A weeknight bowl version of the pub-classic chicken parma, layered over rice with melted cheese and napoli sauce.
Chicken parmigiana, universally called a 'parma' in Australia, is the single most ordered dish at pubs across the country, and this bowl turns the classic crumbed cutlet, napoli sauce and melted cheese combo into a faster weeknight format served over rice instead of chips. The chicken is still pounded thin and crumbed properly, since a soggy or thick cutlet ruins the dish regardless of what it's served over. The crumbed cutlet is shallow-fried until deeply golden and genuinely crisp, then topped with a simple napoli sauce and a generous layer of mozzarella melted under the broiler until bubbling. Served sliced over rice with the sauce pooling into the grains, it keeps the crunch-sauce-cheese balance that makes a parma a parma, just without the deep fryer and chips. It's built for a normal Tuesday night, the way Australians actually eat their beloved pub food at home rather than as a special-occasion restaurant order.
Serves 4
Pound each chicken breast between plastic wrap to an even 1/2-inch thickness. Season with salt.
Set up flour, beaten eggs and breadcrumbs in three separate shallow dishes.
Dredge each cutlet in flour, then egg, then press firmly into breadcrumbs to coat evenly.
Press the breadcrumbs on firmly with your palm — a light dusting falls off in the pan and leaves patchy spots.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry cutlets 3-4 minutes per side until deep golden and cooked through.
Transfer cutlets to a baking sheet, spoon napoli sauce over each, sprinkle with oregano, and top generously with mozzarella.
Broil 3-4 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling with golden spots.
Slice the cutlets and lay over bowls of rice, spooning extra sauce over the top. Finish with torn basil.
Pound the chicken to an even thickness so it cooks through at the same rate the crumb crisps up.
Press the breadcrumbs on firmly rather than just rolling the cutlet through them — a loose coating flakes off during frying.
Broil just until the cheese bubbles and browns in spots; too long and the crumb underneath turns soggy from the sauce.
Add a few slices of ham under the cheese for a 'parma with ham' variation common at Australian pubs.
Serve over chips instead of rice for the classic pub presentation.
Use chicken thighs instead of breast for a juicier, slightly richer cutlet.
Refrigerate components separately up to 3 days; reheat the crumbed chicken in a 375°F oven to keep it crisp rather than microwaving, which softens the crumb.
Chicken parmigiana in its Australian pub form developed from Italian immigrant cooking in the mid-20th century, evolving away from the eggplant-based Italian parmigiana into a crumbed chicken cutlet topped with tomato sauce and cheese, and it's now considered one of Australia's defining pub-food dishes.
Yes — bake breaded cutlets at 400°F for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway, though the crumb won't be quite as deeply golden as pan-frying.
A good jarred marinara or your own simple simmered tomato sauce with garlic and basil works just as well.
This usually means the flour or egg layer wasn't applied evenly, or the pan wasn't hot enough — make sure each layer fully coats the chicken and the oil is shimmering before adding the cutlets.
Per serving (420g / 14.8 oz) · 4 servings total
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