Chicken cutlets cook quickly, making them a great weeknight dinner!
These cutlets are coated with crumbs and Parmesan cheese and pan fried until crisp and golden
Holly’s Recipe Highlights For Crispy Cutlets
- Flavor: Simply seasoned with a golden, crispy coating, the chicken is tender and juicy.
- Technique: Chicken cutlets or breasts are pounded to ¼-inch thickness, which helps them cook quickly and evenly.
- Prep ahead: Bread the cutlets and refrigerate them on a baking rack for up to 48 hours.
- Recommended tools: A meat mallet is the best tool for making cutlets that are evenly sized for the best results.
Chicken Cutlet Ingredients
- Chicken: Chicken cutlets are easy since they don’t need much prep. You can also cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts horizontally and pound them to ¼-inch.
- Breading: Panko breadcrumbs have great crunch, but any kind of crumbs can be used. I prefer grated Parmesan cheese in this recipe— the type that is more like a powder than a shredded cheese.
- Oil: Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point, like canola oil, peanut oil, avocado oil, or sunflower oil.
How to Keep Leftovers Crispy
- Keep leftover chicken cutlets covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Brush the cutlets with a little oil and reheat them in a dry skillet on medium heat or under the broiler to make them extra crispy again.
- Leftover crispy cutlets can be topped on a salad, added to a wrap with lettuce with a swipe of tangy honey mustard, or added to a chicken parmesan casserole.
- Freeze portions on a baking sheet (so they don’t stick together) before transferring them to a zippered bag. Thaw before reheating.
More Ways to Cook Chicken Cutlets
Did your family love these Chicken Cutlets? Leave a rating and a comment below!
Chicken Cutlets
Fry chicken cutlets up in a skillet with panko and parmesan for a crispy entree that goes with everything.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 chicken cutlets or 2 x 8oz chicken breasts
- 1¼ cups Panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 egg
- salt and pepper to taste
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
Instructions
- If using chicken breasts, freeze for 20 minutes. Remove from the freezer and cut in half horizontally to make 4 thinner cutlets.
- Pound the chicken to ¼ inch thickness.
- Combine panko bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and garlic powder in a small shallow dish.
- Whisk the egg in a separate bowl. Dip chicken in egg and then in the crumb mixture, pressing to adhere.
- Preheat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Gently add chicken and cook 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown and chicken reaches 165°F.
Notes
Leftover chicken can be stored in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet on the stovetop.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 471 | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 154mg | Sodium: 451mg | Potassium: 696mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 159IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Chicken, Dinner, Entree, Main Course
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Can this recipe be made in the air fryer and if so, would you know temp/time that would be best? Thank you!
Hi Nancy, I have never made this recipe in the air fryer but I think it would work well. You can air fry it at 400F for 5-6 minutes per side or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature 165°F. I would love to hear how it turns out for you!
Having a group over for dinner. Could I make these about an hour before they arrive & heat up before serving so I am not in the kitchen while entertaining? If so how should I reheat? Thanks in advance!
They can be reheated. I would suggest a rack on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 400°F for about 12 minutes or until heated through. I like to take it out of the fridge about 20 minutes before baking.
Pro tip from a former Chick-fil-a employee: marinate the cutlets in pickle juice for at least an hour prior to breading, they will be extra juicy inside. Also dry them off prior to breading.
YUM, I will definitely have to try that!
Could this be baked to avoid using oil? If so, at what temperature and for how long would you bake them. I love your recipes – easy and yummy!
You can see an oven baked version here.
I am so glad you are enjoying the recipes Judith!
I made this chicken cutlet recipe with the honey mustard sauce …. Both were delicious! I didn’t change a thing except to grate a little parm directly onto the chicken, rather than into the panko only. I used whole wheat panko for a little extra nutrition.
I will definitely make this again. I’ve since used the honey mustard sauce as salad dressing and a dip with veggies. I think this recipe lends itself to all sorts of changes. Italian seasonings with tomato sauce or Tex mex seasoning with guacamole or salsa etc….love it! Thank you!!
So many delicious options Claire! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
This looks like a great, easy recipe. On an unrelated note, I love those breading trays in the third photo, they look so convenient. Where are they from, are you able to share?
Mine are from Pampered Chef but Amazon has lots to choose from!
I just got an air fryer. I Think I will try this recipe in the air fryer
Great recipes every time! Thank you.
You’re so very welcome Maria! Thank you!
can i use bread crumbs instead of Panko ? pleas & thank you Marilyn
Hi Marilyn, you can use bread crumbs if you prefer just keep in mind that panko tends to result in a crispier crunchier coating. Hope that helps!
Thank you
I have a couple of chicken breasts and plan to have them on two consecutive days. Should I (a) bread and cook both, refrigerating the second one and reheating it the next day or (b) bread them both at the same time but keep the second one refrigerated though uncooked overnight. Or maybe it’s (c), meaning I should just forget about preparing the second one ahead of time.
Thanks!
Hi Steve, with option a) your chicken breasts won’t be as crispy as the first day but still taste delicious. For crispy chicken cutlets both days I would prep the breadcrumb mixture (or save the extra) and use that the next day to speed prep up a little bit. But I wouldn’t pre-bread the chicken cutlet. If you do try pre-breading we would love to hear how it turns out!
I love cooking chicken breasts this way, it is a quick and easy way to add flavour to what can be a very bland piece of chicken. There is also a way to add even more flavour to this dish, simply replace the egg wash with mayonnaise before dredging in the breadcrumbs. It adds extra taste to the end result. You can also use something such as Miracle Whip or similar preparation. This is also a way out for times you plan to make this but discover you are out of eggs!
I use mayonnaise mixed with a bit of Dijon mustard instead of an egg. It works great and since there was an egg shortage here in the states earlier this year eggs got to be very expensive. I hated the thought of throwing the leftover egg away. It adds a bit of fat as well so they come out great in the air fryer.
Sounds like a great substitute, Jean!