Italian Breaded Chicken Cutlets
One of the best parts of being 100% Italian(my parents were immigrants) is the food! I’m not going to apologize for it because it’s simply TRUE! This site is loaded with Italian recipes for your gawking. Some of the recipes have been passed down for generations including this one.
Italian chicken cutlets a.k.a. “cotolette” are a beloved Italian tradition that originated in Milan, Italy but can be found all over Italy. They’re a very popular second dish that would be well-accompanied with roasted Parmesan Rosemary Potatoes!
What are Italian Chicken Cutlets?
Chicken cutlets are boneless, skinless chicken breast that are cut thin, pounded thinner and then dipped in beaten eggs so that the bread crumbs will stick to them before they’re pan fried. This recipe is a similar to my 4-Ingredient Italian fried eggplant.
Chicken cutlets are similar to weiner schnitzel and can be made with veal cutlets too, as my mother used to make for Sunday dinner, way back when.
She served pasta of course, broccoli rabe, roasted red peppers at Sunday dinner too with fresh Italian bread. I always looked forward to her delicious Sunday dinners as she was an excellent cook. R.I.P. I miss her cooking.
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links which means, if you make a purchase, I’ll receive a commission but, the price you pay is the same.
How do you make Chicken Cutlets?
The full printable recipe is below in the recipe card.
- First, slice the boneless, skinless chicken breast lengthwise to get it thin.
- Next, season with garlic powder, salt and pepper on the both sides.
- Then, dip the chicken pieces in beaten eggs and coat on both sides.
- Next, dip the chicken in Italian bread crumbs and coat it on both sides.
- Then, place coated chicken in heated oil in a frying pan and cook for about 5-7 minutes per side.
- Last, remove chicken from oil and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain of extra oil.
That’s it! I like to cut into the thickest part of the biggest piece of chicken just to make sure it’s not pink before I serve it.
Italian breaded chicken cutlets also taste great at room temperature and even cold! You can make sandwiches with them, so don’t worry about leftovers because they’ll get eaten or you can freeze them too.
The secret to making the best Italian chicken cutlets are the combination of garlic, EVOO and Italian-flavored breadcrumbs. You can use vegetable, canola or corn oil to pan fry them and they’ll be very delicious nonetheless but, using EVOO give them the olive oil flavor that takes them over the top!
You need the garlic of course and the flavored bread crumbs are so much better than plain. If you only have plain bread crumbs, fear not, I tell you how to season them below!
How to make chicken parm with chicken cutlets
You can make Chicken Parmigiana with the breaded chicken cutlets by simply adding tomato sauce followed by shredded mozzarella cheese and warming it up in the oven until the cheese melts. YUMMY!
How do I freeze leftover breaded chicken cutlets?
Place them in a plastic freezer zipper bag and put in your freezer for up to six months but, the longer they’re in there, the longer they’ll lose some freshness and flavor. This is perfect to make ahead for parties and you can make them into chicken parm by adding the sauce and cheese the day of the party or game day and warming them up in your oven.
What is the best oil to fry chicken cutlets in?
Extra virgin olive oil gives the chicken cutlets the best Italian flavor vs. using vegetable, corn or canola oil. However, you will still get a great tasting fried chicken cutlet using those oils. If you’re making a big batch of cutlets, it’ll cost more using EVOO.
How do you make thin chicken cutlets?
First, cut the boneless, skinless chicken breast lengthwise with a butcher knife. Then, using a mallet, pound the chicken breast to make them thinner. Get the full, printable recipe below in the recipe card and see the VIDEO.
Why does the breading fall off y chicken cutlets?
Dipping chicken cutlets in beaten eggs first allows the breading to stick to the chicken. Some of the breading will fall off but, you should have a good coating on them before it falls off if you dipped them in eggs first.
What to serve with Italian Chicken Cutlets
Parmesan Rosemary Roasted Potatoes and Tomato Zucchini Mozzarella Bake go perfect with Italian chicken cutlets.
My mom served Easy Italian Roasted Red Peppers and any kind of pasta with her homemade tomato sauce. Broccoli rabe is another great green vegetable side dish for chicken cutlets. A nice green salad goes very well with them too.
How to make seasoned bread crumbs from plain bread crumbs
Don’t have Italian seasoned bread crumbs in your pantry? If you have plain bread crumbs instead, just add 1/2 teaspoon of dried parsley or Italian seasoning and 1/2 tsp of garlic powder to each cup of bread crumbs.
Substitutions
- You may mix Panko bread crumbs with Italian breadcrumbs.
- You may use veal or pork cutlets to make this recipe instead of chicken.
- Use gluten-free Italian bread crumbs to make this recipe gluten-free.
There you have it. All I know about how to make Italian breaded chicken cutlets is written here. If you have any questions, please put them in the comments and I’ll be sure to answer them as quickly as I can. Buon appetito!
This recipe was updated on April 18, 2023.
Italian Chicken Cutlets
Ingredients
- 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/4 cups seasoned Italian bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil vegetable, canola or corn oil is fine too
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder or more
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Prep Area
- First, put the seasoned Italian bread crumbs on a dinner plate and set aside.
- Next, beat eggs in a shallow dish and set it next to the bread crumbs.
- Then, line a dinner plate with paper towels to catch excess oil and put it near the stove but, not near the flame or burners.
- Next, add the oil to a large frying pan but, don't heat it yet.
- Then, using a butcher knife, cut the chicken breasts lengthwise to make them thinner. Then, pound them with a mallet or skip this part if you don't have one.
- Meanwhile, sprinkle garlic powder, salt and pepper to each side of the chicken.
- Then, dip each piece of chicken into the eggs on both sides and then immediately dip into the breadcrumbs and place on a dinner plate until you're finished with all of the chicken pieces.
- Next, heat oil on med/high heat.
- Then, add the breaded chicken to the hot oil and begin pan frying. Cook for about 5-7 minutes per side. When removing chicken, add it to a paper towel-lined dinner plate to catch excess oil.
