Crispy Chicken Cutlets

Chicken cutlets are a staple in this house. I serve them on their own or as a base for many dishes. I usually make enough to have for 2 dinners, so the leftovers can turn into something like chicken parmesan or crispy chicken caesar salad (which is just a bag of caesar salad mix with sliced up chicken cutlets).

This recipe makes 4 extra crispy chicken cutlets.

Start with 2 chicken breasts. Filet each breast and pound thin (about a 1/4 inch). Sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder and let stand for 20ish minutes to absorb the spices and come to room temperature.

If you didn’t know – chicken should be cooked at room temp. Throwing cold chicken on a grill, in the oven, or into a pan will cause it to cook unevenly and you’ll end up with tough chicken.

Breading the chicken cutlets

While the chicken cutlets are hanging out on the counter, get your breading station prepped.

Bowl 1: corn starch (you can substitute this with flour)

Bowl 2: 2 eggs, beaten

Bowl 3: Italian style bread crumbs and grated Parmesan cheese

Corn starch is used to get the eggs to stick and then eggs are to get the bread crumbs to stick. So make sure YOU STICK to that process… corn starch —> eggs —> bread crumb mixture.

Cooking the chicken cutlets

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. If you have a convection oven (hooray for convection ovens!) preheat to 375. A convection oven will give the chicken cutlets that extra crispness, but baking them should do the trick, too… it’s more about the cast iron skillet…

Heat coconut oil in a large cast iron skillet. I used a 12 inch and the 4 cutlets fit perfectly.

Brown the cutlets on each side and then finish in the oven. Make sure the internal temp of the chicken reaches 165 degrees… or poison your family, whatever you want.

How do you know when the oil is hot enough?

This is a tricky thing to master and I can’t say I have 100% mastered it, but I have found that JUST as the oil starts to smoke is the best time to add the chicken. If it’s too smoky/hot, just add a little more oil to cool it down. My stove top runs cool, so I have the burner set to medium-high, but medium should be used on a normal stove.

Extra Crispy Chicken Cutlets

Ingredients:

2 Chicken breasts, filleted and pounded thin

2 Eggs, beaten

1 cup Corn starch (or flour)

1 cup Italian style bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp Garlic powder

1/2 tsp Onion powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup coconut oil

Directions:

1. Sprinkle filleted chicken with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper on both sides. Let sit for 20 minutes.
2. Preheat oven (400F for bake, 375F for convection)
3. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.
4. In separate bowls, lay out corn starch, eggs, bread crumb mixture.
5. Heat coconut oil in a cast iron skillet on medium.
6. Take one piece of chicken and dredge it in corn starch, shaking off excess. Dunk it in the eggs making sure it’s fully covered and then dredge through bread crumb mixture, patting the crumbs onto the chicken to make sure they stick.
7. Place chicken on plate and repeat with the other pieces.
8. When oil is hot, add the chicken. Cook on each side 2-3 minutes or until breading is browned.
9. Add skillet to preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
10. Remove from skillet and let rest on a plate before serving. Unless you enjoy burning your mouth.

What else can I do with these chicken cutlets?

One of my favorite things to do is add thin sliced proscuitto on top of the chicken cutlet and cover with a slice of provolone cheese BEFORE putting them in the oven.

I also use the cutlets for chicken parmesan, pasta dishes, and salads. Anything that calls for crispy chicken is a win with this chicken cutlet recipe!