Crispy, golden brown and fork tender. There’s nothing quite like perfectly cooked chicken cutlets!
Let me show you how to get crispy pieces of juicy chicken that turn out delicious every time.
People often ask me, “What’s your specialty?” And if I had to choose one thing, it would be chicken cutlets.
I have probably made thousands of chicken cutlets in my life. I started out burning them, over and undercooking them, and all the things.
Over time, I perfected the art. And in this easy recipe, you’ll learn how to do it the right way, every time!
Whether you’re making a quick weeknight dinner or prepping a dish the whole family will love, mastering this easy recipe is a skill worth having in your back pocket.
And once you do, the different ways you’ll enjoy crispy chicken cutlets are endless.
Ingredients
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Italian breadcrumbs. There are recipes out there that use panko breadcrumbs, and that’s cool, but we are making Italian chicken cutlets! Go for breadcrumbs that already have the Italian seasoning in them. You’ll find my go-to brand here. I never waver from it.
- All purpose flour
- Eggs
- Extra virgin olive oil
How to Make Perfect Chicken Cutlets
Tenderize the Chicken
Place a piece of chicken between two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap.
Give it several good whacks with a kitchen mallet until it becomes flat. Depending on the thickness of the chicken breast, I’ll give it a few dozen whacks.
You want a nice, evenly thin chicken breast.
Heat the Oil
Pour about 1/4 inch of olive oil into a large pan. The oil should completely coat the pan, and then some.
We aren’t looking for the chicken to float in the oil, but we also want to create enough of a barrier between the chicken and the pan.
Heat the oil over medium-low heat while you set up your dredging station.
Set up your Breading Station
Grab three shallow bowls and line them up next to each other.
The first bowl should have the flour. The next bowl should have the beaten eggs, and the last bowl will have the breadcrumbs.
Dredge and Fry the Chicken
Coat a piece of chicken on both sides with flour. Then, coat it with beaten egg. Let the excess drip off and then dredge it in the breadcrumbs.
Now, place the chicken into the hot oil. When you do this, it should not be a big sizzle that you see or hear. It should be a soft bubbling around the edges of the chicken. If the sizzle is any bigger than this, your oil is too hot.
Watch your chicken frying low and slow, and check for the edges to start turning golden brown. Peek underneath to see the color. Once the chicken is golden, flip it.
If you have a kitchen thermometer, check for an internal temperature of 165F degrees.
Now, remove the chicken onto a wire rack set over paper towels.
Serving Suggestions
These Italian chicken cutlets are incredibly versatile! Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy them:
- Serve with lemon wedges, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a crisp arugula salad.
- Place on top of a Caesar salad or make my chicken Caesar sandwich recipe.
- Use cutlets in beloved dishes like Chicken Milanese and Chicken Parmesan.
- Use cutlets in a Philly favorite – my chicken cutlet sandwich recipe!
- Add leftover cutlets to a baking dish with pasta, sauce and Parmesan cheese to create a chicken Parm casserole.
Storage Instructions
Leftover chicken cutlets are my favorite things to find in the fridge. I’ll eat them cold right out of the foil!
Store them wrapped in aluminum foil or in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Reheat cutlets in the oven or air fryer for the best texture. Microwaving is okay in a pinch, but the coating won’t be as crispy.
Tips for Success
- Use a meat mallet. I didn’t always use one, but once I started, it was a total game changer. Pounding the chicken with a mallet is the best way to tenderize the meat and even it out so you get a fork-tender, evenly cooked cutlet every time.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. Cook the chicken in batches for the best results.
- Cook low and slow. If your chicken is rapidly sizzling, the heat is too high. Cooking at a medium-low temperature will give you a juicy cutlet with golden brown crust.
- Rest chicken on a wire rack instead of paper towels. This will allow the excess oil to drip off and the crust to remain nice and crispy.
FAQs
Chicken cutlets are thin chicken breasts without any skin or bones that have been pounded with a mallet to encourage even cooking.
Chicken cutlets are traditionally coated in breadcrumbs and pan fried until golden.
If your breadcrumb coating is not sticking to the cutlet, try one of these solutions:
1. Start with dry chicken breasts. Before you dredge the chicken in the flour, pat it dry with paper towels.
2. Press the breadcrumbs into the chicken breast. Use your hands to really make it adhere.
3. Rest the chicken on a wire rack for 30 minutes before frying. (I have not had to do this in this recipe, but it’s something you can try.)
4. Avoid flipping too soon. When the chicken is ready to be flipped, it should release easily from the pan and not stick.
A kitchen mallet is a worthy and inexpensive investment to make, especially if you plan to make chicken cutlets regularly.
If you don’t have a mallet, slice each breast horizontally so that you have 2 thinner breasts. Use a rolling pin to pound the breasts in between 2 pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper.
You sure can. Simply follow the instructions in the recipe card up until the frying part. Preheat your air fryer to 365F degrees.
Place your breaded cutlets into air fryer basket and coat them with nonstick cooking spray. Air fry for 8 minutes. Flip, coat them again with nonstick cooking spray and air fry for another 5 minutes.
Absolutely! First, place leftover chicken onto a baking sheet. Freeze them for 30 minutes. Then, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and place them into a freezer bag.
When you try this chicken cutlet recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy!
For more chicken recipes, try these:
Perfect Chicken Cutlets
Ingredients
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
- 2 large eggs beaten
- extra virgin olive oil for frying
Instructions
- Place each chicken breast between two parchment paper or plastic wrap. Pound thin using a kitchen mallet.
- Heat about 1/4 inch of oil in a large pan over medium-low heat. The oil should completely coat the bottom of the pan and then some.
- Set up 3 shallow bowls. Pour flour into the first shallow bowl, then beaten eggs into the second bowl and bread crumbs into the third bowl.
- Dredge each chicken breast in flour, then beaten egg mixture, then breadcrumbs.
- Place chicken into the skillet. It should bubble gently around the edges. If it sizzles loudly, the oil is too hot and the heat should be reduced.
- Cook until golden on each side, flipping after 6-7 minutes. Do not crowd the pan. Repeat the process with remaining cutlets.
- Remove the cooked cutlets onto a wire rack fitted over a sheet pan or paper towels.
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