Chicken parmesan
Chicken parmesan, or chicken parmigiana (Italian: pollo alla parmigiana), is a dish that consists of breaded chicken breast covered in tomato sauce and mozzarella, parmesan, or provolone cheese. A quantity of ham or bacon is sometimes added.
Chicken parmesan from an American restaurant | |
| Alternative names | Chicken parmigiana |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | United States |
| Main ingredients | chicken breast, tomato sauce, mozzarella, parmesan |
The dish originated in the Italian diaspora in the United States during the early 20th century. It has been speculated that the dish is based on a combination of the Italian parmigiana di melanzane, a dish using fried eggplant slices and tomato sauce, with a cotoletta, a breaded veal cutlet generally served without sauce or cheese in Italy.
Chicken parmesan is included as the base of a number of different meals, including sandwiches and pies, and the meal is used as the subject of eating contests at some restaurants.