Oven-baked chicken cutlets ready in less than 30 minutes. The tender chicken breasts are breaded in a seasoned breadcrumb and Parmesan mixture and are so easy to make.
Making crispy baked chicken cutlets is so much easier, healthier, and less messy than deep-frying. That’s why this is the way I cook breaded chicken breast most of the time. Check out Crispy Panko Breaded Chicken, Air Fryer Panko Chicken, or Breaded Chicken without Egg to learn more ways of baking chicken breast in the oven.
Table of contents
Recipe ingredients
- Chicken breast: Four regular pieces or 8 thin chicken breast cutlets. I usually have regular-sized pieces that I cut in two halves.
- Breadcrumbs: Regular dried breadcrumbs, either plain or seasoned. Panko breadcrumbs are perfect as well.
- Parmesan: Freshly grated from a wedge of Parmesan cheese.
- Spices: Garlic powder, sweet paprika, fine sea salt or Kosher salt, and ground black pepper for seasoning the breast.
- You can use another seasoning, anything you like. Add some red pepper flakes or cayenne for heat, or replace the spices with your favorite chicken seasoning, Cajun, taco, or Italian seasoning.
- I also like to add about 1 teaspoon of our favorite poultry seasoning mix to the breadcrumb-Parmesan mixture.
- Other ingredients: All-purpose flour, eggs, olive oil, and cooking spray.
How to make breaded chicken cutlets in the oven?
- Slice: If you are using regular-sized breasts, cut them horizontally to have 8 cutlets (2 per serving) (1).
- Tenderize: Cover them with a plastic wrap sheet and gently pound them with a meat mallet until they are evenly thick. Place them in a large bowl (2).
- Season: Coat them with olive oil, and rub them with the spices.
- Breading station: Place the flour, a pinch of salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl. Beat the eggs in another bowl. Combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and poultry seasoning on a large plate or bowl (3).
- Bread chicken: Turn the breasts into the flour mixture (4), dredge them through the beaten egg mixture (5), and turn them into the breadcrumb mixture until well coated on both sides. Press gently to help the breadcrumbs adhere to the breasts (6).
- Bake: Place on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer and spray with cooking spray (6). Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Flip, spray again with cooking oil, and bake for another 5 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through (7).
- Check with a meat thermometer; the internal temperature should be 165°F/75°F (Amazon affiliate link). Or cut one chicken breast cutlet in the middle; the meat should be white.
- Broil if you like (optional). If you want the cutlets to be crispier and more deeply colored, transfer them to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and broil them for about 1 minute per side. Keep an eye on them so that they don’t burn.
Expert Tips
Buying chicken cutlets is easier and faster but also a bit more expensive. Cutting the cheaper whole chicken breasts in two slices is easy and only takes a couple of minutes.
Press the coating with your palm to ensure the crumbs adhere well to the meat.
Wire rack: It’s preferable to use it on top of a baking sheet; using it ensures that the baked chicken cutlets are crispy on both sides. However, the recipe will still work without it.
Don’t overbake, or the breaded baked chicken cutlets will be dry and chewy.
Broiling shortly is not mandatory but recommended to achieve a crispier and more deeply colored breading. If broiling the chicken pieces, make sure that you replace the parchment paper with aluminum foil. Or use foil from the very beginning.
Recipe FAQ
Boneless, skinless thighs are great: Cut them into 2-3 pieces (depending on size), bread, and bake as instructed. They will need a few more minutes of cooking time; check that they are cooked through.
With a meat thermometer, the temperature should be 72°C/165°F.
If you don’t have one, cut one piece in the middle; the meat should be white; no pink allowed.
Refrigerate for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
Reheat in the preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for about 10 minutes or until hot. You can also reheat them in the air fryer for about 3 minutes. Microwaving is possible, but it will make them soggy.
You can also serve the leftover chicken cold; they are the perfect cut for a sandwich or a wrap.
How to serve?
The baked chicken cutlets are best served immediately.
- Starchy side dishes: Serve with oven-baked potatoes, fries, baked sweet potato slices, smashed or mashed potatoes, etc. You can also serve crusted breasts with rice, for instance, Buttered Rice, Pumpkin Rice, Nando’s Spicy Rice, BBQ Rice, and so on.
- Vegetables: I like to serve crispy chicken cutlets with roasted broccoli, Brussels sprouts or cauliflower, green salads with Yogurt Dressing or Raspberry Vinaigrette, vegetable mash like Creamy Carrot and Swede Mash or Cauliflower and Potato Mash, and so on.
- Sauces: Serve with Yogurt Mint Sauce, Peri Peri Sauce, sweet chili sauce, BBQ sauce, or any other favorite dipping sauce.
- Make sandwiches or chicken burgers. Slice the breaded chicken cutlets and serve them on top of salads or in a wrap.
More chicken breast recipes
Baked Chicken Cutlets
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts or 8 chicken breast cutlets Note 1
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt or Kosher
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup dried breadcrumbs Note 2
- ½ cup Parmesan pressed a bit, 30 g/ 1 oz
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (Note 3).
- Prepare the cutlets: Cut the chicken breasts in two horizontally to obtain cutlets. Place them on a cutting board, cover them with plastic wrap and pound them gently with a meat mallet until they are evenly thick. Place them in a large bowl.
- Season: Mix garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Pour the oil on the breasts and coat them with the oil. Sprinkle the breasts with the spice mixture and rub them until coated.
- Breading station: Place the flour, a pinch of salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Beat the eggs in another bowl. Combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and poultry seasoning on a large plate or bowl.
- Bread chicken: Turn the breasts into the flour mixture and shake them gently to remove the excess. Dredge the piece through the beaten eggs. Turn them into the breadcrumb mixture until well coated on both sides. Press gently to help the breadcrumbs adhere to the breasts.
- Bake: Place the breaded chicken on the prepared baking sheet and spray it lightly with cooking spray. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Flip using tongs, spray again with cooking oil and bake for another 5 minutes or until cooked through.
- Check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer; it should be 165°F/75°F. Otherwise, cut a cutlet in the middle; the meat should be white.
- Broiling is optional. If you want the cutlets to be crispier and more deeply colored, transfer them to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and broil them shortly on both sides; about 1 minute per side should be enough. Keep an eye on them so that they don’t burn.
Notes
- The cutlets should be about ½ inch/ 1.2 thick.
- Panko breadcrumbs are also great.
- If you intend to broil the chicken cutlets once they are baked, line the baking sheet with aluminum foil (parchment paper would burn under the broiler) or use aluminum foil from the beginning.