Chicken Parmesan Calzone Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is pizza dough the same as calzone? ›

Both are prepared with flour, water, salt, and yeast; that's the solution. In contrast, the eggs and olive oil used in most calzone dough give it a deeper flavor and a softer texture. Eggs and oil are not common ingredients in pizza dough, contributing to its crispiness and durability.

Calzones' fillings do not include sauce; marinara is served on the side for dipping. Stromboli portions can also be dipped, but they can also be baked with the sauce inside.

Chicken Parmesan and chicken Parmigiana are just different names for the same exact recipe. And, with a name like “chicken Parmigiana”, you might assume that this recipe is Italian. While it has roots in Italy (in a way), chicken Parmesan is all-American.

Did you know that a standard calzone has over 1000 calories? On the other hand, a slice of pizza is around 300 calories. So just because they're technically the same in terms of ingredients and taste, they're not! A calzone can equal 3 slices of pizza so choose wisely!

Stromboli almost always contains mozzarella cheese, and will sometimes have another low-moisture cheese mixed in. Calzones, on the other hand, tend to contain ricotta cheese. You'll often find other cheeses like mozzarella as well, but ricotta is traditional in a calzone and almost never found in a stromboli.

You Don't Start Dry

The first step to breading chicken is crucial; make sure the chicken is completely dry before starting the dredging process. Using a paper towel, pat the meat dry on all sides. Excess moisture will cause the flour to get soggy and thus will not adhere properly to the chicken.

To maximize crispiness, I use panko breadcrumbs and fry the chicken in a little more oil (about an inch) than you might normally use when making parm. As soon as the cutlets are nicely browned and cooked all the way though, drain them on a rack or paper towels. They're crunchy; this will help them stay that way.

Delicate and ultra-crisp, sugar-free cornflakes also make a great breadcrumb or panko substitute, especially for coating chicken. Crush them with a rolling pin in a large plastic bag to turn them into crumbs.

Poke holes or slits in calzone before baking to prevent a dough balloon from taking flight in your oven. Use the oven's middle rack for baking calzone.

Set air fryer to 370°F and bake for 9 to 10 minutes. Baking times vary by air fryer. Calzone is done when it's golden brown and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Tip: To achieve a crisper bottom crust, use tongs or a spatula to flip the calzone over for the final 2 to 3 minutes of baking.

How do you make calzone not soggy? ›

Keep moisture to a minimum to prevent soggy crust. If possible, try to get as much moisture out of any fillings you can. Like for eggplant, you can salt it and put it in the oven first to get a good bit of water out. For cheese, go easy on the fresh mozzarella.

Why is it called “parmigiana” when it's typically made with mozzarella cheese? One theory lies in the geography of Italy. The cheese we know as parmigiana—or parmesan—is named after the city of Parma in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, where the delicate cheese was first produced.

Chicken parmesan or chicken parmigiana (Italian: pollo alla parmigiana) is a dish that consists of breaded chicken breast covered in tomato sauce and mozzarella, Parmesan, or provolone.

Despite being a staple of Italian-American cuisine, “chicken parmesan” is nowhere to be found in Italy. Instead, Italians nosh on parmigiana – eggplant layered with tomato sauce and cheese.

Rolling Out the Dough

Using a rolling pin, start in the center of the dough and roll outward, applying even pressure as you go. Rotate the dough frequently to ensure an even thickness and round shape.

Calzone does take slightly longer than standard pizza to cook because of the folded dough, so allow a couple of extra minutes. Once you have a puffed crust which is darkly charred in spots, remove from the oven with your turning peel and slide into a serving platter.

Combine 1 cup flour, undissolved yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add very warm water and oil; mix until well blended, about 1 minute. Gradually add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Dough should form a ball and will be slightly sticky.

Pasta is generally made from semolina flour, whereas all-purpose flour is used to make pizza dough. This is because pasta dough requires a lower gluten content than pizza. In addition, pizza dough contains yeast because it must be leavened, whereas pasta dough does not.