Chicken cutlets are basically boneless/skinless chicken breasts that have been cut in half horizontally, then pounded to an even thickness. They are ideal for breading and pan frying because they cook quickly, ensuring that the chicken cooks all the way through without ending up with a burned crust.
Chicken cooked using this very basic method of breading and pan frying can be used for many different recipes - chicken parmesan, chicken katsu, chicken schnitzel or even just served with all sorts of sauces (like my Tarragon Cream Sauce). Feel free to switch up the seasonings in the breading to suit the flavors you’re in the mood for!
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, about 1.25 lbs
1/2 cup all purpose flour or rice flour
1 tsp sea salt, divided
1/2 tsp garlic powder, divided
1/2 tsp black pepper, divided
2 eggs + a pinch of salt
1 1/4 cups panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
Directions
Using a sharp knife, carefully slice each chicken breast in half horizontally. Place one of the pieces in between plastic wrap or in a large resealable bag. With the smooth side of a meat mallet, pound the chicken to an even thickness, about 1/4-inch.
Multiple firm whacks versus a couple of strong blows is what you’re going for - if you go too crazy, you’ll likely rip the meat. Another tip: as the mallet lands on the meat, slide it outwards to distribute the force.
Repeat with the rest of the pieces. At this point, you can leave the pieces as they are or cut them even smaller (I usually cut a couple of kid-sized portions from one of the cutlets).
Arrange a breading station using shallow dishes, large enough to work with the individual cutlets. Your assembly line, from left to right, should be as follows:
Flour mixed with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp of pepper, and 1/4 tsp garlic powder.
Eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt
Panko mixed with the remaining 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and 1/4 tsp garlic powder.
Bread your cutlets one at a time by first dredging a piece in the flour to coat lightly. Gently shake of the excess. Then dip the cutlet into the egg, both sides, allowing the excess to drip off before finally placing the chicken into the last dish to coat with the bread crumbs.
Tip: I use my left hand for the flour dredge and to place the chicken in the egg dish. Then I use my right hand to flip the chicken over in the egg dish to coat the other side and pick it up to move it to the panko dish. Then I use my left hand to sprinkle the panko onto the side facing up. It keeps the remaining breading clump-free. You could also just use a fork, but you could have a mishap like I once did where the fork let go of the chicken as I was picking it up from the egg, resulting in egg splattered everywhere.
In a large non-stick skillet, heat the oil and butter in between medium and medium-high heat. It is ready when the butter has melted and started to foam. To be extra sure, stick the end of a chopstick into the pan. If the oil bubbles around the tip of the chopstick, you’re ready to go. Place the breaded chicken into the pan. You should hear a gentle sizzle - if not, take it out and wait another minute, or else the breading won’t be as crisp. You may need to work in batches if all of the chicken does not fit without crowding the pan. Cook 4 to 5 minutes per side, until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165°F.
Serve warm, with your choice of sides, sauce, etc.
Here is the chicken served with roasted vegetables and my Tarragon Cream Sauce.
Visuals
Slicing the chicken horizontally.
By pounding the meat in a plastic bag, you avoid splattering raw chicken juices everywhere. It's better to pound them one at a time since they spread out quite a bit. I just happened to feel lazy on this particular day! (They still turned out fine!)
One of the cutlets, lightly dredged in the flour.
Then into the egg mixture it goes.
Flip it over to get egg on both sides. This is the part where I usually switch hands so that my left hand stays dry for coating the chicken in the panko. I just couldn't switch hands for the photo because someone had to take the pic (me)!
Finally, the panko breading. As you begin to use up the breadcrumbs, you'll find that you'll need to use your hand to move the remaining crumbs around to ensure you get an even coating. This is why it's good for one hand to remain relatively dry - otherwise, the crumbs will just clump together.
Ready for pan frying!
Work in batches if your chicken doesn't all fit without crowding the pan. I like to transfer the cooked chicken to a wire rack so that it stays crispy while I cook the rest.
Just about ready!
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