Do you love crispy breaded chicken but are apprehensive at the idea of making it yourself? Not to worry, it’s actually pretty fun and super easy to make as long as you nail a couple of the main steps.
The first one is getting your sliced chicken cutlets thin enough so that the chicken cooks evenly in your. In my instructions, I’ve stated that it’s best to pound them into 1/4 inch pieces. Now I’m not expecting anyone to get out a tape measurer but it should be around the thickness of your pinky finger. That will ensure the chicken gets fully cooked before the outside gets too crispy/burnt!
The second one is picking the right oil. Because we are going to be cooking these cutlets on medium-high, it’s important to use an oil with a higher smoke point to avoid burning the oil in the pan. Burnt oil equals a not-so-nice taste on the outside of our chicken. Although it may be your first inclination to get out the olive oil, this will go much smoother with either avocado oil or peanut oil as they won’t burn as easily. Pro tip – carefully remove the excess breadcrumbs from the pan between cutlets and add oil between cutlets as needed for a consistent result between batches. Also, a digital thermometer is always your best friend when cooking/frying chicken.
Once you get those two down, you’ll be off to the races. This dish pairs super well with some roasted veg, a salad or you could throw it on a bun and have a delicious crispy chicken burger. Squeeze some fresh lemon on once finished for an added zip!
Extra Crispy Parmesan Crusted Chicken Cutlets
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts boneless, skinless.
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup flour all purpose
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon parsley flakes
- 1 cup parmesan cheese finely grated
- neutral oil for frying high smoke point oil such as avocado or peanut will work best
Instructions
- Slice each chicken breast in half so you end up with 4 thin cutlets total. Cover cutlets with plastic wrap and use a meat tenderizer or rolling pin to pound them into ¼ inch thick pieces.
- Generously season both sides of the cutlets with salt and pepper.
- Add flour to a wide, shallow bowl or plate. Whisk eggs in a separate shallow bowl. To a third shallow bowl, combine breadcrumbs, parsley flakes and parmesan cheese.
- Work with one cutlet at a time. Dip cutlets in the flour and make sure it is well coated. Next, drench cutlets in the eggs, shake off the excess, and coat both sides in the panko breadcrumbs mixture. Return the cutlet to the eggs and wet them again. Place them one last time in the breadcrumb mixture and make sure both sides are evenly coated.
- Optional step: Let the cutlets sit in the fridge for about 20 minutes. This will help the breadcrumb mixture stick while frying.
- Add oil to a thick-bottomed pot or skillet (about ¼ inch deep). Heat oil on medium-high. In small batches, add the breaded chicken and cook on each side until they're golden, crispy and have reached an internal temperature of 165°F (about 5 minutes per side).
- Place cooked chicken directly a plate lined with paper towel. Serve and enjoy!
