Breaded Chicken Cutlets

4.21 from 24 votes

Breaded Chicken Cutlets are the perfect meal for family and friends because it can be served in so many different ways. Serve with a side of honey mustard or barbecue sauce, or in a sandwich or salad. The possibilities are endless with this dish.

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Total Time30

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken dinner

Servings:

Calories: 444kcal

Author: Rachael

Ingredients

4 6-8 ounce boneless, skinless, chicken breast made into cutlets, trimmed
Salt and Pepper
¾ cup Vegetable Oil
Lemon wedges

Breading

1 ½ cups Panko
½ cup Parmesan
¾ cup All-Purpose Flour
½ teaspoon Paprika
2 Large Eggs
1 clove Garlic minced

Instructions

Pull chicken out of the fridge, and allow to come to room temp, for 15-20 minutes. Cover chicken with plastic wrap and pound to even thickness of ½ an inch. Use a meat mallet or rolling pin to achieve this.
Remove plastic, pat chicken dry with paper towels, and liberally season with salt and pepper.
Take three pie plates, or shallow dishes, place Panko bread crumbs and parmesan in one, flour and paprika in another, and break eggs into the other one with garlic. Use a fork to mix together panko and parmesan, flour and paprika, then use the same fork to whisk eggs and garlic together until frothy.
Working with one cutlet at a time, dredge in flour, shake off excess.
Then dredge in eggs, and allow excess to drip off.
Then dredge in panko crumbs, press gently to make sure crumbs adhere.
Place chicken on a wire rack that is sprayed with a non-stick spray.
Let chicken sit for 5 minutes to allow the coating to dry.
Meanwhile, in a 12 inch non-stick skillet, over medium-high heat, add oil, and heat until shimmering. You should have enough oil to go half way up the chicken breast cutlets in your pan, add or reduce oil as needed based on the pan you use.
Cook cutlets in the oil 2 at a time, cooking until golden brown on one side, about 2-3 minutes. Then flip cutlets, reduce heat to medium, and cook until cutlets are a deep golden brown, and crisp. About 2 ½ -3 minutes longer.
Use an instant read thermometer to ensure cutlets are cooked to 165 degrees internal temperature.
Remove chicken cutlets from oil, and place on a paper towel lined plate.
Repeat process with remaining chicken cutlets.
Serve with lemon wedges.

Notes

Room Temp Chicken: You have probably seen instructions that say to let meat rest on a counter before cooking, this allows it to come to room temp, which promotes a more even cooking. So if you have the time plan to pull your chicken out of the refrigerator 15- 20 minutes ahead of cooking time.
Avoid Sogginess by Drying Chicken Before Dredging: Flour can become a soggy mess if chicken is not dry. Plus if chicken is wet, flour won’t stick properly, rather it will clump. Make sure to pat chicken dry first.

After Breading Let the Coating Dry Before Frying: Plan ahead a little so you have time and can let it sit a bit, this helps the coating stay on better.
Use the Right Amount of Oil: These cutlets are being pan fried, so you want to make sure you use the right amount of oil. It should be just enough to be half way up the side of the chicken.

Keep The Heat Consistent: You want your oil heat to be both high and consistent or the breading will absorb the oil and get greasy and soggy. So make sure your oil is heated before adding your chicken, and add only room temp chicken, so the cold chicken doesn't drop the temp of the pan too quickly.
Don’t Overcrowd the Pan. Only cook two chicken cutlets at a time, and even just one at a time if necessary. Too many pieces in the pan will cause the chicken to steam instead of fry and the coating will become soggy. It’s better to fry in batches.

Keep Chicken Warm and Crispy in the Oven: If you are doubling the recipe, then cooked chicken may sit out for a little bit, while cooking up the other pieces. Prevent chicken from getting cold and losing its crisp by putting chicken pieces in the oven. Set chicken on a cookie sheet in the oven on low temp, warming while other cutlets cook over the stove.
Other High Smoke Point Oils Can Be Used: While I would never recommend olive oil for frying, you can substitute other oils for vegetable oil for the frying. Peanut oil is a good choice, or any oil with a high smoke point.
Use Panko. It is Lower in Calories than other Bread Crumbs: While you can use other bread crumbs for this recipe, Panko is a lower calorie option.
There are Substitute Options for Panko: If you don’t want to use panko or breadcrumbs, there are other choices. Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, crackers, nuts, or potato chips are all possible options.

Use an Instant Read Thermometer. You do not want to get sick from undercooked chicken. So, be sure it’s cooked through by using a thermometer to get the internal temperature, it should be at 165 °F.

Nutrition