Italian Chicken Cutlets

An excellent follow-up to your first-course pasta, or even as a standalone main, chicken cutlets are a classic Italian poultry dish. These fried chicken cutlets are coated with bread crumbs, parsley, and parmigiano reggiano to become delicious, golden, and finished to crispy perfection.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Servings cutlets

Calories 668kcal

Author Pina Bresciani

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
½ cup all purpose flour
2 eggs
¼ cup milk
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
¼ cup grated parmigiano reggiano
2 teaspoon parsley finely chopped
2 cups oil for frying peanut, canola or sunflower oil (see notes)
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Cut chicken breasts in half horizontally and between saran wrap or in a ziploc bag, pound to approximately ¼" thickness with the smooth side of a meat tenderizer.
In a shallow dish or bowl, beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper together. In a separate dish combine bread crumbs, parmigiano reggiano and parsley. Add flour to a separate dish.
Add the oil to a shallow pan and heat it up over medium heat. How much oil you use will depend on how big your pan is. Aim for the oil to be about ½-1" deep.
Dredge the cutlets in flour on each side. Shake off any excess. Transfer chicken to the eggs, turning to coat. Move chicken to the bread crumb mixture and coat.
Add chicken to the pan, working in batches, and fry each cutlet 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to absorb excess oil.
If desired, top with finishing salt and fresh lemon juice. Serve and enjoy!

Video

Notes

To ensure even cooking, slice the boneless, skinless chicken breasts in half horizontally. This will result in thinner cutlets that cook more quickly and evenly.

Use a meat tenderizer or a bottle of wine to flatten the chicken cutlets to about ¼-inch thickness. This uniform thickness will help them cook uniformly and achieve that desirable crunch.

When frying the chicken cutlets, the amount of oil you use will depend on the size of your pan. Aim for the oil to be about ½ to 1 inch deep, ensuring the cutlets are partially submerged for even frying.

Use a neutral-tasting oil with a high smoke point for frying, such as canola oil, sunflower oil, vegetable oil, or peanut oil. This prevents the oil from imparting unwanted flavors to the cutlets.

Fry the cutlets in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, which can lead to uneven cooking. Give each cutlet enough space to cook and achieve that perfect crispy exterior.

While frying, maintain a medium heat level to avoid burning the breadcrumbs. Typically, 3-4 minutes per side is sufficient for achieving a golden-brown finish.

Nutrition