This recipe makes four cutlets which is just enough for about two adults. You could easily double or triple the recipe to feed a larger family though. I like to serve them alongside mashed potatoes and gravy and a vegetable or with french fries if I’m feeling less ambitious…either way they taste great! Check out what they are saying about this recipe over at Serious Eats:
“This is on my bi-weekly menu… Sometimes with breasts, sometimes with thighs… They each work well..”
If you don’t have chicken breasts or if thighs are on sale, feel free to switch up the portion of the bird you use.
Ingredients
1 cup Gold Medal all-purpose flour (5 ounces; 140g)
3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup panko bread crumbs (2 ounces; 60g), roughly crushed by hand if very large
1 ounce (30g) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (5 to 7 ounces each), cut into 4 cutlets and pounded to about 1/4 inch thick each
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Clarified butter or vegetable oil, for frying (about 1 to 1 1/2 cups)
Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
Set 3 wide, shallow bowls on a work surface. Add flour to the first one, beaten eggs to the second, and panko and Parmesan cheese to the third. Mix panko and Parmesan thoroughly.
Season chicken cutlets all over with salt and pepper. Working with one at a time, dredge a cutlet in flour with your left hand, shaking off excess.
Transfer to egg dish, then turn cutlet with your right hand to coat both sides. Lift and allow excess egg to drain off, then transfer to bread crumb mixture.
With your left hand, scoop bread crumbs on top of chicken, then gently press, turning chicken to ensure a good layer of crumbs on both sides. Transfer cutlet to a clean plate and repeat with remaining cutlets.
Fill a large cast iron skillet with 1/4 inch clarified butter or frying oil. (To speed things up even more, use 2 skillets simultaneously.)
Heat cooking fat over high heat until shimmering and just shy of smoking, about 375°F on an instant-read thermometer.
Using tongs or your fingers, gently lower cutlets into the hot fat, laying them down away from you to prevent hot fat from splashing toward you. (Work in batches if necessary.)
Fry, gently swirling pan and rotating cutlets for even browning, and adjusting heat as necessary for a steady, vigorous bubble, until bottom side is browned and crisp, about 3 minutes.
Flip cutlets and fry until other side is browned and crisp, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer to paper towels to drain and season with salt right away. Repeat with remaining cutlets.
Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side, if desired.
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Quick Tip: Use dry hand for bread crumbs and wet hand for egg coated cutlets.
Thanks again to Serious Eats for this quick weekday recipe.