As I’ve said here many time before, I love a speedy supper idea and these Easy Crispy Chicken Cutlets + Tips on How to Reheat is definitely one to keep on hand. With its crispy crust and tender chicken, this is an easy chicken recipe to keep in rotation for a weeknight dinner. It’s also the best way to get ahead in the meal prep game to make a batch of crispy baked chicken cutlets for the week’s dinner salads or lunch sandwiches. In this post I share my favorite tips for how to reheat chicken cutlets and scroll down to the recipe card for my deliciously easy and speedy recipe.

Portrait shot of Crispy Chicken Cutlets served on a large rimmed pasta plate garnished with lemon slices and parsley sit atop a wooden cutting board.

Table of Contents

What You’ll Love About These Easy Crispy Chicken Cutlets

Whether as a main dish or part of a platter, you really can’t go wrong with this quick meal idea. The seasoning mix is simple with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, black pepper, and a mix of dried herbs. We’ll create a breaded chicken using breadcrumbs to promote a crispy coating for our chicken pieces. The mix of savory seasonings and a crispy breadcrumb mixture create the perfect piece of chicken for a multiple meal ideas.

Ingredients for Crispy Chicken Cutlets

These Crispy Chicken Cutlets can be filed under “Simple Recipes” for its ease in prep and cook time. Here’s what we need to make these homestyle chicken cutlets:

Boneless chicken breast: Boneless skinless chicken breasts work best here. We’ll pound the meat thin to create the cutlets. You can use thicker cutlets but remember cook times will be longer due to the increased thickness. While you could also swap for chicken thighs, I recommend using only white meat chicken breast here as they’re lower in fat which will help with the shallow fry since we’re cooking them in a fat. If using thicker cuts of chicken cutlets, you can opt to cut them into smaller pieces to create your own white meat chicken breast nuggets. This is also a delicious option
Seasoning Mix: In this recipe, we’re using a mix of kosher salt, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, paprika.
Dried herbs: For the herb mix, I like to create a mix using dried basil, oregano, and thyme. You can also swap this out for 2 teaspoons of dried Italian seasoning too.
Dried Breadcrumbs: I’m using homemade brioche bread crumbs here. Panko or other store bought varieties also work great.
Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: This is optional but I find it a good idea of added just a bit of warmth to the seasoning mix. It’s not overly spicy so if that is something you don’t like fear not. Otherwise, you can omit it.
Lemon Zest and Grated Parmesan: I add this to the bread crumb mix for additional flavor and it’s perfect.
2 large eggs: The eggs help bind the dredging of flour, breadcrumbs, and spices to the thin cutlets.

Cooking Note: You can purchase thin chicken cutlets from the grocery store. If you do you can opt out of pounding them thin as instructed above. You can also opt to take whole chicken breast and cut them into small pieces to create your own chicken nuggets and dredged them the same way described above.

Overhead shot of assembled ingredients for Crispy Chicken Cutlets that include thin chicken breast cutlets, whisked eggs, flour and seasoning mixture, and bread crumbs.

How to Make These Easy Crispy Chicken Cutlets

To prepare these Crispy Chicken Cutlets:

Start by preheating a large, 12-inch cast iron skillet with enough neutral cooking oil to cover the bottom of the pan. This should be about 1/2 an inch in depth. It will help create a shallow fry for our cutlets.
Set out 3 shallow bowls or rimmed plates on a clean work surface. In Bowl 1, stir together the flour, kosher salt, seasonings and dried herbs. In Bowl 2, whisk together the 2 eggs until smooth and slightly frothy. In Bowl 3, stir together the grated parmesan, lemon zest, and breadcrumbs until well mixed. If using red pepper flakes, add them to the breadcrumb mixture too.
Take each chicken breast and blot dry with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Add each piece to a ziploc bag then take a rolling pin or meat mallet to gently pound the meat down to thinner cutlets. Open the bag and take the first chicken breast to coat in the seasonings. Quickly dip the same piece of chicken into the whisked eggs then add to the breadcrumb bowl. Make sure to coat the chicken in the breadcrumb mixture then set aside to a plate. Repeat with the next piece of chicken.
Once oil is heated to a shimmer add the chicken breast pieces to the large skillet. Shallow fry in the hot oil for about 3 to 5 minutes until golden brown. Flip and fry for another 3 to 5 minutes. Remove and place on a plate lined with paper towels to drain off any excess oil.
Serve with a simple salad dressed with a little lemon juice and olive oil.

How to Reheat Chicken Cutlets

One of the things I love about a recipe like this is its versatility for a myriad of recipes. That said, if I’ve got the time I’ll make a batch as part of meal prep for a change up in the usual chicken dinner. Here are my essential tips for how to reheat chicken cutlets when we’ve got leftovers:

For the best results, the best reheating technique I’ve found has been reheating in a preheated oven. Using a microwave, while quicker, tends to turn our leftover crispy chicken soggy. Who wants that? For a crispier product, baking them is the best option.
First, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly spray with your favorite cooking spray. Place leftover cold chicken parmesan cutlets in a single layer on the rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake the chicken leftovers for about 10 to 15 minutes until warmed through and edges are crispy.
Alternatively, you can reheat your leftover cutlets on a toaster oven tray. Preheat toaster oven and line tray with foil sprayed with a little cooking spray. Reheat until warmed through and edges are crisp.
Store any remaining leftover chicken pieces in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Repeat the reheating process to enjoy crispy chicken cutlets for the week’s meals.

Flatlay image of two thin chicken cutlets that have been dredged in eggs, flour, and breadcrumbs. They are placed on a parchment lined baking sheet awaiting their shallow fry.

More Delicious Dinner Ideas to Love

The great thing about preparing these Crispy Chicken Cutlets is that you can use the leftovers in other yummy ways! A few ideas to share here:

Top reheated chicken cutlets with your favorite marinara sauce or tomato sauce with some shredded mozzarella cheese for a quick and loose version of your favorite Chicken Parmesan recipe.
Drizzle hot sauce on reheated chicken cutlets to make spicy chicken sandwiches.
Cut up leftover chicken into smaller pieces and add to your favorite salad mix. I love a good Caesar dressing with these.

And for even more delicious dinner ideas, check out the latest recipe collection here.

Flatlay image of two crispy chicken cutlets garnished with lemon slices and fresh parsley. A linen napkin is displayed under the plate.

Portrait shot of two crispy chicken breast cutlets that have been dredged in breadcrumbs and seasonings. Garnished with lemon wedges and parsley.

Easy Crispy Chicken Cutlets

Frances Kellar

A classic chicken recipe that is elegant enough for a Date Night In but easy enough to pull off on a weeknight.

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings

Ingredients

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts about 4 to 6 ounces each
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup Parmesan grated
2 large eggs

Instructions

Preheat a large, 12-inch, cast iron skillet with enough neutral cooking oil to cover the bottom of the pan about 1/2 an inch. This will help create a shallow fry for our cutlets.
Set out 3 shallow bowls or rimmed plates on a clean work surface. In Bowl 1, stir together the flour, kosher salt, seasonings and dried herbs. In Bowl 2, whisk together the 2 eggs until smooth and slightly frothy. In Bowl 3, stir together the grated parmesan, lemon zest, and breadcrumbs until well mixed.
Take each chicken breast and blot dry with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Add each piece to a ziploc bag then take a rolling pin or meat mallet to gently pound the meat down to thinner cutlets. Open the bag and take the first chicken breast to coat in the flour and seasonings. Quickly dip the same piece of chicken into the whisked eggs then add to the breadcrumb bowl. Make sure to coat the chicken in the breadcrumb mixture then set aside to a plate. Repeat with the next piece of chicken.
Once oil is heated to a shimmer add the chicken breast pieces to the pan. Shallow fry for about 3 to 5 minutes until golden brown. Flip and fry for another 3 to 5 minutes. Remove and place on a plate lined with paper towels to drain off any excess oil.
Serve with a simple salad dressed with a little lemon juice and olive oil.

Keyword chicken cutlets, chicken recipes, easy weeknights

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