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• • Use gloves, tongs or a fork to move the chicken from one step to the next to make less of a mess.
  • Use an infrared thermometer 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!

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• • Always cook chicken to a minimum internal temperature of 165˚ when you check it with a reliable kitchen thermometer.

• • 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.

 

Substitutions and Variations

• • Chicken - Use thinly sliced pork, veal or chicken for this dish. You can buy thin pre-sliced chicken breasts or buy regular chicken breasts and slice them thinly.

• • Bread Crumbs - Regular 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 - Use pecorino romano or parmesan cheese.

• • Herbs - Dried parsley or Italian seasoning are ok substitutes. Use ½ the quantity of dried herbs when substituting for fresh.

• • Oil - Canola or peanut oil are other flavorless oils with high smoke points that will work for frying. Olive oil can be used, but less oil should be used at a lower temperature for a pan fry. Olive oil has a lower smoke point and will burn easy. It will not brown as well, but will have more flavor. 
  • Dairy Free - Omit the cheese from the breading or use a dairy free substitute.
  • 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.
  • Gluten Free - Use a cup for cup gluten free flour and gluten free panko breadcrumbs.

 

Alternative Cooking Methods

• • Baked - Bake the breaded chicken cutlets on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Spray well with vegetable oil or olive oil first and bake at 400˚ for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Flip half way so they brown on both sides. 

• • Air Fried - Spray the breaded cutlets well with vegetable oil or olive oil. Cook at 400˚ for 5-7 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Cooking time will vary depending on the size and type of air fryer.

 

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

Bread the cutlets up to 12 hours ahead of time and store on the wire rack over a sheet pan covered tightly plastic in the refrigerator. Take them out of the fridge while the oil heats so they come to room temperature. Cooking times may be a bit longer. Fried cutlets can be cooled completely and frozen on a sheet pan. Once frozen, move to to a zip top freezer bag and store in the freezer for 2-3 months. Re-heat from frozen in the oven or air fryer until they reach an internal temperature of 165˚. Leftovers 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.