Italian Style Chicken Cutlets

4.88 from 8 votes

These classic Italian chicken cutlets are a simple, crispy and flavorful way to eat chicken breast. Serve as a dinner, over a salad, with a sauce or in a sandwich. They are even good as a snack.

Prep Time20

Cook Time15

Total Time40

Servings: people

Author: Sam Maccini

Equipment

large heavy bottomed skillet or cast iron

Ingredients

Chicken Cutlets

1-1.5 lb chicken breast or pre-sliced, see notes
½ cup avocado oil or other light, high smoke point oil
2 eggs
salt
1 tsp garlic powder
¾ cup Italian style breadcrumbs
½ cup grated pecorino romano or parmigiano reggiano

Instructions

Slice Chicken: Slice each chicken breast in thirds and pound flat and even with a rolling pin or meat mallet.
Bread Chicken: Beat the eggs and add them to a shallow dish. In other shallow dish add bread crumbs, grated cheese & garlic powder. Mix up with a fork. Coat 1 piece of chicken in egg. Let excess drop off. Next coat it in bread crumbs and press them into the chicken until chicken is fully covered. Set aside on plate or dish & repeat for each piece of chicken.
Make Cutlets: Line a large plate or dish with paper towels. Use enough oil to coat the bottom of the skillet with about ⅛-1/4 inch of oil. I use about ⅓ cup to start. Heat oil on high heat until hot. Add chicken pieces working 2-3 at a time. Fry 1-2 minutes on each side until very golden on one side. Flip and cook another 1-2 minutes. Place finished pieces of chicken on dish with paper towels to drain.
You may need to work in 2 batches depending on the size of your pan or if the breadcrumbs start burning. If too smoky: empty oil, wipe out pan, and repeat the steps.
Serve with Chunky Marinara. They can be eaten right away & make amazing leftovers.

Notes

Buying Chicken: The perfect chicken cutlet has just the right amount of chicken. I buy large chicken breasts and slice them with a sharp knife in thirds & pound it thin. That is my favorite result: thin and crispy but with a good amount of chicken.

You can take a shortcut and buy thin-sliced chicken breast. Consider that each brand has a different thinness, and adjust your cook time accordingly.

Homemade Italian Style Breadcrumbs: 1 cup plain breadcrumbs + use 1tsp onion powder, ½ teaspoon each of dried parsley, dried basil, dried oregano, garlic powder, and black pepper.

Cheese: grated cheese adds lots of flavor & aids in the crispy brown breading. I LOVe using pecorino romano, it has a really delicious flavor and is a little more amped up compared to a regular parm.

Storing: Can keep in the fridge in an air tight container up to five days.

Nutrition