ASK THE BUTCHER | How to Make a Chicken Parma Properly

A great chicken parma is pretty simple when you get the order right: crispy chicken schnitzel, tomato sauce, ham, cheese, then just enough heat to melt and brown the top.

The biggest mistake people make at home is treating the final bake as part of cooking the chicken. It shouldn't be.

Your chicken schnitzel should already be golden, crisp and completely cooked before the sauce, ham and cheese go anywhere near it. The second cook is only there to heat the toppings and melt the cheese.

That one change makes a massive difference to the finished chicken parma.

Watch: How to Make a Better Chicken Parma

Ask the Butcher is our series answering the meat and cooking questions we hear from customers at The Lucky Pig Butchery in Bentleigh.

Should You Cook the Chicken Schnitzel Before Adding Parma Toppings?

Yes. Cook the chicken schnitzel completely before adding the tomato sauce, ham and cheese.

This is the most important rule in this guide.

If you're relying on the oven to finish cooking a partially cooked schnitzel underneath wet sauce, ham and cheese, the crumb has to sit under moisture while the chicken finishes cooking. That's exactly what you don't want when you're chasing a crisp Parma.

Instead, cook the schnitzel until the crumb is golden and crisp and the chicken is completely cooked through. Food Standards Australia New Zealand recommends cooking chicken to an internal temperature of 75°C.

You can check the thickest part with a meat thermometer if you're unsure.

What Is the Correct Order for Chicken Parma Toppings?

Our preferred order is chicken schnitzel → tomato sauce → ham → cheese.

Start with your fully cooked, crispy schnitzel. Spread the tomato sauce over the top, add sliced ham, then finish with cheese.

Putting the cheese on top gives it direct heat so it can melt, bubble and brown properly while everything underneath heats through.

1. Cooked chicken schnitzel
2. Tomato sauce
3. Ham
4. Cheese

How Much Tomato Sauce Should You Put on a Chicken Parma?

Cover the schnitzel like you would cover a pizza. Don't drown it.

You want enough tomato sauce that you get some in every bite, but not so much that the schnitzel disappears underneath it.

Too much sauce means more moisture sitting directly against the breadcrumb coating, which makes a soggy Parma much more likely.

The consistency matters as well. A thicker Napoli-style tomato sauce or reduced passata works better than a thin, watery sauce. If your sauce looks watery, simmer it down before building the Parma.

Why Does My Chicken Parma Go Soggy?

Chicken Parmas usually go soggy because too much moisture reaches the crumb, or because the schnitzel wasn't properly crisp before it was topped.

The most common causes are:

• partially cooking the schnitzel before adding the toppings
• using too much tomato sauce
• using a thin or watery sauce
• cooking the topped Parma for too long
• overcrowding the frying pan and dropping the oil temperature
• letting freshly cooked schnitzels sit somewhere they can steam
• leaving the finished Parma sitting too long before serving

The fix starts before the toppings ever go on.

Get the schnitzel properly golden and crisp, use a sensible amount of thick sauce, then finish the toppings quickly under strong heat.

And once it's ready, serve it. A Parma doesn't improve by sitting on the bench for 20 minutes.

What Is the Best Way to Cook Chicken Schnitzel for a Parma?

Pan-frying is our pick for the best chicken Parma.

A properly pan-fried schnitzel gives you the colour, crunch and texture you want underneath the toppings.

Heat the pan and oil before the schnitzel goes in. You want the crumb to begin frying as soon as it hits the pan rather than sitting in lukewarm oil and soaking it up.

Don't overcrowd the pan either. Adding too many cold schnitzels at once drops the temperature and makes it harder to get a crisp crumb.

Cook the schnitzel until golden on both sides and completely cooked through before you build the Parma.

Can You Bake Chicken Schnitzel for a Parma?

Yes. Baking works and can be convenient if you're cooking several schnitzels at once.

But if we're choosing purely on eating quality, pan-frying gives the better result.

If you do bake them, give the schnitzels plenty of room around each other and make sure they are crisp and completely cooked before adding the toppings.

Can You Air Fry Chicken Schnitzel for a Parma?

Yes. An air fryer is another perfectly workable option, particularly when you don't want to use a frying pan.

Again, though, pan-fried is king for the best crust and overall texture.

Whichever method you choose, the rule doesn't change: cook the schnitzel first, then add the Parma toppings.

What Chicken Is Best for Chicken Parma?

Chicken breast is the classic choice because it can be cut and flattened into a broad, even schnitzel that cooks quickly and gives you plenty of surface area for crumb and toppings.

If you're making schnitzels yourself, aim for relatively even thickness from one end to the other. Thick and thin sections on the same piece of chicken make even cooking much harder.

You can butterfly a chicken breast, flatten it gently and crumb it yourself.

Or skip the messy bit and start with our Chicken Breast Schnitzels, made from chicken breast and crumbed by the team at The Lucky Pig, ready to cook.

How Do You Stop the Crumb Falling Off Chicken Schnitzel?

If you're making schnitzels from scratch, the traditional crumbing process is:

Flour → egg → breadcrumbs

The flour gives the egg something to grip, and the egg gives the breadcrumbs something to grip.

For a crumb that stays attached:

• pat excess moisture from the chicken before crumbing
• coat the chicken evenly in flour
• shake off excess flour before going into the egg
• press the breadcrumbs firmly onto the chicken
• let the crumb settle before cooking if you have time
• don't constantly move the schnitzel once it hits the pan
• let the first side form a proper crust before turning it

Fine breadcrumbs give you a more traditional butcher-shop schnitzel crumb, while panko produces a rougher, more pronounced crunch. Both can work for Parma.

What Cheese Is Best for Chicken Parma?

The best Parma cheese needs to melt properly, brown nicely and still bring some flavour.

Mozzarella is excellent for melt and stretch.

Tasty cheese brings more flavour.

A combination of mozzarella and tasty cheese works particularly well for a classic pub-style Parma, while a little Parmesan can add extra savoury flavour.

Once the schnitzel underneath is already cooked, the cheese becomes your best visual cue.

Melted, bubbling and lightly browned? Get it out.

What Ham Should You Use on a Chicken Parma?

Use a good-quality sliced ham with enough flavour to actually contribute to the dish.

A Parma only has a handful of major components, so poor ingredients don't have many places to hide.

At The Lucky Pig we make our own premium leg ham in-house, slowly cooked and smoked for flavour and texture.

You can shop our Premium Sliced Leg Ham here.

Remember the order: sauce first, then ham, then cheese.

How Long Should You Cook a Chicken Parma After Adding the Toppings?

Only long enough to heat the toppings and melt the cheese.

The chicken underneath should already be completely cooked.

A hot grill works particularly well because it gives the cheese strong direct heat without unnecessarily continuing to cook the chicken underneath.

Once the cheese is melted, bubbling and starting to colour, the job is done.

Should Chicken Parma Sauce Be Hot Before It Goes On?

It helps if the sauce isn't fridge-cold.

You're trying to keep the final heating stage short. Adding very cold sauce means the finished Parma has to spend longer under heat before everything is hot.

Warm or freshly prepared sauce lets you melt the cheese quickly without unnecessarily continuing to cook the schnitzel.

But temperature isn't the main issue. The more important rule is: use a thick sauce and don't use too much of it.

Can You Prepare Chicken Parmas Ahead of Time?

You can prepare the individual components ahead of time, but for the best texture don't assemble the whole Parma hours before you plan to cook it.

The tomato sauce starts softening the crumb as soon as the two come into contact.

Instead, prepare your sauce, ham and cheese ahead and keep them ready.

If you're crumbing your own chicken, that can also be done beforehand and kept refrigerated.

Then cook the schnitzel, assemble the Parma and melt the toppings close to serving time.

What Is the Best Way to Reheat Chicken Parma?

Use an oven or air fryer if you want the best chance of keeping some crunch.

A microwave is fast, but it creates steam, and steam isn't particularly friendly to a breadcrumb coating.

Reheat the Parma thoroughly until the centre is steaming hot.

Just keep your expectations realistic. A reheated Parma is unlikely to be as crisp as one eaten straight after cooking.

Fresh wins.

Parma, Parmi or Parmigiana?

Depends where you are and who you're arguing with.

Here in Melbourne, Parma is the term you'll hear constantly. Chicken parmigiana is the full name, while parmi is commonly used in other parts of Australia.

Whatever you call it, we're talking about the same basic idea: crumbed chicken schnitzel, tomato sauce, ham and melted cheese.

We're butchers, not referees. Make it crisp and you can call it what you like.

7 Common Chicken Parma Mistakes

1. The Schnitzel Isn't Fully Cooked Before Topping

Cook it completely first. The final heating stage is for the toppings, not for finishing raw chicken.

2. The Crumb Isn't Crisp Enough

Get proper colour and crunch on the schnitzel before adding anything wet.

3. There's Too Much Tomato Sauce

Cover it like a pizza. Don't drown it.

4. The Sauce Is Too Watery

Reduce the sauce until it has enough body to sit on the schnitzel rather than soak straight into it.

5. The Topping Order Is Wrong

Schnitzel → sauce → ham → cheese.

6. The Finished Parma Stays in the Oven Too Long

Once the cheese is melted, bubbling and browned, get it out.

7. It Sits Around After Cooking

Serve the Parma while the crumb is at its best and the cheese is still hot.

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More Chicken Parma and Schnitzel Ideas

Once you've got the basic Parma technique sorted, you can start changing the toppings and flavours without sacrificing the crisp schnitzel underneath.

Cheeseburger Chicken Parma

Our Cheeseburger Chicken Parma takes a crispy chicken schnitzel and tops it with passata, cheddar, pickles, onion and burger sauce.

The flavours change, but the technique doesn't: cook the schnitzel until crisp and completely cooked first, then add the toppings and finish it.

View the Cheeseburger Chicken Parma recipe →

Hazelnut Crusted Chicken Schnitzel with Mozzarella & Pesto

For something further away from the traditional pub Parma, try chicken breast coated in a hazelnut, pepita and spice crumb, shallow-fried until golden and finished with mozzarella and pesto.

View the Hazelnut Crusted Chicken Schnitzel recipe →

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So, What Makes a Good Chicken Parma?

A good homemade chicken Parma doesn't need to be complicated.

Start with a quality chicken schnitzel. Pan-fry it until golden, crisp and completely cooked. Cover it with enough thick tomato sauce to reach every bite without drowning the crumb. Add ham, then cheese.

Give it a quick blast of strong heat until the cheese melts and browns, then serve it straight away.

Cook the schnitzel first. Sauce, ham, cheese. Melt the top. Eat it while it's crisp.

Visit The Lucky Pig Butchery

Visit The Lucky Pig at 452 Centre Road, Bentleigh VIC 3204 for fresh chicken schnitzels, house-made smoked ham, premium meat and butcher's advice.

Get directions to The Lucky Pig →