Chicken Parmigiana

Lore & Background

Chicken Parmigiana is a beloved Italian-American creation, born in the kitchens of early 20th-century immigrants who adapted classic recipes to available ingredients. While its name echoes the Italian region of Parma, the dish itself is a testament to American innovation—a breaded chicken cutlet smothered in marinara and melted cheese. In The Bear, the sandwich version at The Original Beef of Chicagoland carries deep emotional weight, representing the old guard's attachment to tradition and Mikey's legacy. It's a dish that sparks debate between Richie's reverence for the past and Sydney's drive to evolve the menu, making it a symbol of the tension between nostalgia and progress.

In Their Own Story

The first known recipe for chicken paprikash appeared in István Czifray’s Magyar nemzeti szakácskönyv ('Hungarian National Cookbook'), written in 1830 for 'Hungarian housewives'. Czifray was the court chef of Archduke Joseph. The cookbook already reflects the transformation of Hungarian cuisine, in which chicken paprikash became one of the most popular dishes: 'Paprikás Tsirke (Tsibe, Pisellye). Take two or more chickens and cut them into pieces. Sweat a piece of butter or lard in a copper pot, add paprika, allspice, onion, and stew until yellowish – then add the chopped chicken and stew again until tender – sprinkle with a spoonful of flour, pour in a little meat stock, add sour cream according to your taste so that the sauce will be thick – season with paprika and serve.' According to Magyar Néprajz (Hungarian Ethnography): 'The social rise of paprika as a spice was aided by the treatment of gulyás meat as a national dish. By the Reform Era, culinary art had already created paprika-based dishes (sour cream chicken paprikash). At the same time, the use of paprika still symbolized peasants domestically, while beyond the western borders it symbolized Hungarians – a meaning that has persisted to this day.' A handwritten price list by innkeeper Mihály Márkus (Nyíregyháza, 1834) includes: 'Paprikás hús – 15 krajcár' and 'Paprikás Tsirke – 18 krajcár'.

Reader's Guide

The dish can be prepared using édes nemes (sweet) or csípős nemes (spicy) paprika; either adds a rosy color as well as flavor. Sometimes olive oil, sweet red or yellow peppers, and a small amount of tomato paste are used. The dish bears a 'family resemblance' to goulash, another paprika dish. The dish is traditionally served with 'dumpling-like boiled egg noodles' (nokedli), a broad noodle similar to the German spätzle. Other common side dishes include tagliatelle, rice, or millet. Food columnist Iles Brody's recipe called for chicken, onions, butter or lard, sweet paprika, green peppers, tomatoes, clove garlic, flour, and sour cream. Other recipes are similar. While quartered chicken parts are more traditional, modern interpretations of the recipe may call for boneless, skinless chicken thighs. A version of paprikash (паприкаш) exists in Bulgarian cuisine; however, it includes smaller amounts of paprika being added to the sautéed onion at the beginning of the cooking and then adding cubed, usually green, sweet peppers. The dish is centered on the latter. Chicken paprikash was adopted as a Sabbath dish by the Jews of Hungary and Czechoslovakia and remains popular today amongst Ashkenazim. Tomatoes are often included, and in Romania the dish was traditionally served with mămăligă. When cooked by Jews, chicken paprikash typically does not include any dairy products, due to the Jewish prohibition against mixing meat and dairy. Chicken paprikasch is also a dish commonly eaten by Danube Swabians. The Czech variation is often served with knedliky.

Did You Know?

• The dish likely originated in the United States among Italian immigrants in the early 20th century, though its name references the Italian region of Parma.
• Chicken Parmigiana is a variation of the classic Eggplant Parmigiana, which dates back to 18th-century southern Italy.
• In The Bear, the sandwich version at The Original Beef of Chicagoland symbolizes the old guard's resistance to change.
• The dish is often called 'chicken parm' for short and is a staple of Italian-American red-sauce restaurants across the U.S.
• Despite its name, Chicken Parmigiana is not typically associated with the city of Parma, Italy, but rather with Italian-American cuisine.