Chicken cutlets are thin pieces of chicken breast with a crunchy, golden crust of garlicky breadcrumbs, parsley and Romano or parmesan, pan-fried until they crackle and juicy inside. Serve them with lemon wedges for a weeknight dinner, or tuck them into sandwiches the next day.
How to make chicken cutlets: pound sliced chicken breast to about 1/2 inch, coat it in seasoned flour, then an egg and cheese wash, then garlic-parmesan crumbs, and fry it in a generous amount of hot olive oil until golden on both sides and 165°F in the center.
Why You’ll Love It
- Crispy, cheesy crust with garlic and parsley in every bite.
- Thin and even, so the cutlets cook quickly and stay juicy.
- Feeds 6 from 2 pounds of chicken.
- Endlessly useful: dinner tonight, sandwiches, salads or chicken parmesan tomorrow.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken. Two pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced. A cutlet is simply a breast sliced in half horizontally and pounded thin. Many stores sell thinly sliced breasts, which saves you most of the pounding.
Breadcrumbs. Three cups of homemade breadcrumbs or panko. Italian-style crumbs work too.
Cheese. One and a quarter cups of finely grated pecorino Romano, parmesan or a mix, split two ways: 3/4 cup goes into the crumbs and 1/2 cup into the eggs.
Garlic and parsley. Three cloves of garlic, finely minced or grated, and 2 tablespoons of fresh flat leaf parsley go into the crumbs. A half teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning is optional.
Flour, eggs and oil. One cup of flour, 3 large eggs whisked with a tablespoon of water, and a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil for frying.
Ingredients
- 3 cups homemade breadcrumbs or panko
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, optional
- 1 1/4 cups pecorino Romano or parmesan cheese, finely grated, or both; divided, 3/4 cup for the crumbs and 1/2 cup for the eggs
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon water, stirred into the eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
- Extra virgin olive oil, for frying, a generous amount
How to Make Chicken Cutlets
1. Mix the crumb coating. In a medium shallow bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, Italian seasoning and 3/4 cup of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper and mix with your fingers until the garlic is evenly worked into the crumbs.
2. Mix the egg wash. In a second shallow bowl, whisk the 3 eggs with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese, a pinch of salt and pepper and 1 tablespoon water until combined.
3. Season the flour. Pour the flour into a third shallow bowl or plate, season it with salt and pepper and mix.
4. Pound the chicken. Set a piece of thinly sliced chicken on a cutting board, cover it with plastic wrap and pound it with a meat mallet to about 1/2 inch thick. Repeat with the rest of the chicken, then season both sides of each piece with salt and pepper.
5. Set up the station. Line up the chicken, the flour, the egg wash, the crumbs and a clean plate or pan for the breaded cutlets, in that order.
6. Bread the cutlets. Dip a cutlet in the flour to coat all sides and tap off the excess. Dip it in the egg wash and let the extra drip off. Press it into the crumbs and move it around until it is thoroughly coated. Set it on the clean plate and repeat with the remaining cutlets.
7. Fry. Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 to 3 cutlets at a time, depending on how many fit without crowding the pan. Cook until golden brown on each side and the center reaches 165°F on a food thermometer, then move the cutlets to a rack or paper towels to drain.
8. Serve or keep warm. Serve right away, or hold the cutlets in a 250°F oven for up to 1 hour before serving.
How to Make the Breading Stick
A good cutlet keeps its crust from the pan to the plate. It all comes down to the breading station: how you set it up and how you work it.
| Bowl | What’s in it | Its job |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Flour | Flour, salt, pepper | Absorbs extra liquid so the breading turns extra crispy |
| 2. Egg wash | Eggs, cheese, water, salt, pepper | Gives the crumbs something to stick to |
| 3. Crumbs | Breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic, parsley, seasoning | The crunchy outer crust |
Flour first, always. The order is flour, then egg, then crumbs. Tap off the extra flour so only a thin dusting stays on.
Let the egg drip. Hold each cutlet over the bowl for a moment so the extra egg runs off before it goes into the crumbs.
Press the crumbs on. Don’t just dip; press the cutlet firmly into the crumbs and move it around so every bit is covered.
Let them rest. Leave the breaded cutlets on the plate for 5 to 10 minutes before frying.
Season every layer. The chicken, the flour, the eggs and the crumbs each get salt and pepper, so the cutlet is seasoned all the way through.
Tips for Success
How do I know the oil is hot enough?
Drop in a few breadcrumbs: they should sizzle right away. Or dip the back of a wooden spoon into the oil; bubbles around the wood mean it’s ready. If you have a thermometer, aim for 350 to 375°F. If the crumbs sizzle loudly and brown very fast, turn the heat down slightly.
Why are my cutlets greasy and pale?
Too many went into the pan at once. Fry only 1 to 3 at a time, depending on the size of your pan, so the pan isn’t crowded.
Why is the outside dark but the inside raw?
The cutlets were too thick or uneven. Pound them to an even 1/2 inch, and check the center of each with a thermometer for 165°F.
Variations
- Air fryer: bread the cutlets as usual, spray both sides with oil and air fry for 6 to 8 minutes until golden, flipping once, until they reach 165°F.
- Gluten-free: use gluten-free panko and gluten-free flour.
- Thinner cutlets: pound them to 1/4 inch for an extra-thin, extra-crisp cutlet; they’ll cook faster, so check the temperature early.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat until they reach 165°F. Cold leftover cutlets are good in sandwiches too.
What to Serve With It
Serve the cutlets with lemon wedges and a sprinkle of parsley, over pasta, rice, mashed potatoes or salad greens. They go well with garlic parmesan mashed potato cups, baked garlic parmesan potato wedges or roasted garlic parmesan zucchini, squash and tomatoes. For more crispy, cheesy chicken, try copycat Longhorn parmesan crusted chicken, Italian parmesan chicken skewers or bacon brown sugar chicken tenders.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you dip cutlets in egg or flour first?
Flour first. The flour soaks up extra moisture, the egg makes the crumbs stick, and the crumbs go on last.
What’s the best way to cook a chicken cutlet?
Pan-fry it in a generous amount of hot olive oil, a few at a time, until golden on both sides and 165°F in the center.
What can I do with chicken cutlets for dinner?
Serve them with pasta, rice, mashed potatoes or a salad, or turn them into crispy chicken sandwiches, a crispy chicken salad or chicken parmesan.
Final Notes
Set up all three bowls and the landing plate before you touch the chicken, so your hands stay clean on one side and breaded on the other. Tell me in the comments how you served yours.
Chicken Cutlets
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Ingredients
- 3 cups homemade breadcrumbs or panko
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced or grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh Italian flat leaf parsley finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning optional
- 1 1/4 cups pecorino Romano or parmesan cheese finely grated, or both; divided, 3/4 cup for the crumbs and 1/2 cup for the eggs
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon water stirred into the eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts thinly sliced
- extra virgin olive oil for frying, a generous amount
Instructions
- In a medium shallow bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, Italian seasoning and 3/4 cup of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper and mix with your fingers until the garlic is evenly worked into the crumbs.
- In a second shallow bowl, whisk the 3 eggs with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese, a pinch of salt and pepper and 1 tablespoon water until combined.
- Pour the flour into a third shallow bowl or plate, season it with salt and pepper and mix.
- Set a piece of thinly sliced chicken on a cutting board, cover it with plastic wrap and pound it with a meat mallet to about 1/2 inch thick. Repeat with the rest of the chicken, then season both sides of each piece with salt and pepper.
- Line up the chicken, the flour, the egg wash, the crumbs and a clean plate or pan for the breaded cutlets, in that order.
- Dip a cutlet in the flour to coat all sides and tap off the excess. Dip it in the egg wash and let the extra drip off. Press it into the crumbs and move it around until it is thoroughly coated. Set it on the clean plate and repeat with the remaining cutlets.
- Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 to 3 cutlets at a time, depending on how many fit without crowding the pan. Cook until golden brown on each side and the center reaches 165°F on a food thermometer, then move the cutlets to a rack or paper towels to drain.
- Serve right away, or hold the cutlets in a 250°F oven for up to 1 hour before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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