Brooklyn Beckham, David and Victoria Beckham’s oldest son, has been posting his recipes on social media for a few years now, but his recent video for chicken parm racked up more than 6 million views — and not just because it looked delicious. All eyes are on Brooklyn right now after he took to social media last week expressing frustration and resentment with his parents, stirring some serious Beckham family drama.
Do the Beckhams really value public promotion and endorsements “above all else”? Did Posh Spice really dance “inappropriately” with her son during what was supposed to be his first dance with his wife? We definitely don’t know. But honestly, I’m more interested in his chicken parm.
His secret ingredient that really ruffled some feathers? (Hah, hah.) Ground chicken. I knew I needed to try the Italian dish the “Beckham way” and see if he cracked the code to the best (and perhaps easiest) chicken Parm ever.
How to Make Brooklyn Beckham’s Chicken Parm
Pour a neutral oil (canola or vegetable oil works) into a frying pan, and leave it to heat up while you prep your chicken. Season 1 lb of ground chicken with salt and pepper, and mix it together by hand. Now, that’s all Beckham used, but I would also suggest adding whatever Italian seasoning you want (like dried oregano or basil).
Lay a square of plastic wrap onto the counter and place your chicken on it. Beckham just made one giant chicken “cutlet,” but now’s the time to divide the chicken into as many pieces as you’d like. Use your fingers to pat and spread the mixture into your desired thickness and shape.
Dip your “cutlet” into whisked scrambled eggs and then breadcrumbs. Once the oil is hot, place your breaded chicken into the pan and let it sizzle. You want to make sure the breadcrumbs take on some good color here (that’s how you’ll get a nice crispiness!), and you may need to spoon a little oil on top of the chicken to make sure it cooks evenly.
Once it’s finished frying, place the chicken on some paper towels to soak up any extra oil. To a bowl, add a can of whole peeled tomatoes and use your hands to crush them. Add some seasoning — Beckham doesn’t, but you’ll want it. Place your crispy chicken on a baking tray lined with aluminum foil and then top it with a few spoonfuls of crushed tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.
Pop the tray into the oven and let the cheese melt and get nice and bubbly. Then top your chicken parm with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
My Honest Review of Brooklyn Beckham’s Chicken Parm
I wouldn’t call myself the world’s biggest chicken Parm fan, but I do really enjoy the dish. I just couldn’t tell you the last time I made it or ordered it at a restaurant. So, I was interested to see if Brooklyn’s recipe would change things for me. And I was pleasantly surprised.
Brooklyn is definitely a follower of the KISS method, aka Keep It Simple Stupid. And that for sure shows in this recipe, with its extremely limited seasoning and minimal steps.
I saw a couple of comments on the video that didn’t like Beckham’s choice of using ground chicken because, after frying it, it just seems like it’s a “large chicken nugget.” But I really liked this swap. The inside of the “cutlet” was super moist, something I feel like is lacking with a lot of chicken Parms I’ve had in the past. Using ground chicken also lets you decide how thick, thin, or wide you want to make the patty.
Also, being able to mix the seasoning into the ground chicken means you can pack in lots of flavor — it’s almost like a big meatball!
The crushed tomato sauce threw me off a little. Both my roommate and I wanted a richer flavor to better complement the chicken Parm. Normally, I like to soak up every last drop of sauce, but I really didn’t care if I was getting a bite with tomato or not; the crispy chicken was the star.
I want to give Brooklyn some credit for making a recipe that tastes so delicious and is basically impossible to mess up. I have countless recipe videos saved on my phone with way too many steps. They’re too intricate for me to ever replicate. But these steps are actually doable.
