Bobby Flay Serves Extra Crispy Chicken Parmesan With This Pro-Level Tip

Does "celebrity chef cooking" automatically equal "inaccessible, lofty haute cuisine?" Not necessarily. Beloved kitchen wizard Bobby Flay has previously shown us pro-level tips to elevate even the most mundane meals — check out the unique step he takes for better fried chicken — and, to nobody's surprise, he's bestowed upon us a hack for exquisite, extra-crispy chicken parm. In a segment from TODAY Food, available on YouTube, Flay shows off what sets apart his chicken parmigiana, which he alleges is a lighter, more refined version of chicken parmesan. The chicken is still dredged and fried, but it gets unique savor and sublime crispiness from a step that Flay skips rather than any special additions.

Flay's trick is that he doesn't smother the crispy chicken cutlets in a bath of marinara sauce, which might drown the delicate texture of the breaded and fried meat. Instead, he spoons a thick layer of sauce onto his plates and nestles the chicken atop it before serving. Flay is so fond of this take on an Italian classic that he dishes it up at his restaurant Amalfi, which is located in Caesars Palace Las Vegas. 

There, as on the TODAY show, Flay uses chunks of hand-torn buffalo mozzarella to crown his crispy chicken, along with fresh basil, peppery arugula, shredded Parmesan Reggiano cheese, and a drizzle of olive oil. According to the anchors who tasted the dish on camera, the resulting chicken parmigiana had a delightful lightness compared to heavier chicken parm dishes.

Bobby Flay's crispier take on chicken parm eats lighter than the meal you might whip up for family dinner because it's not drowned in sauce, but this isn't the only famous take we've seen on chicken parm that lightens its typical heaviness. Flay's good friend and colleague, Giada De Laurentiis, for instance, makes her chicken parmesan all in one pan with a chicken that's pan-fried instead of breaded. She deems it healthier chicken parmesan, but it looks as luxuriant as any Italian chicken dish you might make at home. Another Food Network alum, chef Gabe Bertaccini, blisters cherry tomatoes in the oven in lieu of sweet, soppy marinara. His chicken is meant to be rustic instead of refined, but it still looks and tastes like something special.

The difference between the dishes that chefs make and the ones that you craft in your kitchen often come down to small touches that may seem insignificant but actually work wonders towards upgrading the whole meal in terms of presentation, taste, and texture. Bobby Flay's sauce switch-up accomplishes all three. Next time you make chicken parm, pile it up with herbaceous, fragrant greenery as Flay does and make sure the sauce goes under the crispy chicken. A little al dente pasta will round out the meal, along with a fresh salad. To that end, don't forget Bobby Flay's salad dressing hack that will ensure that your salad is expertly prepared, too.