This is a quick and easy recipe for pancake-battered chicken that your children will love! Crispy batter and incredibly tender chicken breast - what is not to love?
Pancake-battered chicken is one of my children's favorite dishes. It's made with thin chicken breast cutlets coated in a homemade batter and cooked until crisp and golden.
The chicken stays incredibly tender - it's actually softer than in any other chicken breast recipe I make - and the batter forms a savory, slightly fluffy crust around it.
The batter is homemade with eggs, milk, flour, sparkling water, and a few breadcrumbs - no boxed pancake mix.
You don't need much oil, either. The chicken is shallow-fried for just a few minutes on each side, so the whole dish is ready in about 30 minutes.
Try more fried chicken breast recipes: Fried Chicken Breast with a classic flour coating, Cornflake Fried Chicken, or Panko Fried Chicken.
Ingredients: 7 + salt & pepper | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Servings: 6 | Difficulty: Easy
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Recipe ingredients
Chicken breast: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Slice them horizontally into thin cutlets and pound them lightly so that they cook evenly. You can also buy thinly sliced chicken cutlets.
- If you like, learn How to Cook Thin-Sliced Chicken Breast without batter too.
Pancake batter ingredients: Eggs, milk, flour, a small amount of breadcrumbs, and sparkling water.
- Use plain, fine dry breadcrumbs rather than fresh breadcrumbs or panko.
- The bubbles in the sparkling water make the batter lighter. Add it gradually because you may not need the entire amount.
Prepared pancake mix: This recipe uses homemade savory pancake batter, not boxed pancake mix. I haven't tested it with a prepared mix, which contains additional ingredients and may produce a different coating.
Oil: Use a neutral oil suitable for frying, such as sunflower, canola, or vegetable oil. You need enough to cover the bottom of the pan, but the chicken should not be submerged.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Pancake-Battered Chicken?
Step #1: Slice the chicken breasts horizontally into cutlets approximately â…“ inch/1 cm thick. I had 11 slices, some large and some a bit smaller.
Step #2: Pound between two sheets of plastic wrap with a meat mallet or the bottom of a small, heavy saucepan. Season well on both sides.
Step #3: Whisk the eggs, milk, flour, and the breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Add the sparkling water gradually while whisking; start with only ½ and up to ¾ of it.
Step #4: Coat each chicken cutlet lightly with the remaining flour. Place the chicken into the batter and turn it until it is completely coated.
Tip: The batter should be thick but still able to run slowly from a spoon. Add a little more flour if it is too thin or another small splash of sparkling water.
Step #5: Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a large pan. Lift one piece of chicken with tongs and turn it a couple of times more through the batter to make sure it's very well coated. Place it in the pan and repeat with another 3 pieces or so without crowding them.
Step #6: Fry over medium heat for 5-6 minutes in total, turning them several times, until the coating is evenly golden and the chicken is cooked through.
Step #7: Transfer the pieces to paper towels or a wire rack. Fry the remaining chicken in batches, adding more oil when necessary.
Tips
Check the first piece: Fry one cutlet first and check the coating. If too much batter runs off, stir a little more flour into the bowl. If the coating is too thick or heavy, add a very small amount of sparkling water.
Keep the chicken thin: Thick pieces can leave you with dark batter before the chicken is completely cooked. Thin, evenly pounded cutlets cook quickly and remain tender.
Coat the chicken with flour first: This helps the batter adhere to the meat instead of sliding off during frying. Shake off the excess before dipping the chicken into the batter.
Watch the heat: If the coating browns immediately, reduce the heat. The batter contains egg and milk and can darken quickly in a pan that is too hot.
Don't overcrowd the pan: Frying too many pieces at once lowers the oil temperature and makes the coating absorb more oil.
Don't stack the cooked chicken or the coating will soften too much, too quickly. Arrange the pieces next to one another on paper towels or a wire rack.
Check for doneness: The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F/74°C, but checking with the thermometer might be tricky for such thin pieces of chicken. I actually always cut a piece in half and look at the meat, it should be completely white.
The nutrition is calculated considering 4 tablespoons of oil. You might need more, depending on the size of your pan and on how many batches of chicken you fry, but some of it will remain in the pan.
Store and reheat
Pancake-battered chicken is best served immediately while the coating is still crisp. That being said, I adore it even cold and 3 days later; it's that good!
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The coating will soften in the refrigerator, but the chicken will still taste good.
Reheat it in a preheated oven at 350°F/180°C for about 8-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pieces. Arrange the chicken in a single layer.
Cold leftovers are also excellent in a sandwich. Add mustard, mayonnaise, or chili sauce, followed by lettuce, sliced tomatoes, red onions, and pickles. You can also use them to make a Katsu Sando or a Chicken Fillet Burger.
What to serve with it?
Serve the chicken with a fresh salad, potatoes, vegetables, or a simple dipping sauce.
Do you like this recipe?
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Pancake-Battered Chicken
Equipment
- Meat mallet or small, heavy saucepan
- Very large bowl
- Large plate
- Large nonstick pan or cast-iron skillet
- Whisk
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts Note 1
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1-2 tablespoons all-purpose flour for coating
Batter:
- 2 large eggs
- â…” cup milk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour plus more if needed
- 1 tablespoon fine dry breadcrumbs
- ½ cup sparkling water
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
For shallow-frying:
- 1 cup vegetable oil plus more if needed, Notes 2,3
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Slice the chicken breasts horizontally into cutlets about ⅓ inch/1 cm thick. Place them between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound them lightly with a meat mallet or the bottom of a small, heavy saucepan. Season both sides with salt and pepper.2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts + 1 teaspoon fine sea salt + ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Make pancake batter: Whisk the eggs, milk, flour, and breadcrumbs in a very large bowl. Begin by whisking in about half of the sparkling water. Add more as needed, up to about two-thirds of the total amount, until the batter is thick but runs slowly from a spoon. If it is too thin, add a little more flour; if it is too thick, add another splash of sparkling water. Season with salt.2 large eggs + ⅔ cup milk + 1 cup all-purpose flour + 1 tablespoon fine dry breadcrumbs + about half from ½ cup sparkling water + ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Flour the chicken: Place the flour for coating on a plate. Coat the chicken cutlets lightly with flour and shake off the excess.1-2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Coat with batter: Place all the floured chicken pieces in the bowl of batter and mix well until they are completely coated.
- Heat the oil: Heat enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom of a large nonstick pan or cast-iron skillet.half of 1 cup vegetable oil
- Fry the chicken: Lift one piece of chicken with tongs and turn it through the batter once or twice more to coat it well. Place it in the hot pan and repeat with another three pieces, or as many as will fit without crowding the pan.
- Cook: Fry over medium heat for about 5-6 minutes in total, turning the pieces several times, until the coating is evenly golden and the chicken is cooked through.
- Drain: Transfer the chicken to paper towels or a wire rack and keep the pieces in a single layer.
- Finish: Fry the remaining chicken in batches, adding more oil when necessary. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Chicken: You can also use pre-cut thin chicken cutlets. I used regular chicken breasts and cut them into 11 pieces, some larger and some smaller. As long as they are all about the same thickness, they will cook in roughly the same amount of time.
- Oil: Use a neutral oil suitable for frying, such as sunflower, canola, or vegetable oil. You need enough to cover the bottom of the pan, but the chicken should not be submerged.
- The nutritional information is only an estimate. It was calculated using 4 tablespoons of oil, as not all the frying oil is absorbed.
Jude says
Adina, I enjoy your great recipes very much. But, more even more than the recipes, I love the kitty pictures!!!
Adina Beck says
Hi Jude. Thank you so much for the feedback, especially about the cats :). I love them so much; the whole family does - they are completely spoiled. 🙂
Petra says
I love to cook chicken this way.
Adina Beck says
I am happy to hear that, Petra. Thank you.
Steve Turton says
Could the raw chicken be coated in the pancake mix...and placed in an Air Fryer..?
Adina says
I am sorry, Steve, I don't know. I don't have an air fryer. Should you try it, maybe you can share it here, just in case other people might want to know that as well. Thank you.