Crispy Chicken Cutlets

These delicious, crispy chicken cutlets have a golden brown crust on the outside and are tender and juicy on the inside.

I make this easy recipe for crispy chicken cutlets a few times a month, and my family is always thankful. The panko crumbs mixed with parmesan cheese make an extra delicious and crispy outer coating on the chicken. I normally serve these cutlets with roasted potatoes and broccoli with lemon or a big green salad & spaghetti with mizithra and browned butter for a family-pleasing meal!

Crispy Chicken Cutlets

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Garlic powder, to taste
• Dried parsley, to taste
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 1 cup panko crumbs
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 eggs, well-beaten
• 4 tbsp Vegetable oil, divided

For Serving:

• Fresh parsley, finely chopped
• Fresh parmesan
• Lemon wedges

 

How to Make Crispy Chicken Cutlets

Prepare the chicken breasts by cutting them into cutlets. Using a sharp knife, start at the thick end of the breast, carefully slice it in half lengthwise into two even pieces, keeping the knife blade parallel to the surface of the cutting board.

Place the cutlets, one at a time, in a heavy-duty zipper-lock bag and pound gently to ¼-inch thickness using a meat pounder.

Season both sides of the chicken cutlets with sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, and garlic powder, to taste.  

Make a breading assembly line with three separate shallow bowls.

First, combine the panko crumbs and parmesan cheese in a shallow bowl and season with garlic powder, dried parsley, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste; mix well.

Next, pour the flour into a bowl and season with garlic powder, dried parsley, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste; mix well.

Finally, whisk together the eggs seasoned with garlic powder, dried parsley, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper to taste, in the third bowl; whisk until very well combined.

Dredge the chicken by dipping each cutlet (using a fork) first into the flour mixture, then coating it in the egg mixture, then pressing the cutlets firmly into the panko mixture on both sides until evenly coated.

Place in one layer on a plate. Place the coated cutlets uncovered into the refrigerator for 30 minutes.  Side Note: Don’t skip this step; it helps the coating really adhere to the chicken. 

Cook the chicken cutlets by heating 2 tablespoons of oil in cast iron skillet(s) or large nonstick skillet(s) over medium-high heat until hot. Place the coated chicken cutlets directly into the HOT skillet and cook for 2 minutes, or until golden brown. Cook the chicken in batches to prevent overcrowding the skillet.

Carefully flip the chicken over to cook for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove to a wire cooling rack. Finish the process with the remaining chicken.  Side Note: Wipe out the skillet(s) between batches, THEN add more oil to the skillet(s) before cooking the remaining chicken.

Sprinkle the chicken with fresh chopped parsley and serve with Parmesan cheese and lemon wedges, if desired. Enjoy.