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.
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.
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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
Debbi
Great!!! I’ve been cooking for 50+ years but never mastered breading and frying. This recipe did it! Thanks!
Coley
so glad to hear that!
Brooklyn cook
Almost perfect recipe except for the multiple layers of salt recommended which made the dish too salty to enjoy. Next time will eliminate salt from egg and chicken.
Beth
What do you think is the best way to reheat these? Want to make and take to someone who will need to heat them up later. Thanks!
Coley
Reheat in a 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes. They're even better if you reheat them in an air fryer or convection oven! Hope this helps
Joanne
Delicious!! Just made them. Excellent recipe and easy
Coley
SO happy you loved them!
Robert Townsend
This really was the Best ever chicken cutlet I’ve ever made !
Coley
Love to hear that. Thanks!
Lorie
This recipe is excellent. The Parmesan cheese in the egg makes it a little thicker to adhere to the chicken. I cut out some of the salt and pepper and it still was very flavorful. It also fried up nicely. Will make this again!
Coley
SO glad you enjoyed it!
Ann
These were amazing! I added a little red pepper to the breading mixture to spice it up a little. I also made extra to put in the freezer for another time. Yum!
Coley
So glad you loved them!
Michael
Great receipe!
Coley
Thank you!
Ann
I am obsessed . This recipe was so easy to follow and the chicken turned out so crispy and flavorful! Thank you for the detailed steps and helpful tips. I’m going to be making this again and again and again.
Coley
So glad you love the recipe!
Pascale Bouchard
I was going to try your recipe tonight. Making chicken parm. But I am out of parmesan cheese. would you say the cheese is a must in the egg mixture? or could I skip the parmesan? Only have the mozzarella on hand.
Coley
You can skip the parmesan and they will still be good, but the added cheese definitely makes them even better! No need to make an extra trip to the store, but do try them again sometime in the future with the cheese to see what I mean!
Melissa Doster
This was hands down the most flavorful recipe for chicken cutlets! Thank you so much for sharing! My family loved it and are hard to please.
Coley
So happy to hear you enjoyed it!
michael donovan
I'm no cook but I've tried this like ten times now and we love it. I follow 90 percent of the instructions. we put adobo on the raw chicken, a hint of lemon pepper, and a hint of oregano but the rest follow the recipe. When I have everything set up my 16-year-old son insist I can't cook and adds stuff, paprika which he insists helps, Anyway, we have a lot of fun and we've gotten better. Thanks! Mike Donovan
Coley
So glad you and your son love it!
Aruss
enjoyed the recipe, it was light and tasty
Coley
Thanks glad you enjoyed it!
Susan
Crispy outside, moist inside. Delicious!
Coley
SO glad you loved them!
Amanda
This recipe is the absolute best for so many reasons:
Crispiness thanks to cooling rack hack (instead of plate with paper towels), booming with flavor (my Italiano husband brings back the good parmesan reggiano and pecorino romano) and I used a cast iron skillet for ultimate crisp. I did add some butter to the cooking olive oil, but that's because I can't help myself:) Coley, this is my go to recipe from now on! Both kids and hubs were asking for seconds. Grazie Mille Bella!!!
Coley
So happy you love the recipe!!
Angela
Thank you for this awesome recipe. My family loves it. Made it 3 times now and they keep asking for it again!
Coley
I'm so happy that your family loves the recipe as much as ours! <3
Brigitte
These really ARE the best-ever chicken cutlets! Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. My family just enjoyed it on Friday evening after a really long and tough week for everyone, and it made everyone smile. Great lead-in to the weekend. I can't wait to try some of your other recipes. Thanks again
Coley
So glad you enjoyed them, thank you for the review!
danny Jones
I made cutlets for dinner so delicious simple yummy.
Coley
So glad you enjoyed them!
Danez Collett
I made this almost exactly as written, the only difference is that I was in a hurry and toasted 4 pieces of bread and tore into small pieces and these cutlets totally melted in my mouth! Since I used chicken breasts out of a bag of frozen chicken, I didn't expect them to be so tender and perfect! Will be making these a lot!!
Coley
So glad to hear that! Thanks for the comment! 🙂
Eileen
My kids absolutely loved this chicken
Coley
So glad to hear that, thanks Ellen!
B
How long do you fry them for?How long do you fry them for?
Coley
About 2-3 minutes on each side, until brown and crisp.
Josy
Everyone loved the cutlets. Thank you for a great recipe
Coley
SO glad to hear that!