Crispy Chicken Rules.
And that is just a fact.
These last few months I’ve been in a cooking rut, but apparently I wasn’t bored with cooking – I just needed to be making crispy chicken cutlets for dinner.
Hot, crunchy, salty, begging to be drenched with any kind of sauce (gochujang, for example?! or bang bang?!), but also – they work great plain, for the kids, dipped in ketchup?! They go with any meal? They ARE a meal in and of themselves? Gosh, amazing. These woke me back up in the best way.
When I started on this crispy chicken kick, I was doing a lot of frying. There’s something kind of therapeutic about it. But also, lazy times are real and that’s where the air fryer comes in like the hero it is. While the chicken gets legitimately golden and audibly crispy, I make a quick sauce, maybe our essential simple green salad, and attempt to put the markers and crayons away for the 100th time in a day before sitting down to dinner.
Every time I make this, I’m so glad I did.
Hope you love it. (I am almost positive your kids will sing its praises.)
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Watch How To Make This Crispy Chicken
Crispy Chicken Cutlets
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Hot, crunchy, salty, and begging for some sauce! These Crispy Chicken Cutlets are a dinnertime winner.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Crispy Chicken Cutlets
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon salt + freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce like Frank’s red hot (a few shakes, optional)
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- avocado oil spray
- more salt 🙂
Instructions
- Prep: Slice each chicken breast into 3 thin pieces – start by cutting the tenderloin piece off the back, then cut the remaining chicken breast in half horizontally. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Three Bowls: Use a wide, shallow bowl for each of the following: 1) flour. 2) eggs + hot sauce. 3) panko. Season the flour and panko bowls with 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Dip and Coat: Dip the chicken into the flour; shake off excess. Dip into the egg mixture; let the excess drip off. Press into the panko, turn it a few times, pressing gently, until fully coated. Transfer to a plate. Repeat for all pieces. Spray each piece with avocado oil spray so it’ll get nice and evenly golden for ya.
- Cook It Up: Air fry in a single layer at 375 for 6 minutes, then 400 degrees for 2-3 minutes for extra browning. You want an internal temp of at least 165 degrees. I do it in two batches. (Alternate methods listed in the notes.)
- You’re done! Hot, crunchy, salty, juicy, thin and delicious. Perfect dipped or brushed with just about any sauce. We love it.
Notes
Breadcrumb options: I’ve also done this with traditional breadcrumbs instead of panko – very similar result, but the breadcrumbs give a bit tighter / finer breading or coating on the chicken. They’re both delicious!
To fry: heat an inch of avocado oil in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add a drop of water; if it sizzles, it’s ready to add the chicken. Place the chicken in the oil and fry for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown and you get an internal temp of 160 degrees.
If you don’t have avocado oil spray for the air fryer, a little drizzle of oil oil over the top will also work! But I like a spritz best for this because you can evenly coat the panko for the most even browning.
To Bake: 400 degrees for 18 minutes (9 minutes per side).
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: crispy chicken, crispy chicken cutlets, chicken cutlets
Frequently Asked Questions For These Crispy Chicken Cutlets
Bake at 400 degrees for 18 minutes (9 minutes per side).
Yep! Heat an inch of avocado oil in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add a drop of water; if it sizzles, it’s ready to add the chicken. Place the chicken in the oil and fry for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown and you get an internal temp of 160 degrees.
If you don’t have avocado oil spray for the air fryer, a little drizzle of oil oil over the top will also work! But I like a spritz best for this because you can evenly coat the panko for the most even browning.
Not spicy! The hot sauce just adds tang and salt so it won’t make them taste spicy at all. But feel free to skip it.
GF flour and GF breadcrumbs should work just fine!