CRISPY BAKED CHICKEN BREAST CUTLETS
Courtesy of Jane Ariel Katz
Guest post by food writer and photographer Jane Ariel Katz.
This Crispy Baked Chicken Breast Cutlets recipe is a lighter take on the crowd-pleasing, Italian classic. Thinly-sliced chicken breasts are breaded with panko and quickly baked to ensure cutlets that are juicy inside and crispy outside. The secret to crispy chicken breast cutlets at home are two-fold: light and airy Japanese panko, and olive-oil spray. Yup, that's all it takes. Read below for all the details.
ingredients
3 chicken breasts, each thinly-sliced into 2 cutlets
1 egg
1 ½ cups of panko breadcrumbs
⅓ cup of parmesan cheese, grated
1 tsp dried Italian herb seasoning or dried oregano
1 tsp dried garlic powder
2 tsp kosher salt
olive oil spray, or a 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil in a small bowl
directions
Preheat the oven to 450° and prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
Clear off a counter or your kitchen table to make room for an assembly line of sorts.
Pat chicken breast cutlets dry with paper towels, and season both sides with 1 teaspoon salt.
Crack egg into a bowl, and beat well.
Carefully place panko, parmesan, oregano, garlic powder and remaining 1 teaspoon salt on a large plate or platter with sides to avoid overflow. Mix gently to ensure an even distribution of cheese to crumbs.
Dip your chicken cutlet into the egg, then press into the panko. You can use tongs for this part if raw meat grosses you out.
Cover both sides of the chicken in panko, and lay it on the baking sheet. Keep going until you fill up the baking sheet, then spray the top of the chicken with olive oil liberally. Flip and spray (or brush with pastry brush) again.
Place in the oven and bake for about 8 minutes before turning over. Bake for another 8-10 minutes until the cutlets are crispy and cooked through.