Parmesan Chicken Cutlets
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 567kcal
Golden, crispy, and perfectly cheesy, these Parmesan Chicken Cutlets are ready to enjoy in just 20 minutes from start to finish and pair effortlessly with your favorite sides for an easy and delicious family dinner.
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts boneless and skinless (about 1 pound total)
- 1 cup flour all-purpose
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 2/3 cup parmesan cheese finely grated
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Flaky salt for sprinkling
- 2 Tablespoons grapeseed oil plus more as needed (or canola or vegetable oil)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil plus more as needed
- 1 lemon cut into wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Cut 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in half horizontally so you end up with 4 thin pieces of chicken. Working with 1 piece of chicken at a time, place in a large zip-top bag and pound with a meat mallet or cast iron skillet until 1/4-inch thick. Set aside and repeat with the remaining 3 pieces.
- Grab 3 shallow bowls for your breading station.
- In the first bowl, whisk together the 1 cup flour, and a big pinch of salt and pepper.
- To the second bowl, add the 2 large eggs and 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, and whisk until well combined.
- In the third bowl, stir together the 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs, 2/3 cup parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and another big pinch of salt and pepper.
- Dredge the chicken in the flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs. Press the breadcrumbs onto the outside of the chicken to help it adhere.
- Heat 2 Tablespoons grapeseed oil and 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. (You should have enough oil to cover the bottom of pan by about ⅛ inch.) Working in batches if needed, add the breaded chicken cutlets in a single layer and cook until cooked through and lightly browned on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes per side.Transfer the chicken onto a paper towel-lined plate baking sheet and sprinkle with flaky salt. Repeat with the remaining chicken if needed, adding additional oil to the pan as needed.
- Serve with lemon wedges and a pinch of flaky salt.
Notes
Storing
- Store leftover Parmesan chicken cutlets in an airtight container, layered between paper towels, in the fridge for 3-4 days, keeping in mind that the Parmesan breading will start to soften. I don’t recommend freezing Parmesan chicken cutlets as the freezing and thawing will affect the crispy texture of the breading.
- For the crispiest results, reheat the cutlets in an air fryer at 350 degrees F for a couple of minutes per side. Alternatively, warm them in a skillet over low heat or microwave in 30-second bursts until heated through.
- Pound the chicken cutlets to an even thickness so they cook uniformly and stay juicy.
- Season the chicken cutlets generously with salt and pepper before cooking, or customize with your favorite herbs and spices. Check out this BEST Chicken Dry Rub Recipe made with simple ingredients.
- Cook the chicken cutlets over medium-high heat just until cooked through, being careful not to overcook or they will turn out dry and tough.
- Serve the chicken cutlets immediately alongside your favorite sides for the best texture and flavor.
- I prefer panko breadcrumbs for the extra crunch. If you happen to have Italian-seasoned panko, you can skip the additional Italian seasoning. Regular breadcrumbs work just fine if that's what you have available.
- Check the chicken for doneness. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest section of the cutlet which should read 165 degrees F for the chicken to be safe to eat. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, test the chicken for doneness by cutting into it and ensure that it’s no longer pink inside.
- Allow the oil to reheat in between cooking batches of breaded chicken pieces as the oil will naturally drop in temperature when food is added. If the temperature isn’t high enough, the coating will soak up oil instead of turning golden and crispy.
- Buttermilk Chicken Cutlets - Marinate the cutlets in buttermilk for at least 4 hours or overnight in the fridge. Drain well before dredging, then proceed with the recipe as written.
- Spicy Chicken Cutlets - Stir 3 tablespoons of hot sauce into the egg mixture and add 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the breadcrumb mixture. Continue with the recipe as directed.
- Ranch Chicken Cutlets - Mix 2 tablespoons of homemade Ranch Seasoning (or one packet of Hidden Valley ranch seasoning) into the breadcrumb mixture before dredging.
- Keto Chicken Cutlets - Replace the panko breadcrumbs with almond flour and combine with the Parmesan cheese as usual. Alternatively, crushed pork rinds make an excellent low-carb substitute.
- Pretzel Crusted Chicken Cutlets - Swap out the panko breadcrumbs for finely crushed pretzels, then follow the recipe as written.
- Tortilla Crusted Chicken Cutlets - Swap out the panko breadcrumbs for finely crushed tortilla chips, then follow the recipe as written.
Nutrition
Calories: 567kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 177mg | Sodium: 614mg | Potassium: 595mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 314IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 279mg | Iron: 4mg