Crispy chicken cutlets, ahhh. One of my all time favorite things. The sound of the chicken hitting the hot oil, is music to my ears. My mom made chicken cutlets about once a week when I was growing up. She was the GOAT of chicken cutlets. My brother (who is now 39 years old) to this day still has my mom make a big batch for his Boys Weekend once a year.
Besides my mom’s, there is this great Italian deli in my hometown that makes great cutlets. Everyday in high school, my friends and I would go and either get one of the following: Chicken Alla Nonna (chicken cutlet, ham, melted fresh mozz), The Husky (chicken cutlet, fresh mozz, roasted peppers), or The One We Made Up (chicken cutlet, white American, honey mustard). Notice the theme? CHICKEN CUTLET.
But there are a lot of things that can go wrong with chicken cutlets. I know, you wouldn’t think right? They can be too thick (bleh), the breading can fall off (bummer), they can be burnt (unappealing), or not seasoned enough (bland). I have a few tips that can help you achieve the perfect crispy cutlet.
First is, you want to make sure the cutlets are super thin. The way I achieve that is slicing one chicken breasts into three, using a sharp knife. After that, I pound them thin.
After those are all prepped (and my hands are washed!), I make my breading station. The breading station is very important. You want each bowl to be ready, waiting for you. *Pro Tip: you need to season each step!! The flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs all need to be salt and peppered (you want to build the different layer of flavors).
Let’s talk about step one: Flour. I like to use Wondra flour, which is a low-protein, finely ground wheat flour that has been pre-cooked and dried. It’s great for creating a light, crispy cutlet because it binds the surface liquids really well with an even coating. However, if you don’t have Wondra flour on hand, AP flour will work just fine! Just make sure to let go any excess flour so it has a nice thin coating. You probably have seen this in your local grocery store and passed right by it. It’s in a bright blue tin, and has kind of a vintage look to it. This flour is also good to thicken sauces and gravys, because it doesn’t clump up like regular AP flour, it dissolves almost instantly. You can also find Wondra on Amazon. The Kitchn goes into greater depth as to the magic of Wondra (https://www.thekitchn.com/what-is-wondra-flour-248213)
Next step is the eggs. I like to lightly scramble them with some water or milk before adding them to my shallow dish. Lastly, is the breadcrumbs. My favorite type is 4C Italian Breadcrumbs, although I’ve just recently discovered Whole Foods brand of Italian Breadcrumbs, and really love it. I add some Pecorino, and oddly enough, some mustard powder. The mustard powder doesn’t give the cutlets a mustardy-flavor, it just adds another layer of flavor. If you don’t have mustard powder, but have it in the jar, you can probably add a teaspoon to your egg mixture to achieve the same umami flavor.
Once all chicken cutlets are breaded, I like to put them in the fridge for at least a half hour. This dries out the chicken, which helps create a crispier cutlet. You can skip this step if you don’t have the time, but it does add a little more crunch! The chicken can stay in the fridge for about eight hours before they start to get a little gummy (for example I wouldn’t bread and use the next day, but I’d bread in the morning to use for dinner).
Next important step: Oil. My boyfriend swears by frying in olive oil. Now, while olive oil is a crucial staple in my house, it has a time and place in my mind. I don’t like to fully fry in olive oil. I like a mixture of both olive oil and a more neutral oil (safflower, canola, or vegetable). The neutral oil doesn’t burn as fast as olive oil does, however I like the nutty flavor that olive oil brings….so why not mix them? Hey, it’s my recipe, I can do what I want 🙂 If olive oil is all that you have, use it! If vegetable oil is all that you have, use it! My mom uses only vegetable oil, so proof you can still make a good cutlet by not mixing.
Last step: Frying! I love my cast iron skillet and use it for everything, including frying my cutlets. I pour the oil about an inch and a half to about an inch deep. You’ll know when the oil is ready when it shimmers. Since we cut and pounded the chicken, each cutlet should take a few minutes until browned and crispy. One last tip I like to do to ensure they stay crispy once out of the oil. I take a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet, and lay all my cutlets on that when they come out of the oil. This allows the air to circulate through the bottom, and keeps the cutlet crispy and not get soggy. I also like to sprinkle some sea salt while they’re still hot.
That’s it! It’s a super simple process that you’re all probably very familiar with, with some added tips to get that crispy cutlet we all love. You can also use this method for frying other things such as eggplant or veal! Happy Thin & Crispy Chicken Cutlet Frying 🙂
Thin and Crispy Chicken Cutlets
Equipment
- Meat mallet [**see note]
- Saran wrap
Ingredients
- 4 Chicken breasts
- 3 cups Italian breadcrumbs
- ¾ cup Pecorino or Parmesan
- ½ tsp mustard powder not *necessary* but adds underlying flavor!
- 1 cup Wondra or AP flour *see note
- 2 eggs
- 3 tbsp water (or milk)
- Salt and pepper
- Neutral oil* and Olive Oil *I like to Safflower or Canola
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, slice each chicken breast thinly, into three cutlets (for a total of 12). Once they're all sliced, lay a piece of saran wrap over the cutlet. Using the meat mallet, pound the cutlet until desired thickness (I like mine super thin!).Once all of the cutlets are cut and pounded, season them with salt and pepper. Get three separate shallow dishes or bowls ready and place them all in a row. Pour the flour into the first bowl. In the second bowl, crack the eggs and scramble with the water. In the last bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, cheese, and mustard. In all three bowls, sprinkle each with salt and pepper.Once you have your assembly line ready, you're ready to bread! Dip the cutlet into the flour, dusting off any excess. Dip in the egg, also letting any excess drip off. Finally, dip in the breadcrumbs, making sure to press the breadcrumbs into the chicken. Once the chicken is all breaded, refrigerate for at least a half hour, or up to eight hours.In a heavy bottom skillet (I use a cast iron) pour a mixture of the oils, about a half inch, to an inch deep, and set to medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, carefully cook each cutlet until golden brown, a few minutes each side. When removing from the oil, I like to have a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet ready to let any excess oil drip off, and it also lets the air circulate to keep the cutlets crispy. A plate with paper towels will work to get the excess oil off as well. While they're still hot, sprinkle some sea salt. Enjoy!
