I have always been a dark-meat chicken person, the type of person who grabs for the drumstick and gives white meat the side-eye. That omnipresent staple of sensible salads, boneless, skinless chicken breasts? Protein without flavor—nothing more.
Chicken cutlets, though, are a different story. We always called them schnitzel in our house, and my sister and I could literally eat a dozen between the two of us. Our father was the undisputed Schnitzel King, with two frying pans going at the same time and a killer combo of beaten eggs and seasoned Progresso breadcrumbs.
But when it came to my own crispy cutlets, I'll be honest. I wanted to stake my own territory. More flavor, more juiciness, more tenderness. In other words, I wanted Parmesan Chicken Cutlets. As soon as I saw this recipe, I had a good feeling: Four forks. 95% people would make the recipe again. And comments like "This is hands down the most delicious recipe for chicken cutlets I've ever made. I added cayenne pepper to the mix, as we like everything with a bit of heat in our house. Hubby lapped it up!"
Turns out, just a few tweaks can create cutlets of such obvious superiority that you might find yourself addicted, succumbing to cravings every time you spot chicken breasts at the supermarket. Luckily, those things areeverywhere.
Treat your cutlets with care
Even after you've bought pre-sliced chicken cutlets, you'll probably need to pound them a bit thinner to nail the ideal 1/4-inch thickness of a perfectly crispy cutlet. Be gentle: If you're using a meat pounder, stick with the smooth side so you don't pulverize your chicken into mush. And sandwich the chicken between sheets of plastic wrap—it'll help prevent it from sticking to the pounder.
Flour first
My dad is a pragmatist. He goes straight for a dip in beaten egg and then a dredging in breadcrumbs. But for a truly crisp crust, you need to start with a dip in flour, not egg. The thin powdery layer absorbs excess moisture and creates a foundation for the crust.
Season literally everything
You'll want to season the chicken. And the breadcrumb mixture. And even the finished fried cutlets. Adding a bit of salt at every stage doesn't make the cutlets taste salty—just morechickeny.
Pair panko and parm
I'll always have a soft spot for those seasoned breadcrumbs. But the combo of panko and Parm (plus a little mustard powder) delivers an even more potent umami punch—without those weird little bits of dried parsley.
Maintain the right oil temp
To nail the perfect combo of crispy crust and juicy middle, be sure to wait until the oil is just hot enough to sizzle a corner of a cutlet. Wait too long, and your cutlets will scorch outside and overcook in the middle. Adding cutlets to the pan helps stabilize the temperature of the oil, too, so be sure to replace every cooked cutlet you take out of the pan with a new one. And when you're down to your last couple cutlets, feel free to lower the temperature a bit so your pan doesn't overheat.
Don't forget the lemon
I always ate my dad's cutlets by themselves because, you know, they were perfect. But this recipe taught me the joys of a spritz of lemon over a freshly fried cutlet. That bright, fresh acidity cuts through the richness and complements the parm. But these cutlets are so good, you might be too impatient to squeeze a lemon. Or grab a plate. Or use a fork. At my house, we eat them standing up, with burning fingers, until they aren't any more of them.
