This crispy chicken cutlet recipe will give you crispy, juicy and flavorful chicken! Lightly breaded chicken breast pan-fried until crispy and golden, great for weeknight dinners.
Chicken is one of the most popular proteins, check out all my delicious chicken recipes!
CHICKEN CUTLETS RECIPE
If you are looking for a delicious chicken recipe, these breaded chicken cutlets are for you! Thin chicken breast breaded in a flavorful, crispy coating and pan-fried until golden. This chicken recipe is so easy and can be ready in under 20 minutes! In a world with so many different chicken recipes, this one is top tier! The chicken comes out flavorful, crispy and juicy. Pair these chicken cutlets with your favorite sides or add in your pasta, salads, sandwiches or wraps!
WHAT YOU NEED-
- Chicken– To get the best crispy, thin chicken cutlets, you want to use boneless, skinless chicken breast. You can use whole breasts and slice them thinly yourself or save time by buying thin-cut chicken breasts.
- Eggs– Dredging the chicken breast in eggs works as a binding agent for the breadcrumb coating. It also adds moisture to the chicken. Be sure to use fresh eggs.
- Breadcrumbs– You can use either classic breadcrumbs or Panko breadcrumbs for these chicken cutlets. Plain or seasoned breadcrumbs will work, if using seasoning breadcrumbs, keep that in mind and add less seasonings.
- Flour– For the chicken dredging you want to pair the breadcrumbs with all purpose flour.
- Flavor– This recipe calls for a classic mix of salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and paprika to season the crispy chicken cutlets. Want to turn up the heat? Try using Cajun or blackening seasoning for a spicy twist!
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN CUTLETS
Not only is this chicken cutlet recipe easy to make, but you can also have it ready in under 20 minutes!
- Trim any excess fat from the chicken breast, then rinse and pat them dry. Cut each chicken breast in half lengthwise to create thin cutlets. Use a meat mallet to pound the chicken to an even thickness for consistent cooking.
- In a shallow bowl, whisk the eggs until well combined. In a separate bowl or deep dish, mix the dry ingredients.
- Dip each piece of chicken into the beaten eggs, coating it completely. Then dredge it in the dry mixture, pressing gently to ensure an even coating. Repeat with all the chicken pieces.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, carefully add the coated chicken cutlets and pan-fry until golden brown and crispy on both sides, and the chicken is cooked through.
- Transfer the cooked cutlets to a wire rack or a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
- Slice and serve as desired.
OTHER COOKING METHODS-
When you pan fry the chicken cutlets, you get the best golden, crispy crust! But you can totally use two other easy baking methods:
Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets-
This is an easier method and healthier since you aren’t using oil to cook!
- Add the dredged chicken cutlets to the air fryer basket, lightly spray with baking spray.
- Air fry at 400°F for about 18-20 minutes, or until golden, crisp and chicken is cooked through. (Depending on the size of your air fryer basket, you might have to cook in batches.)
Oven Baked Chicken Cutlets-
Baking these chicken cutlets is another great way to prepare this recipe.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the dredged chicken cutlets to the baking sheet.
- Bake at 400°F for 25-30 minutes, until crispy, golden and chicken is cooked through.
- Remove from the oven, slice and serve as desired.
SERVING IDEAS
If you are enjoying these breaded chicken cutlets as a main dish, pair with the right sides for the ultimate dish!
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Garlic Bread
- Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole
- Air Fryer French Fries
- Carrot Salad
- Sauteed Veggies
- Olive Garden Salad
Dipping Sauces– Dip these delicious chicken cutlets into your favorite sauces! Here are some great dipping sauce ideas:
WAYS TO ENJOY CRISPY CHICKEN CUTLETS
You don’t only have to enjoy this chicken as a main dish! These juicy chicken cutlets are great to add to so many different dishes!
- Pasta– Add this chicken to your creamy Alfredo pasta, pesto pasta or blackened chicken pasta!
- Salad– This chicken is a great topping for your favorite salads. I love adding this salad to my chicken Caesar pasta salad or plain Caesar salad!
- Wraps– Instead of chicken tenders, use this crispy chicken for all your favorite wraps, like chicken Caesar wraps, buffalo chicken wraps and more!
- Bowls– Cube this crispy chicken and make the copycat KFC famous bowls.
- Sandwich– Make a crispy chicken sandwich with this chicken, like a crispy chicken Caesar sandwich!
QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE:
The internal temperature of cooked chicken is 165°F. Since these chicken cutlets are thin, it shouldn’t take long to cook.
Yes, you can bread the chicken and lay it out on a baking sheet, cover and store it in the fridge for up to 24 hours!
You want all the chicken to be about 1/4-inch thick. The key is to make sure all the cutlets are the same thickness, to ensure they all cook at the same time.
The key to make sure your dredging sticks to your chicken, is to make sure the chicken is fully dry before coating.
Once the chicken is cooled, store cover or in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat and enjoy!
Yes! Swap the thin chicken breast for chicken tenderloins and make crispy and juicy chicken tenders instead.
OTHER CHICKEN RECIPES-
If you love chicken, try these other delicious and easy chicken recipes:
Crispy Chicken Cutlets Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut lengthwise
- 3 Tbsp oil
- 1 Tbsp butter
bowl 1-
- 2 large eggs whisked
bowl 2-
- 2/3 cup breadcrumbs plain or seasoned
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp paprika
Instructions
- Remove any excess fat from the chicken breasts, rinse and then pat dry with paper towels.
- With a meat mallet, gently pound the chicken until all the cutlets are even in thickness, about 1/4 inch thick. (This will ensure that all the chicken will cook evenly.)
- In a shallow bowl, whisk the eggs until fully combined.
- In a separate bowl or deep plate, combine the flour, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning.
- Working on one chicken at a time, dip the chicken into the whisked eggs, coating it fully on all sides. Then immediately transfer the chicken to the dry mixture and press down gently to ensure the coating sticks on all sides.
- Shake off any excess dredging and place the breaded cutlet onto a plate or tray. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, carefully add the dredged chicken cutlets to the skillet, not overcrowding the skillet. (You can test if the oil is hot, by dropping in a breadcrumb, it should sizzle if it’s ready.)
- Fry the chicken for about 3-4 minutes per side, until the coating is golden and crispy and the chicken is cooked through. (You do not want to overcrowd the skillet, work in batches if necessary.)
- Once the chicken is cooked, transfer it to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil. Let rest for 3-5 minutes before slicing.
- Serve warm with desired sides.
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