Chicken Cutlets
Crispy Chicken cutlets are quick and easy to make! Thinly sliced chicken breasts, lightly seasoned and breaded with Panko crumbs, then pan-fried to a crispy perfection! The inside is tender and juicy and the outer coating is super crispy!
DID YOU KNOW? The term “cutlet” refers to thinly sliced protein- beef, pork, veal, chicken or fish. Each country has their own version of cutlets.
The best chicken cutlets don’t require a lot of prep time or cook time; each thin slice cooks in about 4-5 minutes per side.
The secret to juicy chicken cutlets is the buttermik marinade or buttermilk brine.
- Soaking the thin breasts in buttermilk results in a tender, juicy piece of chicken
- By adding a little cornstarch to the flour dredge, the exterior of the cutlet is super crispy
Ingredients and equipment for making crispy chicken cutlets
You will need a large skillet – especially if you’re making more than two chicken cutlets. An accurate meat thermometer is necessary to determine the internal temperature of the chicken. You’ll need a vessel for the marinade (a large casserole dish or ziplock bag) and three shallow dishes for the dredging station.
- Chicken breasts – sliced horizontally then pounded to ¼ inch thickness;
- Buttermilk – about ½ cup of buttermilk is needed for the tenderizing marinade; the acidity from the buttermilk tenderizes the chicken cutlet, ensuring a juicy cutlet
- Eggs – two large eggs, lightly beaten
- Flour – all-purpose flour
- Cornstarch – mix a little cornstarch in the flour dredge to enhance crispiness
- Breadcrumbs – either fine ground breadcrumbs or Japanese Panko breadcrumbs; either works great; you can use plain or Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- Frying oil – vegetable or canola oil or any high heat oil; olive oil is not recommended because it cannot tolerate the high frying temperature
- Seasonings – I add a little garlic powder, onion powder and salt to the breadcrumb mixture; if you want an Italian flavored cutlet, add in a teaspoon or two of an Italian seasoning
- Salt to taste, a teaspoon black pepper and a finishing squeeze of fresh lemon juice
How to make chicken cutlets
This is an overview of the process. See the recipe card below for details.
- Pat dry breasts, hand trim to remove any fat; slice in half horizontally
- Place a sheet of wax paper over the cut breasts and use the flat side of a meat mallet to pound them to ¼” inch thickness
- Transfer to a large casserole dish or a large zip bag, pour the buttermilk over the chicken and coat well; cover and transfer to refrigerator (for at least 15 minutes) while you set up the dredging station and heat the frying oil.
- I recommend using flat baking dishes or pie plates for dredging
- In one bowl, add lightly beaten eggs; in a second flat plate, combine flour, cornstarch and salt; in the third bowl, add breadcrumbs, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper
- Using tongs, remove the buttermilked soak breast and drag it through the flour both sides of the cutlet; then, dredge it in the eggs; lightly shake off any excess, then dredge it in the Panko crumbs.
- Use a 10″ inch or 12″ inch skillet, add enough oil to measure about an inch in the pan; heat oil in skillet over medium heat to 315 degrees Farenheit; test oil by sprinkling a few breadcrumbs in it; if it sizzles, it’s hot enough
- Carefully place two breaded pieces in the hot oil; fry each 4-5 minutes per side. Do not move them or try to flip them unless they’re getting really brown
- The crispy chicken cutlets are done when the internal temperature reaches 165 F
- Transfer to a paper towel lined plate or a wire rack and allow to rest a few minutes before serving
Recipe tips
- I recommend using 3 pairs of tongs (or 3 forks): 1 for removing the chicken from the buttermilk marinade and dredging it in flour. A second pair of tongs for the eggs. A third pair of tongs to flip the cutlet while it’s frying and to transfer it to a plate.
- Why? They get gunky if you use the same pair for all the dredging steps.
- The actual amount of frying oil will vary, depending upon the size of your skillet and the number of cutlets you’re making.
- If the chicken cutlets are really large, you may need more Panko crumbs; buy an extra box just in case
- If you’re making more than two, I recommend straining it in between batches and wiping any breadcrumbs from the skillet; return the strained oil back to the skillet and let it get to the right temperature, then cook the other cutlets; you may have to repeat this step a few times if you’re making 4 or more
- WHY?
- You can keep using the same oil for the second and third batches, but I’ve found that each batch gets darker and darker and accumulates any residual Panko crumbs in the skillet. The final product looks a bit burnt, even though it’s not. For a pretty presentation, strain it and clean the skillet in between batches.
- Oil temperature – between 315-325 degrees Farenheit; if it gets too hot, the breadcrumbs burn and the chicken doesn’t get cooked thoroughly (don’t ask me how I know this)
Serving suggestions
If you’re wondering what to serve with chicken cutlets, there are many options!
- Pasta or rice -A lemony side of angel hair pasta with a green side dish like broccoli, asparagus or Brussels sprouts is always good!
- Chicken Parmesan-You can top the fried cutlets with mozzarella cheese, drizzle them with marinara sauce and pop them in the oven for an easy chicken parm dinner or, slice the cutlets and top your favorite salad with them.
- Chicken sandwich – Place a cutlet between two slices of your favorite bread or hamburger bun with the condiment of your choice; ketchup, BBQ sauce, honey or Louisiana Hot Sauce.
- Chicken strips – slice into strips and serve as an appetizer with Honey Mustard dipping sauce, cream gravy or your favorite dipping sauce.
Make ahead, storage and reheating
Make these breaded chicken cutlets up to 3 days in advance and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat, for best results, place chicken cutlets on a dry baking sheet in the oven at 275 degrees until the pieces are warmed throughout.
These deliciously tender and crispy chicken cutlets are a family favorite! I hope you enjoy them!
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- Asian Chicken Meatballs
- Grilled Sesame Chicken Kabobs
- Chicken Piccata with Lemon Sauce
Chicken Cutlets
Pan-fried thinly sliced, breaded chicken breasts that's juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside!
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Rate
Yield: 4 cutlets
Equipment
- Large skillet 10" inch – 12" inch if you're making two or more cutlets
- Meat thermometer
- 3 flat or shallow dishes or pie plates for dredging station
- Wax Paper
- Meat mallet
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breast See recipe notes below
- ½ cup buttermilk (whole or reduced fat)
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided (1 teaspoon for the flour mixture; 1 teaspoon for the breadcrumbs)
- 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs See recipe notes below
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried Italian seasonings (optional) See recipe notes below
- 1½ cups oil: vegetable or canola See recipe notes below
- 1 lemon – fresh lemon juice – just a squeeze for each cutlet before serving
Instructions
Prep
- Pat chicken dry with paper towel; trim any visible fat and cut horizontally with a sharp knife2 pounds chicken breast
- Place breast halves on a cutting board and cover with wax paper. Use the flat side of a meat mallet and pound the breasts until their ¼" inch thick.
- Place breasts in baking dish; add buttermilk, coating each breast; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes½ cup buttermilk (whole or reduced fat)
Set up Dredging Station
- Set up dredging station: Lightly beat eggs and put in one dish. Combine flour, cornstarch and half of the salt in a second dish. In the third dish, combine breadcrumbs, onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasonings (optional), black pepper and remaining salt.2 large eggs, lightly beaten, 1½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup cornstarch, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs, ½ teaspoon dried Italian seasonings (optional)
Fry the Cutlets
- Pour oil into large skillet on medium to medium-high heat; test oil temperature with thermometer; you want it to be around 315℉ -325℉; if you don't have a thermometer, sprinkle a few breadcrumbs in the hot oil; if they sizzle, the oil is hot enough1½ cups oil: vegetable or canola
- Use tongs or a fork and remove buttermilk soaked chicken breast directly from the dish-leave any buttermilk on the breast. Dredge it in the flour, coating both sides; then dredge it in the egg; then place the chicken breast in the breadcrumbs. Use your hand to pat the breadcrumbs onto the chicken breast. Let the breaded cutlets sit a few minutes before frying. (This ensures the breadcrumbs won't fall off.)After resting a few minutes, place the breast in the hot oil.
- Cook the cutlet for 4-5 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reaches 165℉. You can peek to see if it's browning, but I do not recommend flipping it for at least 3 minutes.Transfer to a wire rack or paper towel lined plate and resume recipe until all the chicken breasts are fried.
- Give each cutlet a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and serve.1 lemon – fresh lemon juice – just a squeeze for each cutlet before serving
Notes
Chicken Breasts –
The chicken breasts I bought were about one pound each in weight; this made 4 cutlets.
Italian seasonings –
If you want to add Italian spices to this dish, I recommend you add them to the breadcrumb mixture.
Breadcrumbs –
You can use plain or Italian flavored. If your chicken breasts are large, you may need more Panko crumbs.
Oil –
You may use a little more or a little less oil than the recipe calls for because the amount of oil will be determined by the size of your skillet and the number of breasts you fry.
I used a 12″ inch skillet with 1½ cups of oil for frying 4 cutlets.
I recommend you strain the oil between batches and remove any excess breadcrumbs from the skillet. For the second (and subsequent batches), use the strained oil (you may have to add more oil if you’re making a lot of cutlets). This ensures the cutlets brown the same and there’s not any super brown Panko crumbs on the final product.
Nutrition Estimate
Serving: 1cutletCalories: 1411kcalCarbohydrates: 75gProtein: 61gFat: 95gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 26gMonounsaturated Fat: 56gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 241mgSodium: 1715mgPotassium: 1045mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 259IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 130mgIron: 5mg
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