Fork N’ Flavor • Jar Sauce Upgrade

Creamy Vodka Chicken Parm with Pancetta (Jar Sauce Upgrade)

Crispy chicken cutlets, creamy vodka sauce boosted with pancetta + garlic + chili flakes, finished with fresh mozzarella and sweet cherry peppers. Comfort food, but sharp.

Serves:6

Prep:25 min

Cook:30 min

Total:~55 minPrint RecipeCopy Link

Drop your finished hero photo here later (4:5 crop works great).

Ingredients

• 2–3 organic chicken breasts, butterflied + pounded into 6 cutlets
• Salt & pepper
• All-purpose flour (about 1 cup, for dredging)
• 3 eggs, whisked
• Italian panko breadcrumbs (about 2 cups)
• Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (¾ cup + more for serving)
• Fresh mozzarella (8–12 oz), sliced or torn
• Sweet cherry peppers, sliced (to finish)
• Penne (1.5 lb)
• For the vodka sauce upgrade
• Jarred creamy vodka sauce (48 oz total — usually 2 jars)
• Pancetta (4–6 oz), diced
• Garlic (4–6 cloves), minced
• Red chili flakes (½–1 tsp)
• Butter (1–2 tbsp) (optional, for richness)
• Pasta water (½–1 cup, as needed to loosen)
• For frying
• Avocado oil (about ¾ cup) + olive oil (about ¼ cup), add as needed

Want the classic red-sauce version too? Try our NYC restaurant-style chicken parm.

Directions

1. Prep chicken. Butterfly and pound 2–3 breasts into 6 even cutlets. Season both sides with salt & pepper.
2. Set up breading line. Flour in bowl 1. Whisk eggs in bowl 2. Mix Italian panko + ¾ cup parm in bowl 3.
3. Bread. Dredge each cutlet: flour → egg → panko/parm. Press crumbs on well. Rest 10 min (helps it stick).
4. Upgrade the sauce. In a saucepan, cook pancetta over medium heat 5–7 min until browned and crisp. Add garlic + chili flakes for 30–45 sec. Pour in vodka sauce (48 oz). Simmer 8–10 min. Optional: whisk in 1–2 tbsp butter.
5. Fry cutlets. Heat a skillet with ~¼” oil (start with ¾ cup avocado + ¼ cup olive; add as needed). Fry 2–3 cutlets at a time until deep golden: 3–4 min per side. Drain on a rack.
6. Finish in the oven (best move). Heat oven to 425°F. Spoon a thin layer of sauce in a baking dish. Add cutlets, spoon a little sauce over (don’t drown), top each with fresh mozzarella. Bake 8–12 min until cheese melts and chicken hits 165°F.
7. Cook penne. Boil salted water, cook penne to al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, drain.
8. Toss pasta (recommended). Add penne to a pot with sauce and splash in pasta water until glossy and creamy. Plate. Finish chicken with sweet cherry peppers + parm.