Breaded Chicken Recipes

There’s nothing better than biting into hot and crispy breaded chicken cutlets! Classic Italian-style chicken cutlets are thin-sliced chicken breasts, lightly breaded with crisp coating of panko breadcrumbs, herbs and Parmesan. They cook in minutes and make a healthful meal everyone loves.

Yummmm: Golden crusted chicken, coated in crunchy panko crumbs, is such a tasty contrast of hot, crispy chicken with tender white meat.

I grew up eating classic Italian chicken recipes that we ate at home or at neighborhood Italian restaurants. I loved a hearty plate of breaded chicken mozzarella, coated in savory tomato sauce and topped with melty cheese, or a simple chicken Milanese in a butter sauce.

The issue with those old-school recipes for chicken cutlets is the chicken is usually coated in white flour and fine breadcrumbs — and then deep-fried. The result is often gummy and hard to digest. That’s not the kind of food that fits into a healthy menu plan.

My recipe is a very lightened-up version —the chicken turns out with a clean, crisp texture cooked in extra-virgin olive oil. It tastes bright and fresh topped with a squeeze of lemon, shaved Parmesan cheese and arugula greens on top.

To streamline the process for cooking breaded chicken cutlets, this recipe starts with thin-cut chicken breasts that are quickly pan-fried. They finish cooking to perfection in about 10 minutes in the oven.

The method for breading and cooking the cutlets is simple. But it does involve setting up a prep area on your counter. Use two shallow dishes for dipping and dredging the chicken (I use basic pie plates).

Crispy Breaded Chicken

Perfectly seasoned & breaded chicken is baked until crispy on the outside & juicy on the inside!

Prep: 15min

Total: 40min

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 527 kcal, Carbohydrate 46 g, Protein 59 g, Fat 10 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Trans Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 227 mg, Sodium 640 mg, Fiber 3 g, Sugar 2 g, unSaturated Fat 5 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts (1 ½ pounds )
• 2 eggs (beaten)
• 1 cup flour
• ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper
• ⅔ cup Panko bread crumbs
• ⅔ cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon dried basil
• 2 tablespoons parsley flakes
• cooking spray

Instruction:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Pound chicken breasts to ½ inch thick.
3. Beat eggs and set aside. Mix flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish.
4. In another dish, combine Panko, bread crumbs, and seasonings.
5. Dip chicken in flour and shake off any excess.
6. Dip in the egg mixture and then into the bread crumbs. Gently press the crumbs to adhere.
7. Generously spray the chicken with cooking spray on each side and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
8. Bake for 25-28 min or until the chicken reaches 165°F.

Panko-Breaded Chicken Cutlets

There’s nothing better than biting into hot and crispy breaded chicken cutlets! Classic Italian-style chicken cutlets are thin-sliced chicken breasts, lightly breaded with crisp coating of panko breadcrumbs, herbs and Parmesan. They cook in minutes and make a healthful meal everyone loves.

Prep: 15min

Total: 30min

Yield: 4

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 468 kcal, Carbohydrate 47 g, Protein 18 g, Fat 23 g, Saturated Fat 4 g, Sodium 564 mg, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 0.1 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups panko crumbs
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 eggs
• ½ teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or ground black pepper)
• 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1½ pounds total, sliced into cutlets)
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• Hunk of Parmesan cheese (for shaving)
• Handful of arugula or baby greens
• ½ lemon sliced into wedges

Instruction:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Put two shallow bowls or pie plates on your work surface. Put the panko, parsley, and Parmesan in one plate and stir to combine. Crack the eggs into the other plate, then add the garlic powder, salt and cayenne and whisk until blended.
3. Dip the chicken into the egg mixture, turning to coat on both sides. Tip: To keep your hands clean, use a pair of tongs or a fork to handle the chicken.
4. Transfer the chicken to the panko mixture, turning it over to coat both sides with the crumbs. Nudge and press additional crumbs onto any bare spots. At this point, cook the chicken immediately, or arrange in one layer on a sheet pan, cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours ahead.
5. Heat a large (preferably 12-inch) nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles and immediately evaporates. Add a generous layer of olive oil (start with 2-3 tablespoons). Add the chicken breasts and cook until golden brown on one side, about 3 minutes. Gently turn the chicken over with a spatula and cook another 2 minutes. Note: If your pan isn’t large enough to hold all the chicken without crowding, fry in two batches, two breasts at a time, adding more olive oil as needed.
6. Transfer the chicken to a rimmed baking sheet. Place in the preheated oven and bake 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
7. Place the hot chicken on a platter. Top with the greens and shave some Parmesan over with a vegetable peeler (or just use more grated cheese). Squeeze the lemon wedges over the chicken and serve.

Crispy Breaded Chicken Recipe

FAQ

How do you get breading to stick to chicken?

1. Pat the Chicken Dry.
2. Dredge in Flour.
3. Dip in Beaten Eggs.
4. Coat in Breadcrumbs.
5. Chill and Be Patient.

Do you put flour or egg first for breaded chicken?

What are options for breading chicken?