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Italian breaded chicken cutlets on a serving platter with lemon wedges on the side.
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Breaded Chicken Cutlets - Italian Style

Crispy Italian chicken cutlets with lemon-and-garlic seasoned breadcrumbs. The trick that keeps them crunchy, not oily — plus oven, air fryer & pan methods.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time18 minutes
Total Time28 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4
Calories: 459kcal
Author: Svi

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 700 g chicken cutlets , about 1.5 lb, sliced into about 1 cm (⅓ inch) cutlets

For the seasoned breadcrumbs:

  • 3 cups homemade breadcrumbs or panko
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese , grated
  • 3 sprigs fresh parsley or 2 tablespoon frozen, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove , finely chopped
  • 1 lemon , zest only

For the egg coating:

  • 2 large eggs (keep a third on hand)
  • Salt and pepper , to taste

To cook and serve:

Instructions

Seasoned breadcrumbs:

  • Combine breadcrumbs, parmesan, parsley, garlic, and grated lemon zest in a bowl and rub together with your fingers to work in the flavor of garlic and lemon zest into the breadcrumbs.
    Food Prosessor Tip: if you have a few slices of stale or day-old bread, break them into smaller chunks and pulse them in a food processor along with parsley leaves, garlic clove and grated lemon zest until medium crumb. Them mix with the plain breadcrumbs and add parmesan cheese.
    Seasoned Italian breadcrumbs with parsley, lemon zest and parmesan in a glass bowl.

Bread the cutlets:

  • Beat the eggs with salt and pepper. Dip each cutlet in the egg and let the excess drip off.
    Dipping a chicken cutlet into beaten egg before breading.
  • Lay in the breadcrumbs and flip.
    Coating an egg-dipped chicken cutlet in seasoned breadcrumbs.
  • Press firmly with the palm (closer to the wrist) of your hand to help breadcrumbs stick, then shake off the excess. Repeat with all cutlets.
    Pressing seasoned breadcrumbs onto a chicken cutlet by hand.

Cook (choose one):

  • Oven: Preheat oven to 390F (200C), fan setting on if you have it. Arrange the breaded cutlets on a parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle or spray both sides with olive oil. Bake for 15-18 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden and cooked through. Thicker cutlets may need a few more minutes.
    Breaded chicken cutlets on a parchment-lined tray drizzled with olive oil before baking.
  • Air fryer: spray both sides with olive oil and air-fry at 190°C (375°F) for 15 min, flipping halfway.
  • Pan-fried: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add enough extra-virgin olive oil to lightly coat the base of the pan. For a richer finish, use half olive oil and half butter. Fry until golden on each side. Fry in batches if necessary.
  • Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Yes, I salt my chicken cutlets after cooking — this way the salt won't draw the juices out of the chicken. When salting keep in mind that the parmesan and breadcrumbs already bring some salt of their own.
  • Serve hot with lemon wedges or a side of your choice.

Notes

  • Keep the cutlets even and not too thin. This helps the crust brown before the chicken overcooks.
     
  • Let excess egg drip off. A thin, even egg coating prevents wet patches that can make the breadcrumbs slide off.
  • Press the crumbs firmly. Use your open palm for even pressure. Shake off the excess.

Nutrition

Calories: 459kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 50g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 202mg | Sodium: 764mg | Potassium: 785mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 332IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 254mg | Iron: 3mg