Easy Chicken Eggplant Parmesan Recipe

This chicken eggplant parmesan recipe is classic comfort food with a twist. It combines flavorful breaded chicken breasts with a rich marinara sauce and perfectly fried eggplant slices. Honestly, once you try this recipe, you'll never want to make chicken parmesan any other way!

My Entire Family Is Obsessed With This Chicken Eggplant Parm

I love how delicious this chicken and eggplant parmesan is, but what I really love is that my 3-year-old is just as obsessed with it. And that's a huge win in my book because not only can I sneak some veggies into her day with it, but I can also sneak some protein into her day as well.

On top of that, though, my wife is a huge fan of it too, and she's a stickler when it comes to Italian food since she grew up in a very Italian American family. She's told me several times that it's as good - or better - than her grandma's chicken parm.

Needless to say, we make this recipe multiple times a month. In the winter, I'd even go as far as saying we make it weekly. It's our all-time favorite chicken parm recipe, right next to these chicken parm sandwiches.

Ingredients You'll Need

For the eggplant:

• 4 eggplant slices - I go for about ½ inch slices so that the eggplant cooks throughout.
• 1 teaspoon salt - for seasoning

For the chicken:

• 2 chicken breasts - boneless skinless chicken breasts are the best choice for any breaded chicken dish
• Chicken parmesan coating - ¾ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, 4 Tbsp Pecorino Romano (or other parmesan cheese), and 2 tablespoon chopped parsley.
• ¾ cup plain flour and 2 eggs - to bind the coating to the chicken breast
• Salt and pepper - for seasoning
• Vegetable oil - for frying.

For assembling:

• Cheese - ⅓ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano and 1 ½ cups grated fresh mozzarella cheese
• 2 cups marinara sauce - the ultimate Italian tomato sauce
• 6 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped - to add a touch of freshness

How To Make Chicken Eggplant Parmesan

Step 1: Prepare the eggplant. Start by cutting 4½ inch thick slices from the center of the eggplant. Sprinkle salt on both sides of the slices and let them sit for 20-30 minutes to remove excess water. Once they are done, wipe the pieces with a damp towel to remove most of the excess salt and pat the pieces dry.

Step 2: Prepare the chicken. Cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally - to butterfly them - and place them on a large clean surface. Then, cover the butterflied chicken with parchment paper and pound each breast a few times with a meat tenderizer to flatten them out and set them aside.

Step 3: Prepare the breading station. Next, mix the breadcrumbs with the pecorino and parsley in a bowl. Whisk the eggs in another bowl, and add the flour to a third bowl. Then, season all 3 bowls with a little salt and pepper. While you are doing that, heat ½ inches of oil in a large, heavy pan to 370°F.

Step 4: Bread the chicken. This is the fun part! Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides, then dredge each piece into the flour and shake off any excess. Dip the chicken into the egg and then into the breadcrumbs.

Step 5: Cook the chicken. Once the oil is ready, fry the cutlets for 3-4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Work in batches of two, and make sure not to overcrowd the pan while you're cooking them so they cook evenly. After each chicken breast is cooked, transfer it to a wire rack - or plate lined with paper towels - to remove any excess grease.

Step 6: Coat the eggplant. Pat the eggplant pieces dry, dredge them in flour (the same flour used for the chicken), and shake off any excess. Place the eggplant slices into the eggwash bowl - this is the same eggwash used for the chicken - then let it drain for a few seconds on the side of the bowl before coating them in the breadcrumb mixture.

Step 7: Fry the eggplant. It will take about 3-4 minutes per side to get them nice and golden, and again, work in batches of 2 to not overcrowd the pan. Once they are fried, place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Step 8: Prepare for assembly. Preheat your oven to 400°F and set the rack in the center. Then, line a large baking sheet with parchment. Assemble your layers. To assemble your chicken eggplant parmesan, make two puddles of marinara sauce on the lined baking sheet, each slightly bigger than the size of the chicken cutlets. Place a piece of chicken on top of each puddle.

Next, top the chicken cutlets with 3-4 tablespoon of marinara sauce, then add some parmesan and chopped basil. Add a slice of eggplant over each, and carry on with layers of marinara, parmesan, basil, chicken, marinara, eggplant, and marinara, respectively. Each stack should have 2 pieces of chicken and 2 slices of eggplant.

Step 9: Generously sprinkle a single layer of shredded mozzarella on each stack and then transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 7 minutes to warm through, then broil for the last 1-2 minutes.  Just make sure to keep an eye on the cheese, as it can burn quickly!

Step 10: Serve and enjoy. Once the cheese is bubbly and golden, immediately remove the pan from the oven. Serve your baked eggplant parmesan with a little of the extra sauce, and garnish it with some fresh basil.

How To Store Chicken Eggplant Parmesan

Allow your chicken parmesan to cool, and then transfer it to an air-tight container. Stored like that, it'll stay good for up to three days.

 If you'd like to keep your chicken eggplant parmesan around a little longer, you can freeze it. Again, just store it in an air-tight container, and it'll stay good for up to 3 months.

How To Reheat Chicken Eggplant Parmesan

To reheat the chicken eggplant parm just place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven again at 350°F (160°C) for around 15 minutes - or until the chicken is hot throughout.

More Chicken Recipes

• Breaded chicken without eggs
• Mustard fried chicken
• Crispy fried chicken 
• Chicken bryan