Chicken Cutlets
In this simple recipe for Italian-American style chicken cutlets, chicken breasts are sliced thinly, pounded even thinner, then breaded with a mixture of panko, Parmesan, garlic and Italian herbs. The breaded cutlets are wonderful served simply with a few lemon wedges, topped with a vinegary, green salad, or even used to make chicken Parm. The trick to ensuring your cutlets come out perfectly crunchy is to wait until the oil is very hot before adding them to the pan. Doing so will prevent the chicken from sticking and the bread crumbs from becoming soggy. Take your time cooking the cutlets, moving them around in the hot oil with tongs and pressing them gently for evenly browned, perfectly golden results.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- 2boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 ounces each)
- Salt and black pepper
- ½cup all-purpose flour
- 2large eggs
- 1 ½cups panko bread crumbs
- ⅓cup grated Parmesan
- ½teaspoon garlic powder
- ½teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ⅓cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ⅓cup neutral oil, such as canola or avocado oil
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
Step 1
Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel, then carefully slice each in half horizontally to form two thin cutlets. Using a meat mallet or a rolling pin, pound the cutlets until they are somewhere between 1/8- and 1/4-inch thick. Season the chicken all over with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.Step 2
Place the flour in a shallow bowl or rimmed plate. Crack the eggs into a second bowl and beat them with a fork. In a third bowl, combine the panko, Parmesan, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.Step 3
Working one at a time, dip the chicken breasts into the flour, shaking off any excess, then into the egg mixture, then the panko mixture. Place the chicken breasts on a plate until ready to cook.Step 4
Heat the olive oil and canola oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high. When the oil is hot (it should sizzle immediately if you drop a bread crumb into the pan), carefully place two cutlets in the pan. Adjust the heat to medium and cook about 2 minutes on each side, until golden-brown and just cooked through.Step 5
Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with the remaining two cutlets, adjusting the heat as necessary.Step 6
Serve the cutlets hot or warm, with lemon wedges on the side.