Best Chicken Cutlet Recipe:
Best Chicken Cutlet Recipe:
Chicken, I have a habit of always having a tub of clarified butter in my refrigerator. It can really make a difference in even the simplest recipes, but I don’t use it very frequently because it’s easy to overlook it behind the eggs and olives. Clarified butter, for example, adds a depth of rich, nutty flavor to sautéed veggies and grilled meats that most vegetable oils just can’t match
Chicken, I was going to cook some chicken cutlets for supper when I made the extravagant decision to use clarified butter in the pan rather than regular frying oil. And with that, I created the most delectable fried chicken cutlets I’ve ever prepared.
For those who don’t know, clarified butter is butter that has had the water content and milk particles removed, making it ideal for high-heat cooking and frying. Butter’s shelf life can be extended by eliminating the water, and the component that burns when melted butter becomes too hot (that’s when it turns from brown butter to bitter black butter) can be eliminated by straining out the milk solids.
Best Chicken Cutlet Recipe:
Here’s how I prepare it: melt the butter, boil until the foaming stops and the milk solids brown, then filter through cheesecloth. You may make clarified butter by following the instructions in my recipe here.
Though I don’t usually consider anything involving breading and frying to be “quick,” these cutlets come together in a matter of minutes if you have clarified butter on hand (or if you use frying oil, which is still perfectly acceptable to use).
The main advantage of frying thinly sliced boneless meat in hot oil is that it cooks quickly. The fastest way to save time is to have someone at the meat counter prepare the cutlets for you if you purchase boneless, skinless chicken breasts and don’t want to do it yourself.
Components:
Best Chicken Cutlet Recipe:
- One cup (4 1/2 ounces; 130g) of all-purpose flour
- three big, beaten eggs
- One cup (3 ounces; 85 grams) of coarsely crushed panko bread crumbs is a relatively significant amount.
- One ounce (30g) of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (about one cup)
- One to two 5-to 7-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, divided into four cutlets, and pounded to a thickness of about 1/4-inch
- each with two tablespoons of Diamond Add extra crystal kosher salt to finish after frying; use half as much by volume of table salt.
- freshly ground black pepper
- Vegetable oil or clarified butter, approximately 1 to 1 1/2 cups; see to the notes)
- 5-minute salad with watercress and radishes (optional)
- slices of lemon, to serve (optional)
Guidelines:
Best Chicken Cutlet Recipe:
- Arrange three broad, low-dish bowls on a workspace. To the first, add flour; the second, add beaten eggs; to the third, add panko and Parmesan cheese. Thoroughly combine panko and Parmesan.
- Add salt and pepper to the chicken cutlets’ two sides. Using your left hand, coat each cutlet individually, shaking off any leftover flour. Turn the cutlet with your right hand to coat all sides after transferring it to the egg dish
- After lifting and letting any extra egg drip off, add to the bread crumb mixture. Scoop bread crumbs onto the chicken with your left hand, pressing down lightly while rotating the chicken to coat it well with crumbs on all sides.
- After transferring the cutlet to a fresh plate, repeat with the other cutlets.
- A collage demonstrating the steps involved in making chicken cutlets: flouring, dipping in egg, dredging in panko-Parmesan mixture, and pan-frying.
Victory Wasik / Serious Eats:
Best Chicken Cutlet Recipe:
- Pour frying oil or 1/4-inch clarified butter into a large cast-iron skillet. (Use two skillets at once to expedite the process.) Using an instant-read thermometer, heat cooking fat over high heat until it shimmers and almost reaches a smoking temperature of 375°F (190°C).
- Gently lower the cutlets into the hot fat with tongs or your fingers, making sure to place them away from you to avoid hot fat splashing in your direction. (Work in groups if required.) Fry for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, gently swirling the pan and turning the cutlets to ensure even browning.
- Adjust the heat as needed to maintain a steady, vigorous bubble. Fry the cutlets for an additional 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, or until the other side is crisp and browned.
- Transfer to a baking dish or plate lined with paper towels, and immediately season with salt.
- Continue with the remaining cutlets. Serve right away with lemon wedges on the side, if desired, and a 5-minute radicchio and watercress salad.
- View from above of the cast-iron skillet filled with breaded cutlets cooking.
- Vicky Wasik Special Equipment / Serious Eats
- large cast-iron frying pan with thermometer with immediate read.
Remarks:
Best Chicken Cutlet Recipe:
Clarified butter will give the chicken the best possible flavor, but it requires more work and tends to be more expensive; oil is absolutely fine as a time- and cost-saving ingredient. If you do want to try clarified butter, follow the instructions here.
