Chicken Parm Grilled Cheese (Print View)

A delicious fusion of chicken parmesan and grilled cheese featuring crispy chicken, zesty marinara, and melted mozzarella between golden, garlicky bread.

# What You'll Need:

→ Crispy Chicken

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
05 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
06 - 1 tsp garlic powder
07 - 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
08 - 1/2 tsp salt
09 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
10 - Vegetable oil for frying

→ Sandwich

11 - 8 slices Italian bread or sourdough
12 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
13 - 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
14 - 1 cup marinara sauce, warmed
15 - 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
16 - 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

# How to Prepare:

01 - Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally to create 4 thin cutlets of uniform thickness.
02 - Arrange three shallow bowls in sequence: flour in the first, beaten eggs in the second, and panko mixed with Parmesan, garlic powder, Italian herbs, salt, and pepper in the third.
03 - Coat each chicken cutlet thoroughly in flour, tap off excess, dip in beaten egg, then press into panko mixture until completely covered.
04 - Heat 1/2 inch vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry breaded cutlets 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
05 - Mix softened butter with minced garlic in a small bowl until well combined. Spread evenly on one side of each bread slice.
06 - Place 4 bread slices buttered side down. Layer each with one fried chicken cutlet, marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and basil leaves. Top with remaining bread slices buttered side up.
07 - Heat a clean skillet or griddle over medium-low heat. Grill assembled sandwiches 3-4 minutes per side, applying gentle pressure, until bread achieves golden color and cheese melts completely.
08 - Slice sandwiches diagonally and serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It takes two nostalgic favorites and turns them into something you didn't know you were missing.
  • The garlic butter on the bread gets crispy in all the right places and smells like an Italian bakery.
  • You can make it start to finish in about half an hour, which feels like a weeknight miracle.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully in a skillet, so you can enjoy it twice without any sogginess.
02 -
  • If your oil isn't hot enough, the breading will absorb too much grease and turn soggy instead of crispy.
  • Don't rush the grilling step, low and slow heat gives the cheese time to melt without burning the bread.
  • Warm your marinara sauce before assembling or it will cool down the sandwich and make the cheese harder to melt.
03 -
  • Press the sandwiches gently with the spatula while grilling to help the cheese melt evenly and the bread brown faster.
  • Use a meat mallet to pound the chicken breasts even thinner if you want them to cook in under three minutes per side.
  • Toast the bread lightly in the skillet before assembling if you're worried about sogginess from the marinara.
  • Add a pinch of crushed red pepper to the marinara for a little heat that wakes up the whole sandwich.
Go Back