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A stack of thin crispy Italian breaded chicken breasts with a lemon.
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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.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 489kcal
Author: Nicole Gaffney

Ingredients

  • 3 cups homemade breadcrumbs or panko
  • 3 cloves garlic finely minced or grated
  • 2 tablespoons fresh Italian flat leaf parsley finely minced
  • ½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning optional
  • 1 ¼ cup finely grated pecorino Romano or parmesan cheese (or both) divided
  • kosher salt to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts thinly sliced
  • extra virgin olive oil for frying

Instructions

  1. 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. 
  2.  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.
  3. Pour the flour into another shallow bowl or plate, season with salt and pepper and mix to combine.
  4. 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.
  5. Season each piece of chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.
  6. 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.
  7. Take a piece of chicken and dip it into the flour to coat on all sides, then tap off the excess (*See note).
  8. Next, dip it in the egg mixture and let the excess drip off.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. Cook until golden brown on each side, then remove to a rack or paper towels to drain.
  12. 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.
  • If you have leftover breadcrumbs, freeze them in a zip-top bag and use them again the next time you make chicken cutlets!

Nutrition

Calories: 489kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 197mg | Sodium: 792mg | Potassium: 725mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 460IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 269mg | Iron: 4mg
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