I’m going to give you all of secrets on how to make the very best chicken cutlets

The Best Chicken Cutlets

From the recipe collection of Tara Ippolito

You haven’t had the best chicken cutlets until you’ve tried this recipe.

I’ve been making these for years and truly feel like I’ve found the perfect combination of all the ingredients.

A great chicken cutlet needs to be thin, well seasoned and perfectly cooked to a crisp golden brown.

I can teach you how to hit all of those marks from what I’ve learned by making them over the years.

Once you make the best chicken cutlets there’s no going back. I can’t even really get them from a deli or some restaurants anymore because I’m so in love with the way I make them.

Hope that doesn’t come off like I’m patting myself on the back here. I just really need you to know how amazing these are.

Since I’ve gotten this recipe to its best, I’ve had to make these cutlets almost every Sunday for my family.

I say that I’ve “had to” because it’s not even an option not to anymore.

They demand and expect chicken cutlets on the table for every Sunday dinner. it’s my fault completely. I’ve created little cutlet monsters.

So let me share my secrets with you on how to make the absolute best chicken cutlets you’ve ever had.

By the way, these would be a perfect thing to make with my NO ROUX Shells & Cheese recipe.

What Makes A Good Cutlet?

• Thin chicken breasts
• Well seasoned chicken
• Seasoned bread crumbs
• Getting the breading to stick
• The right frying oil and temperature
• Property draining the oil
• Salting after frying

So these are all of the main bullet points that make a great chicken cutlet. In my opinion, one isn’t more important then the other. They all need to come together to make this recipe work. This is why…

Thin Chicken Breasts

In the case of chicken cutlets, thin is always in. No one likes a thick chicken cutlets. They’re meant to me an almost equal parts breading to meat ratio.

Perdue sells pre packaged thinly sliced chicken breast that I buy from my local grocery story. This is super convenient but they may not be available where you shop.

Ask an employee by the meat section of your grocery store if they carry the thinly sliced breasts. You may be surprised they have them. If not, there are options.

You can always get regular chicken breast and slice them thin yourself.

Using a sharp knife, slice them down the middle and butterfly the breast.

It may even be a good idea to pound them down if they are still a little thick after slicing.

Well Seasoned Chicken

This step is so underrated. You have to make sure the chicks breast itself is seasoned well. I see lots of people seasoning the breading and egg mixture but not the actual chicken itself.

I feel like that’s a huge mistake. For chicken to taste great it needs seasoning and a good amount of it.

So season that chicken directly to make sure it’s going to taste good with every bite.

Seasoned bread crumbs

Some people swear by panko bread crumbs for chicken cutlets.

To be honest Its not my favorite. They’re a little too chunky for me and I don’t love the way they make the cutlets look once they’re fried.

Seasoned bread crumbs is my favorite way without a doubt.

They coat the chicken really well and you can’t beat that seasoning. They add another layer of flavor to the chicken cutlets that you just can’t get with panko breading.

Getting The Breading To Stick

Getting your breading to stick can be a little tricky.

Some people swear by flouring the chicken before the egg and breadcrumbs. I don’t find the flour makes much of a difference to be honest.

I cant tell when I use it or don’t so I’ve just omitted it over the years. Why add an extra step if we don’t need to.

The number one problem with getting the breading to stick relates to the oil. It has to be hot and it has to be cooked relatively quickly.

I say that because the constant flipping can disturb the breading too much and it’s more likely to fall off. Another reason why thin chicken breast is a great idea. They fry up fast!

The Right Frying Oil & Temp

I get asked often what the best oil for frying is and I’ve noticed that a lot of people aren’t sure what to use. Here’s the thing, there is a right and wrong oil and it does make a huge difference.

Using an oil with a high smoke point is the best option. That basically means it can get really hot and it will hold that heat without burning itself or the food. Vegetable and canola oil are my favorites to fry with.

Now that you’ve got the right oil, we need to talk about temperature.

Putting breaded chicken into oil that isn’t up to temperature is a terrible idea. The breadcrumbs will absorb all of the oil and the chicken cutlets will turn out soggy.

That is not how we make the best chicken cutlets. The oil must be hot to cook the chicken and crisp the breading up to a nice golden brown.

The temperature we’re looking for is 350°. If you have a kitchen thermometer it’s easy to figure out if you’ve hit the right number.

It can be a little more tricky if you don’t have one. A little trick I’ve learned is to take the end of the handle on a wooden spoon and gently place it into the oil. If little bubbles start to form that means the oil is ready to go!

Property Drain The Oil

After the chicken cutlets are made, there will still be some oil clinging onto them. It’s important to properly remove that oil so it doesn’t absorb back into the breadcrumbs and make them soggy. We want crispy cutlets!

One way to do this is by removing the chicken and placing it onto a wire cooling rack. This is my preferred option because the oil drops completely away and the chicken can really crisp up on both sides.

The other way is by placing the chicken cutlets onto a paper towel to drain. I’ve done this many many times. It works and it works well. So if you don’t have rack, it’s no big deal. The only downer is that the bottom of the chicken that’s against the paper towel can get a little soggy if left there for a while so make sure to transfer it as soon as you feel like it’s ready.

Salt After Frying

This is one of those small little things that make a big difference. As soon as the chicken cutlets are done frying and placed to cool, hit them with a little salt. The oil will be hit and really hold onto that salt. It’s a great time to add some extra flavor!

Now let’s get into the recipe.

The best chicken cutlets recipe video:

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• creamy sausage rigatoni
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Ingredients:

• Thinly sliced chicken breast
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Garlic powder
• Eggs
• Milk
• Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• Canola/ vegetable oil for frying

Instructions:

1. Season your chicken breast on both sides with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

2. In a shallow bowl, beat together the eggs and the milk.

3. In a spectate shallow bowl, add the breadcrumbs.

4. Dip the chicken into the egg mixture and let the extra run off back into the bowl.

5. Now place the chicken into the breadcrumbs and fully coat it on both sides.

6. Heat the oil in a large skillet and fry the chicken on both sides until golden brown. Once you see the sides of the chicken start to brown that means they’re ready to flip.

7. Dry the chicken cutlets on a wire rack or paper towels once they’re cooked all the way through and golden brown on both sides.

8. Lightly salt them and serve warm.

How Do I Serve These?

• Plain with rice or pasta and vegetables. This vodka sauce recipe of mine is an awesome match with these.
• On a sandwich with American cheese, tomato & Mayo. Also, fresh mozzarella, roasted red peppers and balsamic vinegar is delicious!
• Turn them into chicken parmesan by adding just s little sauce and mozzarella cheese. Here’s a great tomato sauce recipe of mine that goes perfectly with these.
• Cut them up and add them to salads.

Print Recipe

The Best Chicken Cutlets

This is the easiest recipe to make the best chicken cutlets.

Course: Main Course, Snack

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: chicken cutlets, easy chicken cutlets, the best chicken cutlet recipe

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound thinly sliced chicken breast
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• canola oil

Instructions

• season the chicken breast on both sides with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
• In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs and milk together.
• in another shallow bowl, add the bread crumbs
• dip the chicken breast into the egg mixture and coat it completely. Let the extra egg run off
• now add the chicken to the bread crumbs. Generously coat the chicken in them on both sides
• in a large frying pan add enough oil until it cover the bottom of the pan with about 1/2 inch of oil. Heat the oil to 350 degrees over medium high heat.
• fry the cutlets on both sides for bout 3 minutes or until they are golden brown and cooked all the way through.
• when the chicken is done, remove them from the oil and let them cool on either a wire rack or paper towels.
• immediately sprinkle them with just a little more salt and serve warm

About Al Dente Diva

Tara Ippolito is a self taught home cook from New Jersey and cookbook author of Fast, Simple, Delicious. Better known as “T” across social media, she makes easy to follow recipes using familiar ingredients. T uses her Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest channels to share recipes and cooking tips for everyday people. Her motivation to share with her followers is simple. To inspire people to cook and become more comfortable in the kitchen.

As a wife and busy mother of two little boys she she’s always cooking fast family friendly meals. Sharing her kitchen with others that want to learn is a true passion of hers. As her social media platforms continue to grow she is committed to delivering consistently delicious content to her followers.