Chicken parmo
Serves: 4
Prep time: 30 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Andrew Burton
Chicken parmo
Parmo is a classic takeaway dish from Teesside, created by an American army chef who settled in the area after World War II. Essentially a fried breadcrumbed piece of pork or chicken, slathered with ‘bech’ (béchamel sauce) and cheese, it’s not for the faint-hearted – although our version is more waistline-friendly
Serves: 4
Prep time: 30 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
497Kcal
Fat
24gr
Carbs
36gr
Sugars
4gr
Fibre
0gr
Protein
35gr
Salt
1.1gr
Tamsin Burnett-Hall
Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
Tamsin Burnett-Hall
Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
Ingredients
- 2 large skinless chicken breasts, about 160g each
- 25g plain flour
- 2 medium eggs, beaten
- 125g dried breadcrumbs
- sunflower oil, to deep fry and bake with
For the topping
- 25g butter
- 25g plain flour
- 250ml milk
- 1 bay leaf
- grated nutmeg
- 75g grated cheese (Red Leicester or mature cheddar)
Step by step
Get ahead
The bechamel sauce keep for up to three days in the fridge. The breaded chicken can be prepared the day before, or frozen.
- Preheat the oven to 240°C, fan 220°C, gas 9, unless you’re going to deep-fry the chicken.
- Start by making the béchamel sauce topping. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour; stir until smooth. Take off the heat; gradually whisk in the milk. Return to the heat, add the bay leaf and bring to the boil, stirring. Simmer for 5 minutes until thick; add nutmeg and season. Scrunch up a sheet of baking paper, dampen and press on top of the sauce to stop a skin forming. Set aside.
- Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally, then place between 2 sheets of baking paper and bat out to an even thickness (about 8mm) with a rolling pin.
- Put the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in 3 separate bowls. Season the chicken, then dip in flour, egg and crumbs to coat, in turn.
- If oven-baking, put the chicken on a greased baking tray and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil. Bake for 20 minutes until crisp, flipping after 15 minutes. If deep-frying, heat the oil to 160°C, or until a breadcrumb sizzles when dropped in the fat. Deep-fry the breaded chicken, two at a time, until cooked through and golden (about 3-4 minutes). Drain on kitchen paper, then transfer to a baking tray or dish.
- Preheat the grill to high. Spoon the béchamel sauce over each chicken breast (discard the bay leaf) and top with a handful of cheese. Grill until golden. Serve immediately, with chips and garlic sauce drizzled all over, adding salad, if you like.
