Are you looking to prepare a quick dinner after a long day at work? Try chicken cutlets. Dubbed the heroes of weeknight dinners, chicken cutlets are known to cook fast in just a few minutes and are delicious.
This article provides tips on how to cut chicken breasts into chicken cutlets and prepare them perfectly.
What is chicken cutlets?
Chicken cutlets are simply the skinless, boneless chicken breast fillet sliced in half horizontally, or through its thickness, to make two thinner slices of chicken. The cutlet is often pounded out to make it even thinner, so it cooks even quicker and more evenly.
The next question is: Why make chicken cutlets? Well, a typical chicken breast has a thick and thin end. This usually means that there is a tendency that one end will cook perfectly, while the other end will remain raw on the inside due to its thickness. Hence, it is better to make cutlets to ensure better cooking and serving.
ALSO READ: Pho Tai: How to make this traditional Vietnamese noodle soup
Chicken cutlets recipe

With chicken cutlets, there are many recipes at your disposal. You can pan-fry, air-fry, oven-bake, grill and even boil them.
Let us take a look at a delicious recipe you should try. This one is the breaded chicken cutlets recipe.
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 10 minutes
- Total time: 25 minutes
- Course: Dinner
- Cuisine: Italian, American
- Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 Chicken Cutlets
- 3 Cups Panko Bread Crumbs
- 1 1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Tsp. Salt
- 1 Tsp. Black Pepper
- 3/4-1 Cup Avocado Oil (you can also use olive oil)
Directions
- Place a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
Mix the flour, salt, and black pepper in a shallow dish. - Beat the eggs with one tablespoon of water in a second shallow dish.
- Mix the panko bread crumbs with salt and black pepper in a third shallow dish.
- Dredge one piece of chicken in the flour mixture, turning it to coat evenly. Shake off the excess and then dip into the egg mixture, turning both sides to coat even.
- Drip off the excess and then dip into the breadcrumb mixture, turning to coat on both sides and packing the crumbs into any crevices.
- Transfer the chicken to the baking sheet and repeat the process with the remaining chicken cutlets.
- Heat a tablespoonful of avocado oil or olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add two pieces of chicken and cook until the breading is golden-brown and crisp or the chicken is cooked through per side. The cooking time should be between three to five minutes per side.
- Transfer to the clean wire rack and season with salt, allowing the excess oil to drain.
- Repeat the cooking process with the remaining chicken cutlets.
- Your breaded chicken cutlet is ready to be enjoyed!
ALSO READ: Pig’s feet: Versatile delicacy prepared with simple ingredients
How to make chicken cutlets

Now that you know how to cook chicken cutlets, you may be wondering prepare them. After all, that should be the first step, right?
Below are the following steps on how to make chicken cutlets:
- First, be sure that your knife is sharp so it will cut, not tear the chicken.
- This is the trickiest part of the process. Hold the breast flat with the palm of your hand, and using your sharp knife, carefully slice through the centre horizontally (or parallel to the cutting board). Sometimes, you may have to open the chicken like a book and make one final cut to separate the two halves. Do not worry if yours is not done right. Practice makes perfect.
- Place the cutlets between two sheets of plastic cutlets between two sheets of plastic wrap or inside a sealable plastic bag wrap. Make sure that the plastic is spread tight so it will not be pounded into the meat.
- Gently pound the cutlets into even thickness, about ¼-inch-thick, using the smooth side of a meat mallet, a rolling pin, a small skillet, or even the palm of your hand. This is to ensure the cutlet is cooked faster and evenly.
Tip: Instead of the usual up-and-down pounding movement, try using slight sideways movements to gently flatten the chicken, starting from the centre.
ALSO READ: Alaska Roll: 3 simple steps to make this dish at home