Crumbed deep-fried chicken is what I call heart attack on a plate. But the good news is… there is a healthier way.
Who doesn’t love a Chicken Parmi! So today I’m sharing my tips on how to make the best low fat parmigiana 😊 The ever popular parmi is a staple on most pub menus, but they can be very high in fat. So, I want to share how to make a parmi go from 65g fat to 8.5g fat.
When you think about a pub parmi, they mainly use thigh chicken, fatty ham, lots of full fat cheese, then they crumb and deep fry it. Then they serve it with a mountain of chips and a handful of salad. And often the salad is just a token gesture, almost a garnish. I call this heart attack on a plate.
So, how do I make the best low fat parmigiana?
Forget using crumbed and deep-fried chicken! I start with raw skinless chicken breast and use a kitchen mallet to flatten it down. Then I spread it with no added salt tomato paste, add 97% fat free ham and then top with low fat grated cheese. Then all that’s left to do is place the uncooked chicken parmi on a flat baking tray and bake it in the oven. It’s delicious and super easy to make, in fact I think it’s one of my easiest recipes.
What are some other healthy parmigiana options?
I have 5 parmigiana recipes in my cookbooks. So, there’s a few different versions, all with the delicious flavours you expect from a parmi. There’s the Chicken Parmigiana I described above in book 2 and Cooking for 1 or 2 people. My Portuguese Veal Parmi in book 7, it’s a bit spicy and delish. And in my latest cookbook – MORE Cooking for 1 or 2 people – I have a Tropical Chicken Parmi and also Chicken Parmigiana Balls. Then there’s the traditional Eggplant Parmigiana in Book 6.
A fun fact about parmigiana
A traditional parmigiana in Italy is the egg plant one. I don’t think you’d find a chicken parmigiana in a true Italian cookbook. The crumbed chicken parmigiana that we know here in Australia is an Italian/America dish.
Watch me make them on my weekly cooking show
Watch the video above to learn 3 ways to make the best low fat parmigiana.
Join me for Thursdays with Annette on my Symply Too Good Facebook page to see me make a delicious recipe from my cookbooks. Thursday at 2pm AEST Qld, NSW, Vic ACT, Tas | 2:30pm SA | 1:30pm NT | 12pm WA.
The key to weight loss is learning how to make your favourite meals in a healthy way – so you never feel like you’re missing out on the food you love! Check out my 9 cookbooks filled with deliciously healthy recipes HERE.