Giada chicken parmesan from Giada De Laurentiis skips the heavy breading and sears herb-brushed cutlets before finishing them in tomato sauce with melted mozzarella and Parmesan at 500°F. And the dish serves 4 at approximately 480 calories per serving in about 1 hour and 40 minutes, since the homemade tomato sauce simmers for 1 hour on its own.
Where traditional chicken parm dredges each cutlet in flour, egg, and bread crumbs, Giada brushes hers with rosemary, thyme, and parsley oil instead. So the chicken sears directly against the hot skillet for a lighter crust, and the herbs toast into the surface rather than hiding under a thick coating.
Searing the cutlets for only 2 minutes per side and not cooking them through on the stovetop is the timing that keeps the meat juicy. And if you leave them in the skillet too long before the oven, the 3 to 5 minutes at 500°F overcooks the thin cutlets and they dry out under the cheese.
Source: Giada De Laurentiis (Giadzy.com)
Giada Chicken Parmesan
Course: ChickenCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy4
servings20
minutes1
hour20
minutes480
kcalOlive oil mixed with rosemary, thyme, and parsley brushes thin cutlets before a quick sear in a hot oven-proof skillet. Then tomato sauce pours around the chicken, mozzarella and Parmesan sprinkle on top with butter pieces, and 3 to 5 minutes at 500°F melts everything together.
Ingredients
- For the herb oil:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- For the chicken:
8 (3-oz.) chicken cutlets
1 1/2 cups simple tomato sauce (recipe below, or store-bought marinara)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
16 teaspoons grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- For the simple tomato sauce (makes extra):
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-oz.) cans crushed tomatoes
4 to 6 fresh basil leaves
2 dried bay leaves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional)
Directions
- Make the tomato sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high, sauté the onion and garlic 2 minutes, then add the celery and carrot with salt and pepper for 5 more minutes.
- Simmer the sauce: Then add the crushed tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves, cover, and simmer on low for 1 hour until thick.
- Blend the sauce: Once thick, remove the bay leaves, then process in batches in a food processor until smooth.
- Adjust the flavor: If the sauce tastes acidic, stir in unsalted butter 1 tablespoon at a time to round it out.
- Preheat for the chicken: Then heat the oven to 500°F.
- Mix the herb oil: While the oven heats, stir the olive oil, rosemary, thyme, and parsley together and season with salt and pepper.
- Brush the cutlets: Then brush both sides of all 8 cutlets with the herb oil.
- Sear the chicken: Once coated, heat a large oven-proof skillet over high heat and cook the cutlets about 2 minutes per side until browned.
- Add the sauce: Then remove the skillet from the heat and spoon 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce over and around the cutlets.
. - Add the cheese: Once the sauce is in, sprinkle 1 teaspoon mozzarella and 2 teaspoons Parmesan over each cutlet.
- Dot with butter: Then scatter the butter pieces on top of the cheese.
- Bake until melted: Once topped, bake at 500°F for 3 to 5 minutes until the cheese melts and the chicken is cooked through
FAQs
Can I use store-bought marinara instead of making the sauce?
Giada lists store-bought marinara as an alternative on the source page, and it cuts the total cook time by a full hour. But the homemade version has a smoother texture from blending and a fresher tomato flavor since it simmers with basil and bay leaves.
And the homemade sauce makes far more than the 1 1/2 cups you need, so freeze the rest in 1 to 2 cup portions for up to 6 months. Since having sauce in the freezer means next time you only need 20 minutes start to finish, the first batch pays for itself.
Why does the recipe use such a high oven temperature?
The cutlets are already seared and nearly cooked through, so 500°F only needs 3 to 5 minutes to melt the cheese and finish the chicken. And a lower temperature would take longer, which dries out the thin cutlets while you wait for the mozzarella to bubble.
But watch the skillet closely, because 500°F can take the Parmesan from golden to burnt in under a minute. Since the cheese layer is thin at just a few teaspoons per cutlet, the margin between melted and charred is very narrow at this temperature.
What should I serve with chicken parmesan?
Angel hair pasta or spaghetti tossed in extra tomato sauce is the classic pairing, since the noodles catch the sauce that pools around the cutlets. And the giada pasta alla norma shares a similar tomato base, so the flavors bridge well if you want a heartier spread.
But a simple arugula salad with lemon keeps the plate lighter, which suits the no-breading approach Giada takes here. And skip garlic bread if you are already serving pasta, because three starch elements on the same plate tip the balance too heavy.
Can I bread the cutlets if I prefer a traditional version?
Giada designed this recipe without breading on purpose, so adding flour, egg, and crumbs changes the dish significantly. And breaded cutlets need to fry in more oil to crisp properly, which adds both calories and a separate cooking step.
But if you want crunch, sprinkle a tablespoon of panko over each cutlet before the cheese goes on, because the 500°F oven toasts the crumbs in the same 3 to 5 minutes. Since the panko sits on top instead of coating the meat, the cutlet stays lighter than a fully breaded version.
How should I store and reheat leftovers?
The cutlets and sauce store together in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, and the sauce keeps the thin chicken moist as it sits. Then reheat uncovered at 375°F for about 10 minutes so the cheese re-melts without overcooking the meat.
But avoid the microwave, because it heats the thin cutlets unevenly and the cheese turns rubbery on the edges. And for another Giada dish that reheats well from the same skillet-to-oven method, the giada chicken piccata meatballs warm gently in their sauce over medium-low on the stovetop.
