Here's an easy recipe for breaded Chicken cutlets. These thinly sliced chicken breasts are so crispy and delicious! It's a quick chicken recipe to make for any weeknight and will be loved by kids and adults.
If you are looking for a last-minute chicken breast recipe, these breaded chicken cutlets are quick and don't skim on the flavor.
These chicken breasts are thinly sliced then pounded and breaded with homemade seasoned panko with parmesan. The cutlets are also versatile, you can serve them with any side dish or pasta. If you have some leftovers, turn them into a chicken sandwich for lunch.
This recipe was inspired by this healthy baked chicken tenders recipe on my site and pairs well with this honey mustard dipping sauce.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love this Breaded Chicken Cutlets Recipe
- Ingredients for Italian-style Chicken Cutlets
- How to Slice Chicken Breast into Cutlets
- How to Make Chicken Cutlets
- Tips and Variations
- The Best Sauce to Pair with Crispy Chicken Cutlets
- What to Do with Leftover Italian Chicken Cutlets
- FAQ
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why You'll Love this Breaded Chicken Cutlets Recipe
- Quick but perfectly cooked. The chicken breast is cut in half horizontally and pounded to an even thickness. Therefore, the cutlets cook quickly and evenly.
- Truly crispy. They are made with panko breadcrumbs that are lighter and flakier than regular breadcrumbs. As a result, the chicken cutlets are crispier and less oily.
- Flavorful. The panko is seasoned with a generous amount of grated cheese, herbs, and spices. The end result is super tasty chicken cutlets, with flavoring spread nicely throughout.
- Affordable. Restaurant chicken cutlets could easily cost you $15 or more per order. This homemade chicken cutlet recipe is at a fraction of the cost you'd pay at the restaurant. Be on the lookout for a chicken breast sale at your local grocery store to save even more money.
Ingredients for Italian-style Chicken Cutlets
- Chicken breast. In this recipe, I used boneless and skinless chicken breast that I halved horizontally and then pounded to an even thickness. You can also use pre-cut chicken cutlets if your grocery store carries them.
- Breadcrumbs. I always go with unseasoned panko breadcrumbs to make fried foods. You can easily find panko breadcrumbs at any grocery market, such as Ralphs/Kroger, Vons, Albertsons, Walmart, Target, Amazon, Trader Joe's, and more.
- Cheese. You can use freshly grated parmesan cheese or pecorino romano. Both kinds of cheese add a crunchy texture and buttery flavor to the breadcrumbs.
- Seasoning. I used a combination of garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and paprika powder to add more flavor to the chicken and breading.
- Oil. Use neutral oil that has a high smoking point, such as canola oil or vegetable oil.
How to Slice Chicken Breast into Cutlets
Slicing chicken breasts into cutlets is not hard to do. You just need a sharp knife to make it easier to slice the chicken breast. Here's how:
- Freeze the chicken breast in the freezer for 15-30 minutes. This is an optional step to make the chicken breast less slippery during slicing.
- Place the chicken breast on a cutting board and remove any excess fat.
- Hold the top part of the chicken breast with the palm of your hand, then use a sharp knife to slice the chicken horizontally.
Now let's talk about the preparation and cooking steps.
How to Make Chicken Cutlets
1. Prepare the Breading Station
- In the first bowl, mix all-purpose flour with garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning.
- In the second bowl, mix an egg with a small amount of water and paprika.
- In the third bowl, combine panko breadcrumb with garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and parmesan cheese.
2. Prepare the Chicken Cutlets
- Pat the chicken cutlets dry with paper towels. This is an important step to ensure the maximum crispiness of the chicken.
- Dredge the chicken cutlets in flour, then shake off any excess flour.
- Dip the chicken into the egg mixture then shake off the excess.
- Coat the cutlets with seasoned breadcrumbs by pressing them down to make sure they adhere well. Again, gently shake off any extra.
3. Deep-Fry the Cutlets
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until it's shimmering.
- Once the oil is hot, work in batches to cook the chicken cutlets for about 2 minutes or longer per side, until crispy and golden brown.
- Transfer the cooked chicken cutlets to a wire rack or a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat this process to cook the remaining chicken cutlets.
Tips and Variations
- Hot oil. For maximum crispiness and less greasy cutlets, you need to cook them in hot oil. To test it out, you can drop in a small pinch of breadcrumbs. If you see bubbles around and the crumbs start to float, your oil is ready to use.
- Do not overcrowd the pan. Depending on the size of your pan, you can cook 1-2 chicken cutlets at the same time. The chicken cutlets shouldn't overlap each other or you'll end up with soggy and oily cutlets.
- Clean pan. Make sure that you remove the brown bits from the bottom of the pan between batches to prevent a burning taste. You can use a fine mesh strainer to remove brown bits, or just use new oil to cook the next batch (preferred method).
- Draining. You can drain the fried cutlets on a wire rack for a crispier result, or a paper-towel-lined plate to make them healthier. I personally prefer the latter method.
- Italian seasoning. This recipe also works well with dried thyme or oregano.
- Keep it warm. You can keep the cooked chicken cutlets in the oven at 175°F for up to an hour before serving.
The Best Sauce to Pair with Crispy Chicken Cutlets
Here are some of the best sauces to serve with crispy chicken cutlets:
- Mushroom sauce
- Beurre blanc
- Ketchup, just like how my kids like it 🙂
- Marinara sauce
- A creamy garlic butter sauce
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Creamy curry sauce
- Honey mustard sauce
- Ranch
What to Do with Leftover Italian Chicken Cutlets
If you have some leftovers chicken cutlets here are a few ideas on how to use the leftovers:
- In a chicken sandwich or wrap.
- As a topping for your favorite salad.
- As a topping for your ramen.
- In Asian-fried chicken bao with some Korean BBQ sauce.
FAQ
Let the cutlets cool down to room temperature. It should be no longer than 2 hours after cooking, or 1 hour when the temperature is 90°F or above. Transfer the cutlets to an airtight container. Properly stored, they can last up to 4 days in the fridge or 4 months in the freezer.
Preheat the oven to 400°F and let the chicken cutlets come to room temperature. Place the chicken cutlets on a wire rack over a baking sheet then reheat for 10 minutes or until the internal temperature registers at 165°F.
Working with 1 chicken breast at a time, place a breast inside a gallon zip-lock bag. Use a meat mallet or rolling pin to slightly flatten the breast to an even thickness from end to end.
Check Out More Chicken Recipes
- Easy Chicken Paprikash
- Hainanese Chicken Rice
- Chicken Piccata
- Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Stir Fry
- Baked Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs
- Harissa Chicken
- Chicken Chasseur
- Chicken Shawarma
- French Tarragon Chicken
I hope you'll enjoy this recipe and share it with friends! If you try it and don't mind, please leave me a comment and/or give this recipe a rating. Be sure to subscribe to receive weekly recipes and follow me on Pinterest.
📖 Recipe
The Tastiest and Crispiest Chicken Cutlets
Equipment
- a heavy-bottom skillet (about 12 inch or larger)
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder (divided)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder (divided)
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning (or use dried thyme or oregano)
- ½ teaspoon paprika powder (smoked or regular)
- 1 whole egg (beaten)
- 1¼ cups panko breadcrumb
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese or pecorino romano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons oil (divided, add more as needed)
Method
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels then freeze for 15-30 minutes. Use a sharp knife to slice the chicken horizontally then pound to an even thickness (about ¼ inch).(see notes)
- In the first bowl, combine flour, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon of onion powder.In the second bowl, mix an egg with one tablespoon of water and paprika. In the third bowl, combine panko breadcrumb with ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, ½ teaspoon of onion powder, Italian seasoning, and cheese.
- Dredge the cutlets in flour then shake off the excess. Dip the cutlets in egg mixture, shake off the excess then coat with bread crumbs, and press down to adhere.
- In a large skillet, heat the 3 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat until it's shimmering. Place 2 cutlets and cook for 2 minutes or longer per side, until crispy and golden brown. Transfer the cooked chicken cutlets to a wire rack or a paper towel-lined plate.
- Carefully clean up the pan with paper towels to remove brown bits. Reheat another 3 tablespoons of oil then cook the remaining chicken cutlets. (see notes)
Nutrition
Notes
- Do not overcrowd the pan. Depending on the size of your pan, you can cook 1-2 chicken cutlets at the same time. The chicken cutlets shouldn't overlap each other or you'll end up with soggy and oily cutlets.
- Clean pan. Make sure that you remove the brown bits from the bottom of the pan between batches to prevent a burning taste. You can use a fine mesh strainer to remove brown bits, wipe them out with paper towels, or just use new oil to cook the next batch.
- Pound the chicken. Working with 1 chicken breast at a time, place a breast inside a gallon zip-lock bag. Use a meat mallet, rolling pin, saucepan, or skillet to slightly flatten the breast to an even thickness from end to end.
- Hot oil. To test it out, you can drop in a small pinch of breadcrumbs. If you see bubbles around and the crumbs start to float, your oil is ready to use.
- Keep it warm. You can keep the cooked chicken cutlets in the oven at 175°F for up to an hour before serving.
- Chicken temperature. Chicken is safe to eat when the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Ein Dekoherzal in Bergen says
DA BEKOMME ICH JA GLEICH HUNGER
SCHAUT SEHR GUT AUS...
wünsche noch einen schönen ABEND
bis bald die BIRGIT aus TIROL
Rika says
Greetings to you in Tyrol! Thanks for the comment, Birgit 🙂 I hope you'll enjoy the other recipes on my site as well.
Best,
Rika