Chicken Parmesan Pita Pockets
Chicken can be prepared up to 2 hours in advance and refrigerated. Assemble and bake sandwiches just prior to serving.
Chicken can be prepared up to 2 hours in advance and refrigerated. Assemble and bake sandwiches just prior to serving.
- 1/2 ts salt
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts pounded to an even thickness of 1/2-i
- 3/4 c criscoâ® pure vegetable oil divided or 3/4 cup criscoâ® puritan canola oil with omega-3 dha
- 1/4 ts black pepper freshly ground
- 2 ts jarred minced garlic or 1 large garlic clove, peeled and minced
- 1 ts italian seasoning
- 1/3 c italian-seasoned bread crumbs
- 4 tb grated parmesan cheese
- 4 lg pita breads, sandwich-size top 1-inch cut off
- 1/2 c marinara sauce heated
- 1 c shredded mozzarella cheese about 4 ounces
- 12 thin slices salami (optional) or baked ham, thin slices
- Carbohydrate 59.57685171472 g
- Cholesterol 136.903166666667 mg
- Fat 40.8369275961533 g
- Fiber 3.58889409235498 g
- Protein 49.46459405448 g
- Saturated Fat 15.1516665833333 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (337g)
- Sodium 1884.07016666617 mg
- Sugar 55.987957622365 g
- Trans Fat 2.96257401282 g
- Calories 811 calories
Step-by-step
- HEAT oven to 425F. Line 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan with heavy duty aluminum foil. Rinse chicken. Pat dry. Combine 1/4 cup oil, salt, pepper, garlicand Italian seasoning. Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.
- POUR remaining 1/2 cup oil into baking pan. Heat in oven 5 minutes. Combine chicken with seasoned mixture. Pat bread crumbs onto chicken strips. Remove pan from oven. Add chicken strips in single layer. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven.Turn chicken with tongs. Return to oven. Bake 6 minutes, or until chicken is nolonger pink in center. Remove from pan. Drain on paper towels.
- REDUCE oven temperature to 400F. Tuck chicken slices into pita pockets. Spoon sauce and mozzarella cheese over chicken. Tuck in prosciutto or salami slices, if desired. Place filled pitas on baking sheet. Bake pitas for 6 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
Chicken breasts do the heaviest lifting in this preparation, demanding careful management of moisture and heat to achieve a shatteringly crisp crust without drying out the interior meat. Pounding the poultry to an even half-inch thickness ensures that the edges finish cooking at the exact moment the center reaches safety without over-toughening the protein fibers. Thoroughly drying the surface with paper towels before oil application is non-negotiable, because residual surface water creates steam that instantly deglazes the breadcrumb coating and prevents proper browning.
The Physics of Pan-Frying and Baking
Preheating the oil inside the baking pan before introducing the coated meat triggers an immediate sear that locks in juices while crisping the parmesan and breadcrumb layer. Turning the cutlets with tongs at the eight-minute mark allows uniform heat transfer across both sides in the 425F oven environment. When scaling this dish up for larger groups, avoid crowding the baking sheet or the oil temperature will drop, resulting in greasy rather than crisp cutlets.
- If the breadcrumbs slide off the meat, press them down more firmly into the oil-and-seasoning mixture before baking.
- Should the mozzarella fail to brown during the final six-minute melt at 400F, switch the oven to broil for precisely sixty seconds while watching constantly.
