Crispy Baked Chicken Cutlets with Parmesan Cheese
These crispy baked chicken cutlets are flavorful, easy to make and perfect for busy weeknights. Made with chicken breasts, Italian breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and eggs, this easy meal goes with absolutely everything and requires just a few simple steps.
We don’t deep fry in oil but still get the perfect golden brown crunch, making these a healthy alternative to fried chicken. Simply coat the chicken pieces in the egg wash, dip them in the breadcrumb mixture and bake until crispy.
I love to add these to a bbq ranch chicken salad, with my cottage cheese ranch dip and homemade bbq sauce. Make it into chicken cutlet sandwiches with a bun, lettuce, tomato and pickles. You can also keep it simple and serve with your favorite sides like greek yogurt mashed potatoes or air fryer smashed potatoes.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- 48 grams of protein per serving.
- A healthier fried chicken recipe.
- A simple recipe for meal prep.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
These are the main ingredients and substitutions for these crispy chicken cutlets. See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and instructions.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: you can also use turkey cutlets which are delicious as well.
- Italian Breadcrumbs: Italian seasoned breadcrumbs or regular breadcrumbs work for breaded cutlets. If you use plain add Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to season it up.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese: be sure to use grated parmesan cheese and not shredded. Grated will absorb with the breadcrumbs better and make a crispier piece of chicken. You can also omit the cheese entirely.
- Eggs
Variations
- Add homemade ranch seasoning to your breadcrumb mixture.
Dietary Modifications
- For dairy-free, omit the parmesan cheese.
- For gluten-free, use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
How to make this chicken cutlets recipe (a visual step-by-step guide)
Step 1: prep chicken and breadcrumb mixture
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a sheet pan with cooking oil. Using a sharp knife, butterfly each chicken breast to create thinner cutlets, and using a meat mallet, pound each into an even 1/2 inch thickness. Slice in half so you have 2 cutlets per chicken breast (image 1) and season with salt and black pepper.
Step 2: coat chicken in egg and dip into breadcrumb mixture
In a shallow bowl, combine parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs to create your egg wash. Dip each piece of chicken into the beaten egg mixture (image 2), ensuring both sides are coated. Press each side of the chicken cutlet into the Italian bread crumb and parmesan mixture, making sure the coating adheres well.
Step 3: bake
Place the breaded chicken cutlets in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, ensuring they are not touching (image 3). You may need to cook in batches if there is not enough room for all your cutlets.
Lightly spray the top of the chicken cutlets with avocado or olive oil spray to help them crisp up. Bake the chicken breast in the preheated oven for 12 minutes, remove from the oven and flip, bake another 2-3 minutes (image 4). Remove from the oven, and using a meat thermometer be sure they’re cooked through to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 4: remove and let rest
Remove the chicken and let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving. Serve as the main dish with your favorite sides or in your favorite salads.
Expert Tip!
Butterflying and tenderizing the chicken will ensure it bakes evenly.
Recipe FAQs
Just spray with cooking spray and pop back into the air fryer or oven at 375 F until the chicken has warmed through.
Store leftover cutlets in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 5 days. Cutlets can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to one month.
Serve with a side of potatoes and vegetables or put on top of instant pot fettuccini alfredo. Make it into crispy chicken burgers or chop and serve over a salad.
Check out our other easy air fryer recipes!
If you make this recipe, please leave a rating and/or comment! Tag me on Instagram @ohsnapmacros, I love hearing from you!
Baked Chicken Cutlets
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Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast butterflied
- salt and black pepper
- 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs 60g
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese 28g
- 2 eggs beaten
- avocado or cooking oil spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a baking sheet with cooking oil.
- Butterfly each chicken breast to create thinner cutlets and pound each into an even 1/2 inch thickness. Slice in half so you have 2 cutlets per chicken breast. Season with salt and black pepper.
- In a shallow bowl, combine parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. In a separate bowl, beat eggs to create an egg wash.
- Dip each piece of chicken into the beaten eggs, ensuring both sides are coated. Press each side of the chicken cutlet into the Italian bread crumb and parmesan mixture, making sure the coating adheres well.
- Place the breaded chicken cutlets in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, ensuring they are not touching. You may need to cook in batches if there is not enough room for all your cutlets.
- Lightly spray the top of the chicken cutlets with avocado or olive oil spray to help them crisp up. Bake the chicken breast in the preheated oven for 12 minutes, remove from the oven and flip, bake another 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, and using a meat thermometer be sure they’re cooked through to an internal temperature of 165 degrees fahrenheit.
- Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving. Serve as the main dish with your favorite sides or in your favorite salads.
Notes
- Butterflying chicken and tenderizing will ensure crispy and juicy chicken. Do not skip this step.
- Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary with substitutions.
