Best Ever Chicken Cutlets
This recipe for Italian breaded Chicken Cutlets is the BEST you’ll ever have! There a few key secrets to getting that crispy outer coating just right. Turn them into chicken parm, or my favorite, chicken Milanese!
Prep: 30min
Total: 1h
Yield: 4
Nutrition Facts: servingSize None, calories 823 calories, Sugar 5.3 g, Sodium 1006.1 mg, Fat 19.6 g, Saturated Fat 5.2 g, Trans Fat 0 g, Carbohydrate 84.2 g, Fiber 5 g, Protein 72.2 g, Cholesterol 312.4 mg
Ingredients:
- 3 cups homemade breadcrumbs or panko
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated
- 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh Italian flat leaf parsely
- 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (optional)
- 3/4 cup plus 1/2 cup finely grated pecorino Romano or parmesan cheese (or both)
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
- olive oil for frying
Instruction:
- Add the breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, Italian seasoning, and 3/4 cup cheese to a medium shallow bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then use your fingers to mix it together, working the garlic into the breadcrumbs until evenly distributed.
- In another medium, shallow bowl, whisk together 3 eggs with 1/2 cup cheese, a pinch of salt and pepper and 1 tablespoon water until combined.
- Pour the flour into another shallow bowl or plate, season with salt and pepper and mix to combine.
- Take one piece of thinly sliced chicken and place it on a cutting board. Place a piece of plastic wrap over top, then use a meat mallet to pound it out to be about 1/2 inch thick. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Season each piece of chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Set up the breading station so that the chicken is on the far left, then next to it the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs, and then a landing plate or pan to hold the breaded chicken.
- Take a piece of chicken and dip it into the flour to coat on all sides, then tap off the excess (*See note).
- Next, dip it in the egg mixture and let the excess drip off.
- Transfer the chicken into the breadcrumbs. Be sure to press it down and move it around so that it’s thoroughly coated. Place the chicken on the reserved plate, and repeat with the remaining pieces.
- Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed saute pan over medium-high heat. Place 1-3 chicken breasts in at a time, depending on how many your pan can hold. Don’t overcrowd the pan.
- Cook until golden brown on each side, then remove to a rack or paper towels to drain.
- Serve immediately, or place in a 250 degree F oven for up to 1 hour before serving to keep warm.
How to Make Perfect Crispy Chicken Cutlets | From the Test Kitchen | Bon Appetit
FAQ
How to make chicken cutlets without breading falling off?
Dust the chicken in the flour and shake off any excess. The flour should be enough to create a moisture barrier around the cutlet; otherwise, the moisture created during frying is going to create steam that will cause your breading to flake off.
Why do you put flour on chicken cutlets?
Better Breading
Theoretically, the flour helps the egg adhere to the chicken and the egg holds on to the bread crumbs.
What is chicken cutlet made of?
A chicken cutlet is simply a chicken breast that has been cut in half horizontally to make two thinner pieces. Often, the cutlet is also pounded out to make it even thinner so it cooks even quicker and more evenly.
How do you get chicken cutlet breading to stick?
The trick to making the breading stick is to dry the surface of the chicken, and then create a glue-like surface with a flour and egg blend. As a result, breadcrumbs adhere to the surface, creating a crispy outside that helps keep the meat moist.
