Breaded Chicken Cutlets - Italian Style

Thin tender, crispy breaded Italian chicken cutlets are a copycat recipe just like Vinny’s mom from the Jersey Shore. Never dry and ready in under 30 minutes! This recipe is one of my very popular Chicken Cutlet Recipes that's perfect for dinner tonight.

What's for dinner tonight in your kitchen? If you're looking for one of my Family's Favorite Chicken Recipes that's ready in 30 minutes, you're going to love this recipe for Breaded Italian Chicken Cutlets.

Italian Chicken Cutlets

Italian Chicken Cutlets are another thin chicken cutlet recipe my mother made all the time for our family.  Actually, I think every kid from Queens grew up on this recipe. 

I always make extra of this recipe because leftovers are great made into a sandwich or served sliced on top of lettuce for lunch the next day.

Thin Chicken Cutlet Recipes

All you need to do is add a side dish of maybe homemade mac and cheese or mashed potatoes and you have an easy meal to serve to your family. My son, Michael, loves chicken this way and will usually requests it when he is home visiting from college.

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This recipe is very similar to Vinny's Mom's Chicken Cutlet Recipe or Jersey Shore Chicken Cutlets that's crazy popular on You Tube. In fact these two terms came up recently when I was searching for my own recipe online. 

Make sure you check out my Chicken Cutlet Mayonnaise Recipe that uses crushed Ritz crackers as the crumb base. It's so delicious! Breaded Chicken Cutlets is very similar to this recipe, but I use flour as part of the coating.

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Main Ingredients Needed

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced thin and pounded thin. 
• 1 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
• Parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper
• One egg; slightly beaten
•  Vegetable oil

Thin Sliced Chicken Cutlets Recipes

The secret to great chicken cutlets recipes is to start out with boneless chicken breasts and slice them through the middle to butterfly them and make them thin.    

• Lay the boneless skinless chicken breast on a cutting board that's been lined with waxed paper or parchment paper.
• Slice the chicken breast horizontally into two even pieces.
• Cover the chicken breasts with another sheet of parchment paper and using the smooth side of a mallet, gently pound the chicken until it is thin. 

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Step-by-Step Directions

Step 1: Bread the chicken

Combine the breadcrumbs with the parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a shallow baking dish.  Then whisk together the eggs in a small bowl that’s big enough to hold the chicken. Set aside while you prepare the chicken cutlets.

Next, dip the chicken cutlets one at a time in the eggs and then into the breadcrumbs. Make sure both sides of the chicken are covered in breadcrumbs.

Step 2: How to Fry Chicken Cutlets

Heat the oil in a heavy pan and add the chicken cutlets to the hot oil. Allow them to cook in the oil for about 4 minutes on each side until they are golden brown, but don't cook all the way through. We're going to finish cooking them in the oven.

Step 3: Baking Instructions

The one thing I have learned over the years of making and perfecting this recipe is that by finish cooking the chicken in the oven gives you a much more tender chicken cutlet than by just frying them.

• Once the cutlets are browned on both sides, drain them on a paper towel and then place them in a baking dish.
• Bake in a 375 degree oven for another 15 minutes.
• Always check chicken using a Digital Meat Thermometer to make sure it has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees. 

Step 4: Serving Tips

Another great idea is to make extra chicken cutlets so you can make Chicken Parmesan another night of the week or maybe 30 Minute Caprese Chicken, which is slowly becoming my husband's favorite. 

Here are some delicious side dishes to serve with the Breaded Chicken Cutlets:

• My children love this easy recipe for Homemade Mac and Cheese as a side dish with chicken cutlets.
• Twice Baked Potatoes is another family favorite! 
• Roasted Asparagus

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Tried this recipe? Let me know in the comments and don't forget to rate it!

📖 Recipe Card

Lois

Breaded Chicken Cutlets - Italian Style

4.47 from 93 votes

If you’re looking for an easy recipe for dinner tonight, you’re going to love this recipe for breaded chicken cutlets Italian Style.  It’s a recipe I grew up on!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: Italian

Calories: 344

Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 egg; slightly beaten
• ¼ cup vegetable oil

Cooking for More (or Less?)Scale this recipe up or down. Adjust the number of servings above to automatically update ingredient amounts.

Equipment

• Pyrex Basics Clear Glass Baking Dishes
• Digital Instant Read Meat Thermometer 

Method

 

1. Stir the parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper into the breadcrumbs. set aside while you prepare the chicken.
2. Using a sharp knife, slice each chicken breast horizontally in half to get a thinner sliced chicken breast - "butterflying" the cutlets. Depending on how thin you slice the chicken breast, you could get 2 to 3 slices per chicken breast.
3. Using a meat mallet, pound each piece of chicken between sheets of parchment paper till ¼" thick.
4. Dip chicken in the beaten egg, then dredge in breadcrumbs.
5. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.
6. Add chicken to the large skillet and brown each side approximately 2 minutes or until each side or until golden brown.
7. Remove the chicken from the skillet and add to a baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
8. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees when tested with a meat thermometer.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 344kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 24gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 260mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2g

Notes

1. You most likely will not use all the breadcrumbs as you are just dredging the chicken in them.
2. Chicken is always done when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. I always check the internal temperature of chicken using this easy to use meat thermometer.

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This recipe has been updated since it first appeared in 2013 with new photos and a new printable recipe card that includes nutritional information. I hope you enjoy the updates as much as I enjoyed working on them!