Current craving for dinner: fresh, but also savory and filling! Well actually, I was craving my weeknight pasta sauce the other day, but that just seemed too heavy for the bright, muggy summer evenings.
So I made these summer chicken cutlets!
I keep them bright by adding lemon juice. I keep it simple by using a jar of my favorite pasta sauce (Rao’s Marinara).
Bonus: I have made these both full of gluten and gluten free, and they taste delicious either way (see recipe below for how to make these gluten free).
Summer Chicken Cutlets
Here’s some helpful tips:
As you can see in this photo I used freshly shaved parmesan, but the coating works much better with freshly grated parmesan!
I did use my non-stick pan for these beauties because my non-stick skillet can hold a few more cutlets at a time. Also, there is no deglazing for this dish, and the chicken gets nice and golden brown on the non-stick surface thanks to the breading!
I served it with a fresh salad topped with cherry tomatoes, mini cucumbers, flaked sea salt, and drizzles of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Truly so fresh and bright!
New Summer Recipe Alert: Summer Chicken Cutlets
- Yield: 6 chicken cutlets 1x
Ingredients
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 2 tsp pepper
- 1 cup all purpose flour (or tapioca starch for gluten free)
- 2 cups panko (gluten free panko works too)
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Juice from 1/2 a lemon
- Favorite jar of marinara sauce (we like Rao’s)
Instructions
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Using a sharp knife, fillet the chicken breasts. Simply place your hand on top of the chicken and run your knife horizontally through the chicken. Once you get about half way through the chicken you can actually lift up the half that has been sliced and hold it up while continuing to cut through the chicken. (If your chicken is still thick after filleting it, you can place the chicken in a plastic bag and, using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound out the fillet until it is a thinner cut. I rarely do this.)
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Place eggs in a shallow bowl. Add the lemon juice to the eggs and whisk vigorously to combine. Place the flour, salt, and pepper into a shallow dish (be sure to mix to combine the spices with the flour). In a third shallow dish, combine panko and parmesan.
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Working with 1 cutlet at a time, dip chicken cutlets into flour (make sure to shake off any excess), then eggs, and then panko mixture.
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In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 Tbsp of oil. Once the pan and oil are heated, add chicken and cook until golden. On the first side I cook for 4-5 minutes and on the second side I cook for about 4 minutes. I had to do 2 batches. When I was finished with the first batch, I added the cutlets to my baking sheet with a baking rack. A baking rack helps to keep the breading from getting soggy but if you do not have a baking rack, you can just place the cutlets onto your baking sheet and set aside. For the second batch of cutlets, add an additional 2 Tbsp of oil to the pan. Wait for the oil to heat up (the pan is already hot so this takes just about 30 – 60 seconds) and then add the second batch.
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Set the oven to broil. Once all the chicken cutlets are on the baking sheet, I add a good spoonful of marinara sauce to each and then some extra shredded parmesan cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly (about 4 – 5 minutes).
Serve with lemon slices and fresh salad greens!
This recipe sounds delicious!! I can’t wait to try it! I love that many of your recipes include pantry staples and combine them in new exciting ways!
I made this last night and OH MY. My son is allergic to eggs, so I swapped those out for some heavy cream. Incredible. Thank you for a wonderful recipe! 🙂
I just listened to your podcast episode about your toaster oven. Could this recipe be converted to toaster oven only? Me and hot oil sometimes = disaster!
Hi Bri,
Which wine would you pair with this? I’m excited to make it!
I would pair it with a chilled Sangiovese! This wine is perfect for tomato based dishes but not so full bodied that it will overshadow the chicken.