Crispy Pan-Fried Chicken Cutlets

Ingredients

• 2 cup panko bread crumbs (lightly crushed)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp salt (plus extra for seasoning)
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6- to 8-ounce each, trimmed, halved horizontally, and pounded 1/4 inch thick)
• 0.5 cup vegetable oil (divided)

Steps

1. 1

   Place panko in a large zipper-lock bag and lightly crush with a rolling pin to reduce the crumb size slightly.

2. 2

   Transfer the crushed panko to a shallow dish.

3. 3

   In a second shallow dish, whisk the eggs and 1 teaspoon of salt together until well combined.

4. 4

   Working with one cutlet at a time, dredge the chicken in the egg mixture, allowing any excess to drip off.

5. 5

   Coat all sides of the chicken with panko, pressing gently so the crumbs adhere well. Transfer the breaded cutlets to a rimmed baking sheet.

6. 6

   Set a wire rack inside a second rimmed baking sheet and line the rack with paper towels to drain the cooked chicken.

7. 7

   Heat 1/4 cup of vegetable oil and a small pinch of panko in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.

8. 8

   When the test panko crumbs have turned golden brown, place 4 cutlets in the skillet.

9. 9

   Cook, without moving the cutlets, until the bottoms are deep golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.

10. 10

    Using tongs, carefully flip the cutlets and cook on the second side until deep golden brown, another 2 to 3 minutes.

11. 11

    Transfer the cooked cutlets to the prepared wire rack and season with salt to taste.

12. 12

    Wipe the skillet clean with paper towels and repeat the frying process with the remaining 1/4 cup of oil and the remaining 4 cutlets.

13. 13

    Serve immediately.

Notes

Remove any tenderloins from the breasts before halving; reserve them for another use. Chilling the breasts in the freezer for 15 minutes makes them easier to slice. If using 8-ounce breasts, the skillet may be crowded initially but the chicken will shrink as it cooks. To keep the first batch warm, place them in a 200°F oven while finishing the second batch.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• chicken
• fried
• pan-fried
• cutlets
• panko
• crispy
• weeknight