Everyone wants to know how to make chicken cutlets, whether you call them milanese like the French or schnitzel like the Germans—the basic technique of dipping a pounded-thin piece of meat in flour, eggs, and a crunchy coating spans seasons and cultures, and appeals to all ages. The best part about this method, however, is how adaptable it is to a wide range of flavors and textures. You don't have to stick with just breadcrumbs as the coating—ground nuts, seeds, crushed snack foods or cereal, cornmeal, and more can be used to create your own personal favorite crispy chicken cutlet. And you don't need a recipe to make it work.
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Any kind of thinly pounded meat or chicken can be cooked in this manner, but for our purposes I'm using the trusty boneless skinless chicken breast. Once you master the technique, try it with pork, veal, boneless skinless chicken thighs, or even steak. No matter what kind of meat or poultry you use, it's a satisfying dinner that you can get on the table in about half an hour. Here's how to make chicken cutlets:
1. Pound That Chicken
You can start with either a whole boneless skinless chicken breast or you can cut it in half for smaller servings. You can also buy thinly sliced chicken breasts (sometimes labeled "cutlets") which will need even less pounding. Whichever you start with, place it between two layers of plastic wrap or inside a large resealable plastic bag and gently but firmly pound it with a meat mallet until it's about 1/4-inch thick, or a bit thinner even. I like to use a freezer bag for this job because the sturdier plastic doesn't break under the pressure of pounding, and I can keep using it to pound out my whole batch of chicken. You can also skip this step entirely by buying thinly pounded chicken breasts from your butcher.
Pounded chicken cutlets ready for their dredge and dip in flour, eggs, and crushed pretzels.
2. Pick Your Crust
This is where you get to choose your own adventure. What do you want the crust on your chicken to taste like? You can keep it simple with breadcrumbs or panko straight out of the box, or grind up something else in the food processor to use instead. Ground nuts such as pecans, pistachios, almonds, or hazelnuts all work, as do sesame seeds or pumpkin seeds. Look for options in your snack drawer too: you can grind up any chips, crackers, or pretzels you like for a fun, crunchy chicken crust. Unsweetened cereals such as corn flakes work too. Or you can use cornmeal. Or one of my personal favorites that's a little harder to find: puffed amaranth. Any combination of any of these things works too: a mix of sesame seeds and panko, for example, or pumpkin seeds and pretzels.
Whatever you choose for your crust, grind up or pour out a bit more than you think you'll need to coat all your pounded chicken—I'm always surprised by how much it takes to coat everything. Put it in a wide shallow bowl and then make it taste good: add some salt and any spices, herbs, or citrus zest you think will complement your crust. Jazz up plain breadcrumbs with lots of finely chopped fresh parsley and thyme. Add a pinch of cumin and a little bit of orange zest to ground pistachios. Toss those crushed pretzels with smoked paprika. This bowl is where all the flavor for your chicken is going to come from, so taste it, and add more salt or spices if it needs it.
3. Dredge and Dip
Fill a second wide shallow bowl with some all-purpose flour (you can swap in AP gluten-free flour if needed) and then fill a third wide shallow bowl with a couple of beaten eggs. (You can always add more eggs and flour if you run out, so don't worry too much about how much you start with.)
Season your pounded chicken breasts with a bit of salt on both sides, and then start the three-bowl dunk: first, coat a piece of chicken in flour, and shake off any excess. Then dip it in the eggs until it's throughly coated. Then dredge it through your bowl of crust ingredients, pressing to make sure it fully adheres, and shake off any excess. Place breaded cutlet on a plate or sheet pan. Repeat until all your cutlets are coated and ready to fry.
