a rack in the middle position.
- In a large high-sided sauce pan, heat the oil oven medium-high heat until it shimmers.
- Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper, add to the pan, and cook until lightly golden, about 2 minutes per side.
- Sprinkle garlic around the chicken, followed by the pepper flakes and oregano.
- Pour tomatoes evenly over the chicken, season with salt and pepper, then gently shake the pan to distribute the sauce (you can also do this with a spoon).
- Top the chicken with mozzarella and Parmesan (if using), to taste.
- Bad until the sauce is bubbling and the chicken is just cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes (a meat thermometer should register 165F).
- Broil it under the broiler, if you like.
- Off the heat, top with basil leaves (if using).
- Let the Parm rest for about 5 minutes before serving and keep the pan's handle covered with an oven mitt; it's easy to forget it's hot!
- *Small chicken breasts work best here. If yours are larger, pound them between pieces of plastic wrap until they are about 1/2-inch thick.