Go Back
Andre Lewis

Chicken Parmesan Tender Skillet

Fine cornmeal and Parmesan give these chicken tenders a textured coating that can brown in a shallow layer of oil. Fry in batches so the pieces have room, then wipe out loose dark crumbs before making the tomato sauce in the same skillet. A thin layer of mozzarella melts under the lid after the cooked tenders return. Keep some chicken edges above the sauce rather than burying every piece, so the finished plate still has a little contrast between the crust and the soft tomato-and-cheese topping.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 4
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 12 raw chicken breast tenders about 1 1/2 lbs total, tough tendons removed
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tbsp water for egg wash
  • 1/2 cup fine yellow cornmeal
  • 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan
  • 5 tbsp olive oil divided
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 can 15 oz crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 cup water for sauce
  • 4 oz low-moisture mozzarella grated

Method
 

  1. Pat tenders dry and season with salt and pepper. Put flour in one shallow dish, beat egg with egg-wash water in another and mix cornmeal and Parmesan in a third. Coat each tender lightly with flour, dip in egg and press into the cornmeal mixture; discard unused coating mixtures.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook 6 tenders for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden and 165°F inside, then transfer to a clean plate. Repeat with 2 more tablespoons oil and the remaining 6 tenders.
  3. Carefully wipe loose dark crumbs and excess oil from the empty skillet with paper towels held in tongs. Lower heat to medium-low, add remaining tablespoon oil and cook garlic for 30 seconds.
  4. Add crushed tomatoes, oregano and sauce water. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon.
  5. Arrange cooked tenders over the sauce with some edges exposed, overlapping slightly if needed. Spoon a little sauce across their centers, scatter mozzarella over them and cover over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese melts.
  6. Remove from the heat and serve 3 tenders with tomato sauce per portion.