Crispy Chicken Cutlets

One of the things I pride myself on is making people who don’t consider themselves cooks look like rockstars in the kitchen. Those are my very favorite types of emails to get from readers.

This is one of those recipes that presents like a restaurant meal, but with my instructions, really anyone can make them. You will adore these delicious and mouthwatering chicken cutlets. Serve it with a side of my easy arugula salad to really impress.

How to Make Chicken Cutlets

Here is a brief overview of how this breaded chicken cutlets recipe comes together. For the full recipe including all measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• Prepare the chicken breasts. Cut them in half and pound thin if needed. Pat dry and lightly season both sides with salt and pepper. Read more on cutting chicken into cutlets below.
• Prepare your breading station. You will have three mixtures that each piece of chicken will be covered in so have them set up ahead of time. Add the flour to a plate. Whisk the eggs and milk together in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish stir together the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, basil, garlic powder, and oregano.
• Coat the chicken. Working with one chicken breast at a time, dredge the chicken breasts in the flour, then the eggs, and then the seasoned bread crumbs. Repeat these steps with the remaining cutlets.
• Cook the chicken. Heat your oil in a large skillet. Working with one chicken breast at a time, pan-fry in the oil for two minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the oil and place on the prepared wire rack. Repeat with each piece. Enjoy!

Cutting Chicken into Cutlets

Since chicken breasts tend to be so thick, cutting them into cutlets makes them cook quicker and more evenly, and results in a more tender dish. With these steps, it is easy to buy chicken breasts and cut them into cutlets at home. You can also ask your butcher for a pound of chicken cutlets.

• Place chicken breasts on a clean cutting board.
• Butterfly them open. Finish cutting all the way through until you have two pieces.
• Pound thin. If the cutlets are thicker than 1/2 inch, use a piece of plastic wrap beneath the chicken and another on top and then pound the chicken thin. You can use a meat mallet or a rolling pin to do this.

Breading Chicken

These fried chicken cutlets get their crispy and flavorful outside by dipping each piece in three separate mixtures, just as we do with my chicken parm recipe. We do this in a certain order because each mixture helps the next mixture to stick to the chicken. The flour sticks to the patted dry chicken which gives the egg wash something to stick to. The egg mixture then allows the seasoned breadcrumb mixture to stick.

It is easy to make your own breadcrumbs with old or dry bread if you don’t have any breadcrumbs on hand. I share the ingredients for seasoning them in this recipe, but if you make or buy Italian breadcrumbs, skip the oregano, garlic powder, and oregano.

How to Cook Chicken Cutlets

These chicken cutlets get their extra crispy outside by frying in a pan on the stovetop. Heat your oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature of your oil so it’s not too hot. Cook your chicken cutlets for about two minutes on each side. Tent the fried chicken loosely with foil to keep it warm while you work on the next piece.

If you make this chicken cutlet recipe or any of my other recipes, be sure to come back and leave a comment letting me know what you thought. I love hearing from you!