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Dan Tana's Style Chicken Parmigiana
theartfulgourmet

Dan Tana's Chicken Parmigiana

This old School Italian-American popular dish was served at Dan Tana's in the mid 70s and still today - the popular Italian restaurant in LA where the Eagles wrote many of their albums and #1 hits like "Best of my Love" and "Lyin' Eyes". Eagles sat at table 4 and drank vodka tonics, ate this Chicken Parmigiana and Penne Arriabatta after late nights playing at the Troubadour next door. The secret? Thin cutlets + sauce on the bottom. That layering? Pure 1970s Hollywood magic.

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, butterflied & pounded thin
  • Flour
  • 2 cups Italian breadcrumbs
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups marinara (San Marzano tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, oregano)
  • Fresh mozzarella, sliced
  • Vegetable oil for frying

Method
 

  1. Pound chicken to ¼-inch thickness. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Dredge: flour → egg → breadcrumbs.
  3. Fry at 350°F until golden (2–3 min per side).
  4. Spread marinara on baking dish. Place chicken on top.
  5. Add sauce to center + mozzarella.
  6. Bake at 400°F (5–10 min), broil to brown.
  7. Plate with sauce underneath to keep crust crisp.

Notes

Recreating the Dan Tana’s experience at home relies on high-quality ingredients and a specific "old-school" layering technique. While they don't publish a formal cookbook, the recipe is based on long-standing descriptions from the restaurant's staff and regular patrons.
The key to this version is the thinness of the chicken and the "sauce-on-bottom" plating that keeps the crust from getting soggy.