Best Parmesan Chicken Cutlets

By GratefulSea

Be sure to flour the cutlets before dipping in egg, so the egg mixture will stick well. Salt at every stage, the breading, the chicken, and even the finished product. It will make the chicken taste more chicken-y, but not salty. Get the oil to the right temperature, hot enough to sizzle a corner of a cutlet. If you wait too long, you'll risk burning them. Keep the temperature stable by adding a cutlet every time you remove one; and you may want to turn down the temperature a bit for the last batch so the pan doesn't overheat.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1-1/2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 Tablespoon mustard powder
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
• 4 small skinless, boneless chicken cutlets (about 1 1/2 pounds total), pounded to 1/4" thickness
• 8 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 lemon, halved
• (adding 1-2 Tblsp of cornstarch to the flour, incorporating it well, will make these even more crispy)

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from epicurious.com

Preparation

Step 1

Place flour in a shallow bowl. Beat eggs in a second shallow bowl. Combine panko, Parmesan, and mustard powder in a third shallow bowl and season mixture with salt and pepper.

Season chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour, shaking off any excess. Transfer to bowl with beaten egg and turn to coat. Lift from bowl, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Coat with panko mixture, pressing to adhere. DO AHEAD: Chicken can be breaded 3 months in advance. Place between pieces of freezer paper or waxed paper and freeze in resealable freezer bags. Thaw before continuing.

Heat 6 Tablespoons oil in a large heavy skillet or a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, cook cutlets, adding remaining 2 tablespoons oil to pan between batches, until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer cutlets to a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt. Serve with lemon.