The following recipe and excerpt for epic chicken vodka Parm are from “The Naughty Cookbook“ by Samantha Schnur. It’s available for pre-order on Amazon.

Oh, chicken Parm, I could write you a love letter any day of the week. You’re juicy yet crispy, dressed in a blanket of sauce and mozz that’s hard to deny. One bite, and you keep my mouth watering. While your classic recipe is solid to its core, I love to dress you up in vodka sauce as a twist.

Epic Chicken Vodka Parm

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 30 minutesCook time: 40 minutesTotal time: minutesServings:4 servings

Ingredients

Vodka Sauce

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
½ small yellow onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon red chile flakes
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
3 tablespoons vodka
1 cup heavy cream
1½ teaspoons agave
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Chicken

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (8 ounces each)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs, beaten
2 cups panko bread crumbs
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

Assembly

Canola oil, for frying
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Torn fresh basil, for garnish

Instructions

Make the vodka sauce:

In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot, onion, and garlic and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the chile flakes and tomato paste and cook until the tomato paste deepens in color, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan quickly from the heat and deglaze with the vodka. Stir until the vodka evaporates and return the pan to the burner over medium heat. Be careful, if the vodka ignites, remove the pan from the heat and let the flames die.
Stir in the heavy cream, agave, and butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan. The sauce should be on the thicker side. If it’s too thick, simply add ¼ cup hot water and stir. Set aside and keep warm.

Prepare the chicken:

Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally to make 4 cutlets. Place one chicken breast in between two pieces of plastic wrap. Pound the chicken using a meat mallet until it’s about ¼ inch thick. Repeat with the remaining pieces of chicken and season on both sides with salt and pepper.
Set up a dredging station with three shallow bowls: Add the flour to the first bowl. Add the eggs to the second bowl. In the third bowl, combine the panko, Parmesan, and Italian seasoning. Season each bowl well with salt and pepper.
Set a wire rack in a sheet pan and have near the stove. In a large high-sided sauté pan, heat ½ inch canola oil over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering.
Dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off any excess. Dip in the egg and then dredge in the panko mixture, again shaking off any excess.
Add 2 chicken cutlets to the hot oil and fry until golden brown and the chicken is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken to the wire rack and season with salt. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.
Once all of the chicken has been fried and is sitting on the wire rack, preheat the broiler. Spoon a generous amount of vodka sauce over each piece of chicken. Top with a slice or two of mozzarella.
Place the sheet pan under the broiler and cook until the cheese is melted and lightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with Parmesan, basil, and serve with extra vodka sauce on the side.

Reprinted with permission from The Naughty Cookbook: Decadent Recipes to Seduce Your Taste Buds by Samantha Schnur. Copyright © 2026 by Samantha Schnur. Photographs copyright © 2026 by Lauren Volo. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

This Recipe For Chicken Vodka Parm Is So Good, It’s Epic