Chicken Parm Grilled Cheese (Printable)

A delicious fusion sandwich combining crispy chicken parmesan with grilled cheese, featuring marinara and melted mozzarella between golden garlic 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 teaspoon garlic powder
07 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
08 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
09 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
10 - Vegetable oil for frying

→ Sandwich Assembly

11 - 8 slices Italian bread or sourdough
12 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
13 - 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
14 - 1 cup marinara sauce, warmed
15 - 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
16 - 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, optional

# Steps:

01 - Slice each chicken breast 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 mixture combined with Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, Italian herbs, salt, and pepper in the third.
03 - Dredge each chicken cutlet in flour, shake off excess, dip in beaten egg, then coat generously with panko mixture, pressing lightly to adhere.
04 - Heat 1/2 inch vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry breaded chicken cutlets 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
05 - In a small bowl, mix softened butter with minced garlic until well combined. Spread evenly on one side of each bread slice.
06 - Place 4 bread slices buttered side down on a clean surface. Layer each with a fried chicken cutlet, marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and basil leaves if desired. Top with remaining bread slices, buttered side up.
07 - Heat a clean skillet or griddle over medium-low heat. Grill assembled sandwiches 3 to 4 minutes per side, pressing gently, until bread is golden and cheese is melted.
08 - Slice sandwiches diagonally and serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It takes everything you love about chicken parmesan and makes it handheld, messy, and impossible to share.
  • The garlic butter crisps the bread into something that shatters perfectly when you bite down.
  • You get to eat it with your hands, which somehow makes it taste even better.
  • It uses simple ingredients you probably already have, or can grab in one quick store run.
02 -
  • If your oil is too hot, the breading will burn before the chicken cooks through, so keep it at a steady medium heat and adjust as needed.
  • Do not skip softening the butter, because cold butter will tear your bread when you try to spread it.
  • Press the sandwiches gently while grilling, but not so hard that all the sauce and cheese squish out the sides.
  • Warm your marinara before assembling so the sandwich heats evenly and the cheese melts faster.
03 -
  • Use a cast iron skillet for grilling if you have one, because it holds heat evenly and gives you the best golden crust.
  • Let the fried chicken rest for a minute before building the sandwiches so the breading sets and does not fall off when you bite in.
  • If the bread is browning too fast but the cheese is not melted, lower the heat and cover the skillet with a lid for a minute to trap the heat.
  • Day old bread actually works better than fresh because it is slightly drier and crisps up beautifully without getting greasy.
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