Gordon Ramsay's Simple Trick For Making Delicious Chicken Parmesan

Chicken parmesan is one of those dishes that has it all: Golden, fried chicken, gooey, warm mozzarella, fresh, tomato-based marinara — you get the idea. The hallmark of any good chicken parmesan, however, is the crispiness of your chicken. While there are many ways to improve upon your crisp — we're looking at you, potato starch – Gordon Ramsay recommends one tried-and-true technique. Ramsay's suggestion not only enhances the texture of your chicken but also its color. To see results for yourself, use butter, in addition to oil, during the chicken's frying stage.

Ramsay puts the combination to the test. His recipe for chicken parmesan uses a tablespoon of rapeseed oil and calls for frying your chicken for two and a half minutes on either side. "Once you've gotten the color on top, start placing little bits of butter underneath," Ramsay advises, in a chicken parmesan tutorial on "The F Word," also saying, "That makes the breadcrumbs golden brown."

Granted, cooking with oil is the most standard method for frying. But any — or more — butter is never going to taste bad. In the case of chicken parmesan, it only improves upon your chicken's crispiness, as well as richness of flavor. Just make sure your butter is hot, and follow the sequence of your favorite chicken parmesan recipe.

The key to any good chicken parmesan is in the name: It's all about the chicken. To make your chicken as good as it can be, Ramsay's recipe calls for breading and frying your chicken parmesan. It's during this frying stage when the butter trick comes into play. 

As for how to prepare your chicken for this step, make sure to trim your poultry and roll it so it evens out. Ramsay adds his chicken to a coating of flour, egg wash, and breadcrumbs. He also incorporates salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and parmesan cheese to spruce up the latter. Because you want your chicken fully coated in those breadcrumbs, Ramsay recommends rolling over your meat with a rolling pin to ensure the coating adheres while frying. This readies your chicken for your oil and butter mixture.

Once you've followed Ramsay's advice and added your butter, flip your chicken over and cook the other half for just under three minutes. Once it's done cooking, add your marinara sauce, mozzarella, and salt and pepper. From there, your chicken is good to bake — and nearly ready to taste.