How to Make Crispy Chicken Cutlets (for two)
A step-by-step recipe for making the most flavorful crispy chicken cutlets for two people in about 20 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 Chicken Breast about 8-10 ounces
- 1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- 3/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt plus a pinch more for sprinkling onto the cooked chicken
- 3/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked Black Pepper
- Neutral Oil like avocado or vegetable, for frying
Instructions
- Slice the Chicken. Lay 1 Chicken Breast flat on a cutting board. Carefully slice the chicken breast in half horizontally, so it creates one thin top half and one thin bottom half. Just do this as best as you can, it doesn’t have to be perfect!
- Pound the Chicken Thin. Place one of the halves in the center of the cutting board and cover it with plastic wrap. Use a rolling pin (or in my case, an empty wine bottle) to pound the chicken until it is about 1/2-inch thick. Repeat with the second chicken breast. The key here is to make it as evenly thick as possible.
- Set up the “Breading Station”. Find three large, shallow bowls or containers that will mostly fit the chicken breasts. in the first bowl, combine 1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, and a few cracks or a pinch of freshly cracked black pepper. Stir to evenly combine. In the second bowl, combine 11 cup Panko Breadcrumbs, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, and another few cracks of black pepper. Stir to combine. In the third bowl, add 1 Large Egg, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, and more pepper. Use a fork to whisk the egg with the seasonings until the egg is frothy. Set the bowls up near one another so you can easily transfer the chicken from one to the next.
- Coat the Chicken in Breading. Place once chicken breast into the bowl of flour, coating both sides evenly. Transfer the chicken to the bowl with the egg, again coating both sides evenly with it. Then transfer it to the bowl of breadcrumbs, really press down into it so the breadcrumbs stick really well on both sides. You can flip it over a couple of times here to make sure it’s totally coated in breadcrumbs! Repeat with the second chicken breast. (The first one can just hang out on a plate while you do the second one).
- Cook the Chicken. Place a wire baking rack onto a rimmed baking sheet , and set it near the stovetop. Set the salt nearby, too. You’ll place the cooked chicken on here as soon as it comes out of the pan and sprinkle it with a little pinch of salt.
- In a large, non-stick pan with high sides, add enough oil so it coats the entire bottom of the pan and comes up about 1/4″-inch on the sides of the pan. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is shimmering, but not smoking hot. Drop a breadcrumb into the oil to test the heat: if it starts sizzling, the oil is ready!
- Cook one cutlet at a time for about 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy. Immediately transfer the cooked chicken the prepared wire rack you prepared and sprinkle the chicken with a little pinch of salt. Repeat with the second chicken breast.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cutletCalories: 211kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 9gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 1129mgPotassium: 121mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 119IUVitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 71mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!