These Herbed Chicken Cutlets are just perfect for when you want to have a homemade meal but don’t want to fuss about it too much.
I first started making Chicken Cutlets years ago when my daughter was still fairly young and in her chicken nuggets phase. I have to admit it, although I loved the convenience of just throwing some chicken nuggets in the toaster oven, I didn’t like how they tasted. Plus, I felt guilty feeding her stuff out of a box, so I decided it was time that I did something about it, after all, chicken cutlets are so easy to make.
Since I am Brazilian and that is not something I grew up eating, I had to figure out how to make them. After doing some research online I came across this recipe I found on food52, by Merrill Stubbs. She was trying to impress her fiancé who loved German food and wiener schnitzel was one of his favorite dishes. Well, I figured, if these Herbed Chicken Cutlets are good enough to please her fiancé, they will definitely be good enough for my picky daughter to eat. I had to give it a shot. Guess what, I made these Herbed Chicken Cutlets and they were an instant hit. My daughter not only loved them, but it became one of her favorite meals to have.
With time, I realized that the grown-ups loved this dish as well, perhaps because of the mixed herbs with parmesan cheese in it, or because they are so crunchy, delicious and you can have dinner on the table on a snap. Merrill Stubbs prefers panko to plain breadcrumbs on her chicken cutlets because of the extra crunch. I would have to agree with her on this one. That crunchy texture is SO GOOD!
When I make these Herbed Chicken Cutlets for my daughter and her friends, I serve them alongside some mashed potatoes and a green vegetable. Unfortunately for me, the green vegetable cannot compete with the Chicken Cutlets and mashed potatoes, so they always get pushed aside by the kids. Poor veggies. For myself, I just serve these Herbed Chicken Cutlets with some mixed greens and a glass of wine. Yum!
Herbed Chicken Cutlets
Ingredients
- 1 cup Japanese style panko breadcrumbs
- 1 Tbsp chopped assorted herbs parsley, thyme, rosemary
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup flour
- 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts pounded to about 1/4 inch thick
Instructions
- In a wide shallow bowl or pie plate, stir together the panko, herbs, parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste.
- In another bowl, crack the eggs, add a pinch of salt and pepper and lightly beat with a fork.
- In a third bowl, stir together the flour and a large pinch each of salt and pepper.
- Line a baking sheet with a double layer of paper towels.
- Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over a medium-high flame. Add the butter. In the meantime, coat one of the chicken breasts with the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess. Dip the breast in the egg mixture, and then in the breadcrumbs, pressing them lightly so that they adhere. Set on a plate and repeat with other chicken breast.
- When the butter just starts to turn brown, gently lay both of the chicken breasts in the pan, side by side. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the bottom is golden brown and crispy. Gently turn the chicken over and cook for another couple of minutes, until both sides are evenly browned.
- Remove the chicken and let it drain on the paper-towel lined baking sheet for a minute or so.
- Serve immediately, ideally with mashed potatoes and something green.
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