How to make mouthwateringly delicious chicken parmesan or eggplant parmesan - or both!
Spoiler alert! It's all about the sauce.
Eggplant Parmesan and Chicken Parmesan
In my family, some of us prefer eggplant parmesan, some prefer chicken parmesan, and some (me!) love both. So, when I make this dish, I use a 9x13-inch pan and layer chicken in one side and eggplant in the other.
You can do the same, or opt to only use one or the other - chicken parmesan or eggplant parmesan. You could also layer the chicken and eggplant together, alternating layers of eggplant with layers of chicken.
The Method for Making Chicken Parmesan and Eggplant is the same
Here's what you do:
- Make a kick-ass pot of homemade marinara
- Coat slices of eggplant or thinly slice chicken breast with panko bread crumbs
- Layer them in a casserole dish with a lot of cheese
- Bake. Devour.
Delicious Eggplant and chicken parmesan are ALL about the sauce.
Make an excellent marinara sauce, and the dish is almost guaranteed to be delicious.
This richly flavorful homemade marinara recipe includes a bit of red wine, garlic, onions, crushed red pepper, Italian herbs, and plenty of fresh basil and parsley. The sauce requires only about 15 minutes of hands-on time, but should simmer for at least 2 hours - even longer if you wish.
So, at least 2 hours before you want to begin making chicken or eggplant parmesan, get the marinara sauce going.
The recipe makes a lot – about 11 cups of sauce. You'll use more than half of it for eggplant or chicken parmesan. Leftover marinara freezes well and is a wonderful thing to have in your freezer for those nights when you want a home cooked meal without any actual cooking.
Recipes that use marinara sauce:
- The {BEST} Classic Lasagna with Sausage and Marinara
- Sausage and Provolone Sandwiches
- Homemade Meatball Pizza with Pepperoni
- Indian Shrimp and Rice
- Meatball Sandwiches
- Chachouka
This recipe makes enough to fill a 9x13-inch pan, but can be easily cut in half, filling a 9-inch square baking dish instead.
Useful equipment:
More Favorite Italian Classics:
- Homemade Meatballs in Marinara Sauce {Italian Style Recipe}
- The {BEST} Classic Lasagna with Sausage and Marinara
- Tuscan Braised Beef with Garlic Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes
- Spaghetti Puttanesca {with Roasted or Canned Tomatoes}
- Bolognese Sauce {with Bacon and Wine}
- Vegetarian Spaghetti Carbonara
Meal Plans that Include Eggplant or Chicken Parmesan:
If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or take a picture and tag it #alittleandalot on Instagram.
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How to Make Eggplant or Chicken Parmesan
- Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
Description
This recipe layers chicken parmesan on one side of a 9x13-inch baking dish and eggplant parmesan on the other. If you'd rather only use eggplant or only use chicken, simply double the amount of one and leave out the other. This recipe can also easily be halved to fill a 9-inch square baking dish.
Ingredients
- 1 & ¼ lb eggplant *Double the amount if making ONLY eggplant parmesan.
- 1 lb thinly sliced chicken breasts *Double the amount if making ONLY chicken parmesan.
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 3 cups panko bread crumbs
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
- 5 oz shaved or grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 5 large eggs
- 1 - 1 & ½ cups vegetable oil
- 6 cups homemade marinara sauce
- 16 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into ½-inch chunks
Instructions
- Trim the top and bottom from the eggplant and cut it into ½-inch thick slices. Lay the eggplant slices in a single layer on several sheets of paper towels. Sprinkle the slices with a generous amount of salt and pepper, flip them over and season the other side. Top the slices with more paper towels and lay a baking sheet over the top. Place a heavy pot on top of the baking sheet, so that the eggplant is being slightly squeezed between the sheets of paper towel. Let sit 45-60 minutes. This will rid the eggplant of excess water.
- Lay the chicken slices out onto separate sheets of paper towels and sprinkle on both sides with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
- Add the panko, oregano, crushed red pepper, ¾ cup of the parmesan cheese, and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the chopping blade. Pulse 5 or 6 times to combine. Dump the mixture out into a pie plate or other shallow baking dish.
- Add the flour to a separate pie plate or shallow baking dish, add 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper and stir to combine.
- Crack the eggs into a shallow pie plate or bowl and whisk to combine.
- Dredge each slice of eggplant in the flour, dip in the eggs, then press each side into the panko bread crumbs, pressing firmly to coat the eggplant on both sides with the bread crumbs. Set on a plate and continue with the rest of the eggplant slices. Repeat the same process with the chicken.
- Add 1 cup of oil to a large saucepan set over high heat. Heat the oil to between 340 and 350. A deep fry thermometer can be super helpful. If the oil starts to smoke, it's too hot. Do your best to keep the oil between 300 and 325 while frying the eggplant and chicken.
- Using metal tongs, add a few slices of eggplant to the hot oil. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Using the tongs, remove the slices from the hot oil to a baking sheet that's been lined with paper towels. Repeat with the remaining eggplant slices than the chicken. Add more oil to the pan if necessary.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Ladle about ¼ cup of marinara sauce into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish and spread it around to coat the bottom of the pan. Lay ⅓ of the eggplant slices on one side of the pan, and ⅓ of the chicken slices on the other side of the pan. Ladle about ⅓ of the marinara sauce over the eggplant and chicken, spreading it with the bottom of the ladle to cover. Sprinkle the sauce with ⅓ of the fresh mozzarella, and ⅓ of the remaining parmesan cheese. Repeat this process - eggplant and chicken, sauce, cheese - two more times.
- Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with non-stick spray or brush it with a bit of olive or vegetable oil so that it won't stick to the cheese and use it to cover the pan. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove the sheet of foil, turn the oven up to 425 degrees, and cook until the cheese is beginning to brown and the sauce is bubbly - about 10 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven to a wire rack and let rest for 15 minutes before cutting and serving. Letting it rest will make it much easier to dish out.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Casseroles
Christen says
I have made this recipe twice now and it is delicious. It is a labor of love but it is so worth it!
★★★★★
RebeccaBlackwell says
I am so happy to hear that you like this recipe Christen! This is one of my favorite Sunday afternoon "project" recipes. It's always such a treat. 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment for me! I truly appreciate it! xo
Judy Bowman says
By far the best eggplant parm I’ve ever made. I often take the shortcut of baking the slices rather than fry them, but this frying method is sooooo worth the effort. I made it with regular mozzarella, can’t imagine how fab it would be with fresh. Another winner.
★★★★★
RebeccaBlackwell says
I am SO happy to hear that you liked this recipe so much, Judy! Frying really does make a difference, especially with eggplant which has a tendency to get mushy when baked. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment for me. I truly appreciate it! xo
Billy says
Thanks so much for sharing! This looks like a delicious recipe. Cannot wait to make my own at home.
RebeccaBlackwell says
Thanks Billy! I hope you'll let me know what you think after making it! xo