Breaded Chicken Cutlets – Italian Style
Breaded Chicken Cutlets – A Versatile Meal Choice
Breaded Chicken Cutlets is a versatile dish with a unique taste of seasoned breadcrumbs, egg, and cheese. Absolutely delicious by itself or with a side. It is one of my favorite meals, especially when my mother made it. My mother would serve chicken cutlets as a weeknight meal. Alongside the cutlets there would be escarole and beans or sautéed broccoli rabe, or oven-roasted potatoes. So delicious and satisfying after a long day at school.
A Little of This, a Pinch of That…
Italians rarely use exact measurements when cooking. We use these left over ingredients for other recipes. I guess that’s how new recipes are created! For the breading we use either 4C Seasoned Bread Crumbs or LaSaquisita Italian Style Breadcrumbs. They give the Breaded Chicken Cutlets the right taste that sets it apart from a regular breaded cutlet. Occasionally, when my mom had leftover breading ingredients, she would mix the egg mixture and breadcrumbs together and make small patties. She would fry them along with the cutlets. So delicious!
Save the Breadcrumbs!
When I have a little extra of the breadcrumbs and egg mixture, I add shredded mozzarella for a little extra yum! You can also make a whole other dish using the leftover seasoned breadcrumb mixture. Add any shredded cheese, a vegetable, and/or a meat. I have experimented and made mini-chicken meatballs. I will share that recipe soon.
To this day, chicken cutlets are a family favorite. It is a quick and easy recipe that allows you to get dinner on the table within a half an hour or so. Add any style potatoes, a vegetable, and/or a salad and dinner is ready!
Breaded chicken cutlets make their appearance in many other Italian dishes. Add Italian Marinara sauce with some quality mozzerella and the delicious breaded chicken cutlet becomes an exquisite Chicken Parmigan or as we call it Chicken Parm. It was the first meal I cooked for my husband (boyfriend at the time) and is still his favorite meal.
For the Calorie Conscious
Being calorie conscious, I bake the breaded chicken cutlets instead of frying them. I sometimes do fry the cutlets, especially when my family asks me to make cutlets ‘the old way’. Please see below for the traditional fried breaded chicken cutlet recipe and a recipe for a lighter version.
Ingredients
2 lbs. thin-sliced chicken cutlets
4 large eggs
¾ cups grated cheese (i.e. Locatelli Romano)
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 TBSPs dried parsley or a half bunch of fresh Italian parsley finely chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste (I only use a pinch of salt since grated cheese is salty)
2 cups Breadcrumbs (seasoned)
½ to ¾ cup of oil or more depending on the size of your pan. (Canola, Vegetable, etc.)
Instructions
Baked Chicken Cutlets.
For a lighter version, Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Complete all the steps above, Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Spray with cooking spray. Arrange your cutlets on the baking sheet and place in a 375-degree oven. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes until side facing down is golden. Turn chicken cutlets, and bake for an additional 10 – 15 minutes until golden. Serve and enjoy!
