Chicken Parm Sandwich with Brussel Caesar Salad

This crispy Chicken Parm Sandwich stacked on garlic bread, topped with warm marinara sauce, melty fontina and finished and a punchy Brussel Sprout Caesar Salad gives balance and texture. It's all the things you love about a classic Chicken Parmesan - comforting, cheesy and hearty- with a fresh twist making this a crave-worthy sandwich!

This chicken sandwich has protein, veg and starch - and believe me, it's filling on its own. We love an all-in-one meal like this and Red Curry Dumpling Soup!

A Quick Glance At This Chicken Parm Sandwich Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Garlic bread replaces a basic baguette!
• Easy to make with quick hacks like store-bought marinara sauce and garlic butter.
• Crispy chicken + creamy cheese.
• The freshness + tanginess of Brussel Sprout Caesar Salad cuts the richness of the chicken parm sandwich.

Recipe Ingredients

• Chicken Thighs: Select skinless boneless chicken thighs. Trim off any larger bits of fat if they remain. I prefer thighs when making a chicken parmesan sandwich for their juicy full flavor.
• Fontina Cheese: Fontina cheese melts beautifully and has many uses including Jalapeno Popper Dip. Look for it in the specialty cheese aisle at your local grocer.
• Parmesan Cheese: I do recommend buying a block of parmesan cheese to grate by hand or food processor for better quality and flavor.
• Olive Oil : A high-quality, traditional olive oil will impart beautiful flavor in the frying process. No need for extra virgin olive oil when cooking with high heat.
• Bread: I like demi baguettes for their slim profile.
• Garlic Butter Spread: Many stores sell this in their deli section, a great time hack.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Substitutions & Variations

• Can't find garlic spread? Make your own roasted garlic butter.
• Mozzarella is my go-to if I can't find fontina cheese. A block of mozz or fresh mozzarella both work well. Burrata cheese is also a lovely option. Use leftover burrata on Peach Burrata Salad!
• Slap a little vodka sauce or pesto in place of the marinara sauce on this Italian inspired sandwich.
• Boneless skinless chicken breast can be used in place of thighs if desired. Keep in mind breasts will dry out more quickly than thighs, so keep an eye on the temperature and pull them at 160°F. The chicken will carryover cook to 165°F. Thighs give you a bit more forgiveness if overcooked, as they stay juicy.

This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!

Expert Cooking Tips

• New to breading? Have a "dry hand" and a "wet hand" so you don't get clumps of breading on your fingers. Using one hand for each dry step and one hand for each wet step.
• Use a large heavy-bottom skillet. Stainless steel or cast iron skillets work best.
• Choose an oil with a high smoke point and neutral flavor. Olive oil (not extra virgin), avocado oil, or vegetable oil all work very well.
• Make sure your oil is 350°F before adding chicken. This will give a perfect fry and golden brown color. If oil is not hot enough, chicken will not fry correctly and you will not get the desired color or texture. This goes for any type of pan frying or deep frying, including falafel.
• Ensure the chicken is fully cooked to 160°F before adding the sauce and cheese. The chicken will continue carry over cooking to 165°F.

Chicken Parm Sandwich Recipe FAQs

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📖Recipe

Chicken Parm Sandwich with Brussel Caesar Salad

Krista Stechman

A crispy Chicken Parm Sandwich on garlic bread topped with a punchy Brussel sprout caesar salad, warm marinara sauce, and melty fontina.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course dinner, lunch

Cuisine american, italian

Servings 4 servings

Calories 1396 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Chicken Parmesan

• ▢ 4 chicken thighs boneless, skinless
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt Diamond Crystal
• ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper coarse ground
• ▢ ½ cup all purpose flour
• ▢ 2 eggs
• ▢ 1¼ cups panko
• ▢ ½ cup basil chiffonade
• ▢ 4 oz parmesan cheese freshly grated, divided
• ▢ ¼ cup olive oil
• ▢ 2 cups marinara sauce I use Rao's
• ▢ 4 oz fontina cheese

Garlic Bread

• ▢ 2 demi baguettes sliced in half length wise, cut into 4 equal size sandwich pieces
• ▢ ⅓ cup garlic butter spread

Brussel Caesar Salad

• ▢ 1 lb Brussel sprouts shaved
• ▢ ⅓ cup Caesar dressing Hellman's or Olive Garden brand work well

Instructions

 

Chicken Parmesan

• Preheat oven to 400°F then line 2 sheet trays with parchment paper
• Sprinkle salt and pepper over chicken thighs and allow to sit while preparing breading
• Add flour to one medium sized bowl then add a couple pinches of salt and pepper
• Whisk eggs and a splash of water (about 1 tbsp) to a separate bowl
• In a 3rd medium sized bowl, add panko, basil, parmesan cheese, another couple pinches of kosher salt and a pinch of black pepper. Mix well
• One piece at a time, add your chicken to the flour, fully covering then dusting off before placing it into the egg wash to be fully submerged and covered, then place into the panko to be fully coated in breadcrumb. You may need to press panko down onto chicken for it to stick well. Remove the chicken and place on a sheet tray until ready to cook
• Heat a large frying pan with about ¼ inch of olive oil until it reaches 350°F. Place chicken in the pan and leave it undisturbed for 2-3 minutes until it's a medium golden brown color then flip and repeat on that side
• Remove chicken from pan and place on a sheet tray with a clean sheet of parchment paper. Top with marinara and fontina then bake 5 minutes until cheese is melty. Chicken should be 160°F-165°F

Garlic Bread

• While chicken is pan frying, smear garlic butter spread on the insides of baguette then bake 5 minutes until bread is warm and butter is melted

Brussel Caesar Salad

• While chicken is in the oven, mix brussel sprouts with Caesar dressing
• Once chicken is removed from the oven, place it on the baguette, top it with brussel salad and add the top piece of baguette. Serve sandwiches immediately

Notes

For a quicker meal, I use store bought marinara and garlic butter spread.

Make one of your hands the 'wet hand' and the other the 'dry hand' when breading the chicken to make less of a mess. Use the wet hand to pick up chicken and set it in flour, use dry hand to scoop flour over the top and pick it up, shaking it off, then place it into the egg wash where you'll use your wet hand to splash egg over the top and pick up the chicken to place it in the panko where you'll use your dry hand to cover with breadcrumb and place onto a pan. 

Heat oil should be heated to 350°F for proper frying. This temperature should be achieved before adding the chicken to the pan. 

Allow chicken to cook 2-3 minutes per side or until a deep golden brown color is achieved. 

If necessary, finish cooking chicken in the oven. You will need to do this if you have the perfect golden brown color and the chicken is not temping to 155-160°F. The chicken does get put back in the oven with the sauce and cheese for a couple minutes but you're aiming for 155-160 before that happens. 

Nutrition

Calories: 1396kcalCarbohydrates: 105gProtein: 61gFat: 82gSaturated Fat: 30gPolyunsaturated Fat: 16gMonounsaturated Fat: 31gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 293mgSodium: 3259mgPotassium: 1342mgFiber: 10gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 2712IUVitamin C: 106mgCalcium: 766mgIron: 11mg

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