The marinara should be started first and can simmer while the chicken is being prepared. In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced garlic and cook for 60–90 seconds, stirring continuously, until the garlic is fragrant and just beginning to turn golden at the edges — do not allow it to brown fully or it will add bitterness to the sauce. Add both cans of crushed tomatoes. Add the salt, sugar, dried oregano, and several grinds of black pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the raw tomato edge has cooked off completely. The sauce should taste rich, sweet, and gently acidic — balanced rather than sharp. Add the fresh basil leaves in the final minute of cooking. Remove from heat and taste for seasoning, adjusting salt if needed. The sugar is calibrated for the acidity of canned tomatoes — reduce or omit if your tomatoes are particularly sweet. A good marinara for chicken parm should be slightly thicker than a pasta sauce — it needs enough body to sit on top of the crispy cutlet without immediately running off into the baking dish.

The full butterflying, pounding, breading, and frying technique is identical to the Italian Fried Chicken Cutlets — refer to that recipe for the complete step-by-step method. In summary: butterfly each breast open, pound to a uniform thickness of just under 1cm, bread through flour, egg, and the Parmesan-oregano breadcrumb mixture, and fry two at a time in 175°C vegetable oil for 3 minutes per side until deep golden brown and cooked to 74°C internally. Transfer to a wire rack — not paper towels — immediately after frying. The cutlets do not need to be fully drained and dried before assembly as they will be going directly into the oven, but the wire rack rest of 2–3 minutes allows the excess surface oil to drip away before the sauce goes on top.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Spread a thin layer of marinara — approximately 3–4 tablespoons — across the bottom of a large baking dish. This base layer prevents the cutlets from sticking to the dish and adds a layer of flavour beneath the chicken. Place the fried cutlets in a single layer over the sauce — they can overlap slightly at the edges but the majority of each cutlet should be flat. Spoon a generous amount of marinara over each cutlet, covering the centre and most of the surface but leaving the outer edges of the crust partially uncovered. The exposed crust edges will remain crisp in the oven while the sauced centre softens slightly — this deliberate partial coverage preserves the textural contrast between crisp crust and saucy centre that makes chicken parm satisfying rather than entirely soft. Distribute the torn fresh mozzarella or shredded low-moisture mozzarella evenly over the sauced areas of each cutlet. Scatter the additional 50g of finely grated Parmesan over the top of the mozzarella.

Place the baking dish in the fully preheated oven and bake for 8–10 minutes until the mozzarella has melted completely and shows the first signs of light golden browning at the surface, the sauce is visibly bubbling at the edges of the dish, and the Parmesan has formed a light golden crust on the surface. If the cheese has melted but not coloured, switch the oven to its broiler setting on high for 60–90 seconds — watching continuously — until the surface shows deep golden patches and the cheese edges are slightly charred. The broiler finish is optional but produces the more visually dramatic, restaurant-style result with patches of deep brown against the melted cheese. Remove from the oven and allow to rest in the baking dish for 3–4 minutes before serving — the sauce continues bubbling for a minute after leaving the oven and the rest allows the cheese to set slightly from completely liquid to a more cohesive layer.

Scatter fresh basil leaves over the top of the baking dish immediately before serving — the residual heat of the dish wilts the basil slightly and releases its aromatic oils. Serve directly from the baking dish, using a wide spatula to lift each cutlet with its sauce and cheese layer intact. Serve over Spaghetti or alongside garlic bread for the classic American-Italian complete plate, or serve as a standalone dish with a simple dressed salad alongside.