Italian Chicken Cutlets

💭 What are chicken cutlets?

Cutlets in Italian, or cotoletta, means food dipped in eggs and breadcrumbs and then fried. Crispy chicken cutlets, however, are not specific to Italian cuisine. Other cultures have similar dishes, such as Schnitzel in German speaking areas, Milanesa in Latin America or Katsu in Japan or Korea.

Italian chicken cutlets are a classic dish seen in many Italian American restaurants. This easy recipe can be served as a main dish, used for chicken parmesan or be served on sandwiches or a simple arugula salad.

🍗 Ingredient notes

• Chicken - These cutlets can be made from either pork, veal or chicken. Chicken is our favorite. You can buy thin sliced chicken breasts from the grocery store. It's also very easy and cheaper to buy boneless skinless chicken breasts and slice them into thin cutlets yourself. Use a sharp knife to slice chicken breasts horizontally into 2-3 thin slices, depending on the thickness of the chicken.
• Bread Crumbs - Panko breadcrumbs are my favorite to use for cutlets. They make a lighter, flakier coating as opposed to traditional bread crumbs. Regular breadcrumbs that are store bought or your own breadcrumbs can be substituted for a denser coating. Italian breadcrumbs are okay as well, but they are pre-seasoned, so don't overdo it when adding "extra" seasonings to it.
• Cheese - You will want a hard, salty type cheese for your cutlets. I love using grated pecorino romano cheese. It's a little bit saltier than parmesan cheese, which will also work.
• Herbs - A bit of herbs adds a fresh flavor that pairs well with the cheese. I like using fresh parsley, however, dried parsley or even Italian seasoning are ok substitutes. Use ½ the quantity of dried herbs when substituting them for fresh.
• Oil - I prefer to use vegetable oil to fry chicken cutlets. It's a flavorless oil with a high smoke point and it's also inexpensive. Canola or peanut oil are other flavorless oils with high smoke points that would also work, but are a bit more expensive. Olive oil could be used, but I would recommend using less oil and a lower temperature to do more of a pan fry. Olive oil has a lower smoke point and will burn easy. This may not give you the best even browning, but will definitely have more flavor.

📋 Substitutions and variations

• Dairy Free - Omit the cheese from the breading or use a dairy free substitute.
• Gluten Free - Use a cup for cup gluten free flour and gluten free panko breadcrumbs.
• Lemon - Add fresh squeezed lemon juice to the egg mixture and lemon zest to breadcrumbs.
• Spicy - Add crushed red pepper flakes to the breadcrumb mixture.

🔪 Step by step instructions

First, pound the chicken into thin chicken cutlets with a meat mallet or rolling pin until they are ½ inch thick. Pat them dry and then season the chicken with some of the salt and pepper.

Next, set up the bread station using three shallow bowls or shallow containers. First, mix the flour with some kosher salt and black pepper in the first dish. Next, scramble the eggs with the garlic powder, kosher salt and water in the second. Last, combine the breadcrumbs with the cheese and parsley in a dish. I like to use loaf pans or pie plates for the breading station.

Working one piece at a time, dip chicken into the flour mixture to coat, then the egg mixture and then finally the bread crumb mixture. Lay the breaded chicken cutlets on a wire rack over a sheet pan to let them dry while you heat the oil.

Pour enough vegetable oil in heavy bottomed skillet or cast iron pan to at least have an inch or so of oil and heat over medium heat until 350˚. Gently place 2-3 chicken cutlets in the oil using tongs or a fork and let them cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through.

Let the chicken breast cutlets drain on a cooling rack over paper towels to get rid of any excess oil while you finish frying the remaining cutlets.

⭐ Expert tips

• The best way to get tasty chicken cutlets is to make sure you season along the way. Not only is the chicken seasoned, but every layer of the breading is also seasoned for a delicious end result.
• Place the chicken in a zip top bag when pounding the cutlets. You can also put them between plastic wrap, but I find the bag keeps the mess contained better. 
• Use a shallow dish or bowl for the breading station that is big enough for the chicken to lay down in, but still keeps the mess contained.
• Shake or drip off any excess mixture from each step of breading so the coating doesn't become too thick.
• Use gloves, tongs or a fork to move the chicken from one step to the next. This will prevent your hands from getting breading all over them.
• A infrared thermometer (affiliate link) can be used to easily check the temperature of the oil. An old school trick is to stick a wooden spoon in the middle of the oil and if bubble immediately form around the edges of the spoon, the oil is ready to go!
• Always cook chicken to a minimum internal temperature of 165˚ when you check it with a reliable kitchen thermometer (affiliate link).
• Using a wire rack or cooling rack to lay the chicken on before and after frying will help to keep the coating on and make sure it stays crispy.

🥘 Alternative cooking methods

• Baked - Bake the breaded chicken cutlets on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Make sure to spray them well with vegetable oil or olive oil first. Then, bake at 400˚ for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Flip them half way through to make sure they brown on both sides. They will not have the same golden brown coating as frying, but it's a bit of a lighter way to cook them.
• Air Fried - Another option is cook this cutlet recipe in the air fryer (affiliate link). Make sure to spray them well with vegetable oil or olive oil. Cook them at 400˚ for 5-7 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. They don't get as even of a golden brown coating as well with this method, but it definitely uses less oil. Cooking time will vary depending on the size and type of air fryer.

⏲️ Make ahead instructions

Bread this chicken cutlet recipe up to 12 hours ahead of time and store on a wire rack over a sheet pan covered tightly plastic in the refrigerator. Take them out of the fridge while you heat up the oil to help them come to room temperature. Cooking times may be a bit longer depending on how cold the chicken is.

The fried chicken cutlets can also be cooled completely and then frozen on a sheet pan. Once frozen, they can be moved to a zip top freezer bag and stored in the freezer for 2-3 months. They can then be re-heated from frozen in the oven or air fryer until they reach an internal temperature of 165˚.

🥡 Storage suggestions

Leftover chicken cutlets will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Reheat them in the microwave, the oven, an air fryer or in a little bit of olive oil in a skillet on the stovetop.

🇮🇹 More Italian chicken recipes

If you loved this Italian chicken cutlet recipe, check out these other Italian chicken recipes that I know you will love too!

• Chicken Vesuvio
• Baked Chicken Parmesan
• Grilled Chicken Caprese with Pesto
• Baked Asiago Chicken