Crispy Italian Breaded Chicken Cutlets
This recipe for Crispy Italian Breaded Chicken Cutlets is the best you'll ever have! Thin slices of chicken breast are breaded with a homemade seasoned breadcrumb mixture then pan fried in extra virgin olive oil to get super crispy and flavorful.
This post may contain affiliate links.
Here in New Jersey, Italian breaded chicken cutlets are a staple. We put them on sandwiches, smother them in mozzarella and tomato sauce for chicken parm, serve them with a lemony arugula salad for Chicken Milanese, and I personally like to eat them cold, straight out of the refrigerator, with my hands.
Why this recipe works
- A beginner friendly recipe - I started making these when I was just a kid!
- Instead of using store bought Italian breadcrumbs, these are made with homemade seasoned breadcrumbs to make them extra crispy and cheesy.
- Pounding out the chicken super thin ensures they cook through in the pan with no oven required.
- Seasoning each piece of chicken before breading makes the meat juicy and flavorful.
- Adding grated cheese to the egg mixture makes the breading
- Breadcrumbs - If you have homemade breadcrumbs - use those. Otherwise, unseasoned Panko is the way to go. They're lighter than traditional breadcrumbs and make the best crispy coating. I prefer to season my own breadcrumbs rather than using already seasoned Italian breadcrumbs because the flavor is so much better.
- Grated Cheese - For this recipe, I find a good quality parmesan, such as Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano, and a good quality Pecorino Romano, such as Locatelli, are interchangeable. Use either one or both, just make sure you're using the good stuff - it makes a difference.
- Chicken - Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. You can start with whole chicken breasts and slice them thin, or buy chicken breasts that have already been thinly sliced. We will take it one step further and pound the chicken out to be extra thin, because the thinner they are, the better they are.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Some people say you should never to fry in extra virgin olive oil, but I disagree. It makes all the difference in this recipe and gives the chicken much more flavor than when it's fried in vegetable oil. For frying, use a less expensive olive oil and not the top-shelf stuff that's best reserved for finishing.
Step by step instructions
- Add the breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, Italian seasoning, and ¾ cup cheese to a medium shallow bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then use your fingers to mix it together, working the garlic into the breadcrumbs until evenly distributed.
- In another medium, shallow bowl, whisk together 3 eggs with ½ cup cheese, a pinch of salt and pepper and 1 tablespoon water until combined.
- Pour the flour into another shallow bowl or plate, season with salt and pepper and mix to combine.
- Take one piece of thinly sliced chicken and place it on a cutting board. Place a piece of plastic wrap over top, then use a meat mallet to pound it out to be about ½ inch thick. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Season each piece of chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Set up the breading station so that the chicken is on the far left, then next to it the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs, and then a landing plate or pan to hold the breaded chicken.
- Take a piece of chicken and dip it into the flour to coat on all sides, then tap off the excess (*See note).
- Next, dip it in the egg mixture and let the excess drip off.
- Transfer the chicken into the breadcrumbs. Be sure to press it down and move it around so that it's thoroughly coated. Place the chicken on the reserved plate, and repeat with the remaining pieces.
- Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed saute pan over medium-high heat. Place 1-3 chicken breasts in at a time, depending on how many your pan can hold. Don't overcrowd the pan.
- Cook until golden brown on each side, then remove to a rack or paper towels to drain.
- Serve immediately, or place in a 250 degree F oven for up to 1 hour before serving to keep warm.
Tips for success
- To season the chicken faster, I like to liberally season one side, then stack another piece of chicken on top of it. This allows some the seasoning to transfer onto the other piece, seasoning both sides more effectively.
- Let the breaded chicken sit for about 30 minutes before you fry it - this will help the breading stick.
- Don't overcrowd the pan when frying. I try not to fry more than two at a time, but depending on your pan you may only be able to fit one.
- I prefer to drain the fried chicken cutlets on a rack rather than paper towels because it keeps them crispier.
Faq about Italian Breaded Chicken Cutlets
It helps to let the breaded chicken cutlets rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before frying. This helps the breading adhere to the chicken and form a crust.
If the oil isn't hot enough, the breadcrumbs will absorb the oil and turn soggy, resulting in chicken cutlets that are more greasy than they are crispy. Make sure the oil has plenty of time to heat up before placing the chicken cutlets in the pan. It should look shimmery.Ho
The best way to keep the chicken crispy is to set a rack on top of a sheet pan and allow the cutlets to drain on that rather than paper towels. You can keep them in a 250 degree F oven for up to an hour before serving to keep them hot and crispy.
Yes. A lot of people prefer to fry in a neutral oil like vegetable or canola oil because they have a higher smoke point, but I find they have a much better flavor when fried in olive oil. If you're not comfortable frying in all olive oil, try a 50-50 mixture of olive oil and vegetable oil instead.
Related Recipes
Did you make this recipe and LOVE it? Please leave a star ⭐️ rating and/or comment to help other readers. I absolutely love hearing from you and do my best to answer all questions and comments. I love seeing when you make my recipes, so please tag me @ColeyCooks on Instagram and I will repost!
Best Ever Chicken Cutlets
This recipe for Italian breaded Chicken Cutlets is the BEST you'll ever have! There a few key secrets to getting that crispy outer coating just right. Turn them into chicken parm, or my favorite, chicken Milanese!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4-6 servings
- Category: chicken
- Method: fried
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 3 cups homemade breadcrumbs or panko
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated
- 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh Italian flat leaf parsely
- ½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (optional)
- ¾ cup plus ½ cup finely grated pecorino Romano or parmesan cheese (or both)
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
- olive oil for frying
Instructions
- Add the breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, Italian seasoning, and ¾ cup cheese to a medium shallow bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then use your fingers to mix it together, working the garlic into the breadcrumbs until evenly distributed.
- In another medium, shallow bowl, whisk together 3 eggs with ½ cup cheese, a pinch of salt and pepper and 1 tablespoon water until combined.
- Pour the flour into another shallow bowl or plate, season with salt and pepper and mix to combine.
- Take one piece of thinly sliced chicken and place it on a cutting board. Place a piece of plastic wrap over top, then use a meat mallet to pound it out to be about ½ inch thick. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Season each piece of chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Set up the breading station so that the chicken is on the far left, then next to it the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs, and then a landing plate or pan to hold the breaded chicken.
- Take a piece of chicken and dip it into the flour to coat on all sides, then tap off the excess (*See note).
- Next, dip it in the egg mixture and let the excess drip off.
- Transfer the chicken into the breadcrumbs. Be sure to press it down and move it around so that it's thoroughly coated. Place the chicken on the reserved plate, and repeat with the remaining pieces.
- Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed saute pan over medium-high heat. Place 1-3 chicken breasts in at a time, depending on how many your pan can hold. Don't overcrowd the pan.
- Cook until golden brown on each side, then remove to a rack or paper towels to drain.
- Serve immediately, or place in a 250 degree F oven for up to 1 hour before serving to keep warm.
Notes
- *When breading, I try to designate one hand for touching only dry things, like flour and breadcrumbs, and one hand for touching only wet, like the raw chicken and eggs. This prevents you from breading your fingers in the process.
- Serve as is with a squeeze of lemon, with a tomato arugula salad, or smother with marinara and mozzarella to make chicken parm. This procedure also works equally as well with veal and pork.
- Leftovers can be stored, wrapped tightly, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 823
- Sugar: 5.3 g
- Sodium: 1006.1 mg
- Fat: 19.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 84.2 g
- Protein: 72.2 g
- Cholesterol: 312.4 mg
Like all the other comments, these were the best chicken "schnitzel' I've ever had. I threw crispy fried onions in the food processor and used one cup in place of one of the cups of bread crumbs, It's the first time the breading didn't come off in the oil or as I was moving them to the plate and I've been grappling with that problem for years! I made enough for two meals hoping to freeze a batch, but my family ate every last bite. Have you tried freezing these?
So glad to hear it Meg!!! They freeze okay. They're not bad but definitely better fresh. Reheat in an air fryer or hot convection oven for best results!
These turned out incredible! The egg mixed with the Parmesan cheese makes it. Definitely keeping & sharing this recipe.
So happy to hear that!
WOW! These were AMAZING! Adding parmesan to the egg wash is GENIUS! So is prepping the chicken and sticking back in fridge to let it all SET! This will be the only recipe I will use going forward! THANK YOU!!! SO GOOD!
SO glad you loved them Dawn!
A couple of tricks I’ve learned over the years are as follows, yes, drain on rack. season chicken before breading. I like to add garlic powder and onion powder along with the salt and pepper. You can also spice it up a bit. And my best trick is to add some cornstarch to the breading to make it extra crispy.
Thanks for this! I love the idea of adding cornstarch to the breading to make them even crispier!
Absolutely the BEST chicken cutlet recipe ever!!! I live in North Jersey and this tastes exactly like the chicken cutlets from my favorite salumeria. I have been trying to figure out their recipe for years!!!! This is amazing.. thank you for sharing .
So happy you loved it!!
Tried this and it worked out amazingly. Thank you 🙂
so glad, thanks for the comment!
OMG!! This recipe is a keeper...so amazing. Cutlets turned out beyond perfect. Thank you!!!
So glad! Thank you!
this was the most delicious chicken cutlet i ever had. it made such a great, crispy crust. my husband also loved it and wants it again tomorrow on a sandwich! highly highly recommend!!!
So happy to hear that Jessica! <3
WE CANNOT WAIT TO TRY THESE CUTLETS. HOORAY TO YOU USING FRESH PARSLEY. MY MOM MADE HER VEAL CUTLETS THE SAME WAY.
love that! hope you enjoy the recipe!
Made these tonight for dinner and wow! They really are the best we've had. The whole family was raving. Can't wait to use this again to make chicken parm. Awesome recipe - thanks!
So glad to hear your family loved them!
I've tried lots of different chicken cutlet recipes and this one is by far the best. It will be my go-to from now on. Thank you!
Amazing! So glad you loved them
I'm in NYC and you're right--theres something different about our chicken cutlets in the tri-state! I couldn't find a recipe I liked. But when I saw that you're in Jersey and also like to be able to just pull a cold chicken cutlet out of the fridge for a snack (lol), I knew I had to try it. And I'm so glad I did! Hands down the best chicken cutlet recipe I've tried. I'm using it for our chicken parm tonight and for chicken caprese sandwiches during the week. Thanks so much!
So glad you loved them!
Truly the best chicken cutlets I've ever had!
Thank you!
This was amasing,made this tonight for dinner,it’s a keeper
Thanks for sharing
So glad you loved them!
Oh my goodness! This was such a good recipe. They are so crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. And have incredible flavor. My 100% Italian grandfather-in-law is sooo picky! He knows good Italian food and won’t settle for less. I made these for him and he loves them! Not to mention I was trying to find something he would eat….. he needs to gain weight…. Thank you!
So glad you and your grandfather-in-law enjoyed!
So good
I feel the need to leave a comment, which I've never done on a food blog before. I used this recipe randomly the first time I made chicken cutlets for my Italian husband, and they were a huge hit. I've used this recipe 3 or 4 times since and they always come out amazing! I thank you for making me know what I'm doing with this Italian specialty!
Thank you so much for your comment! It made my day! This is one of my all time favorite recipes and I'm so glad it's becoming one of yours, too! <3
This is exactly how my grandmother taught me with one exception… Try adding a little lemon zest to the breadcrumb mixture… It's delicious!
I love this! I bet lemon zest is great in the breadcrumbs. I do that when I fry fish, but I can totally see it being amazing with chicken too. Thanks for the tip!
Delicious chicken cutlets, so easy to cook! Also, loved the video. thanks for sharing, Nicole! 🙂
Yay!! So glad to hear it. Thanks for commenting!
Iam making these for dinner. And we loved them thank you.
Awesome, thank you so much!
Thanks for the recipe! I've been testing out a few different cutlet recipes and haven't quite found the right one. I'm excited to try this one out!
So awesome! I hope you love them as much as we do. They're my favorite!!
Best chicken cutlets I’ve ever made. I’ve made my fair share in life, and this one takes the cake. Thank u for sharing. We all loved it
So happy to hear this!