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15 Chicken Cutlet Recipes That Are Crispy, Golden Brown Bliss

Whether you call them katsu, schnitzel, or milanesa, chicken cutlets are a weeknight winner.
Image may contain Dish Food Meal Human Person Platter and Fried Chicken
Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Jennifer Ophir

Name a better dinner than a chicken cutlet done right. With a shatteringly crispy, craggy golden crust and a moist, tender interior, there’s a reason it’s a fan favorite. These 15 chicken cutlet recipes will up your game. For the tastiest dredge, we’re a fan of flaky, golden panko breadcrumbs, but cheese crackers and za’atar are all welcome. Sure, covering chicken cutlets in slow-simmered tomato sauce makes for an unbeatable chicken parm, but a speedy slather of homemade ranch can be just as satisfying on a weeknight. And don’t feel constrained to skinless, boneless chicken breasts—cutlets are for everyone, even if eggplant, fish, or pork are more your style.

  • A plate of sliced crispy chicken cutlet with side salad on blue tablecloth.
    Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Dayna Seman
    1/15

    Cheese-Cracker-Crusted Chicken

    Thought there was no way to upgrade juicy, crispy cutlets? These thighs dredged in cheese crackers and paired with an herby ice-cold salad will change your mind. 

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  • Image may contain Dish Food Meal Human Person Platter and Fried Chicken
    Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Jennifer Ophir
    2/15

    Chicken Schnitzel With Crunchy Salad

    Consider this your intro to frying at home. (It's worth it, we promise.) Shallow-frying breaded chicken cutlets in a large Dutch oven—instead of a lower-profile skillet—significantly cuts down on messy splattering oil.

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  • Image may contain Dish Food Meal Platter and Plant
    Alex Lau
    5/15

    Chicken Milanesa With Ranch Sauce

    This irresistible matchup of crispy and creamy releases more dopamine than a bag of Cheetos. It’s a comforting chicken dinner worth frying for.

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  • A plate of chicken Parmesan with the chicken starting to be sliced into strips.
    Photo by Emma Fishman
    6/15

    BA’s Best Chicken Parmesan

    Each step and ingredient in BA’s Best Chicken Parmesan is given its due: We kept the butterflied cutlets on the thicker side, so they don’t overcook. We marinated them in lemon, olive oil, and garlic to tenderize the meat as much as flavor it. We then opted for panko over Italian breadcrumbs, for their superior crunch.

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  • Image may contain Food Dish Meal Platter and Plant
    Christopher Testani
    9/15

    Crispy Chicken Cutlets with Cherry Tomato Panzanella

    Skin-on chicken thighs give these cutlets a satisfying layer of fatty crunch when cooked. This skillet chicken skips the dredge and breadcrumbs to save on total time, and is topped with a crouton-packed tomato panzanella instead.

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  • Image may contain Cutlery Fork Food Pizza and Fried Chicken
    10/15

    German-Style Chicken Schnitzel

    Whole-grain mustard whisked into the egg mixture adds a mild hit of nutty, spicy flavor to this easy dinner recipe. It’s an easy chicken cutlet recipe with not a lot of prep time or fuss.

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  • Image may contain Food Egg Cutlery and Fork
    Gentl and Hyers
    11/15

    Parmesan Chicken Cutlets

    Parmesan cheese in the breading of these classic pan-fried cutlets make for an easy dinner that satisfies that fried chicken craving. Serve with mashed potatoes, or use in chicken sandwiches to make it a complete meal.

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  • Image may contain Sandwich Food and Plant
    Christina Holmes
    12/15

    Chicken Cutlet Sandwiches With Savoy Cabbage Slaw

    No deep-fryer is required for this shallow-fried chicken you can make in a skillet. Cornstarch instead of all-purpose flour makes for an especially crisp crust.

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  • This image may contain Food Dish Meal Lunch Stew Bowl and Curry
    Photo by Alex Lau, styling by Sean Dooley
    13/15

    Katsu Curry

    Swap in chicken for pork in this recipe for a classic katsu and curry pairing. This Japanese curry is wonderfully thick, resembling a stew, and is traditionally seasoned with S&B curry powder.

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  • Image may contain Food Dish Meal and Plant
    14/15

    Chicken Schnitzel

    This schnitzel recipe sounds harder to make than it is, but you can add it to your repertoire of easy dinners. Plus, you get to pound out the day's stress with a meat mallet.

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  • Image may contain Food
    Alex Lau
    15/15

    Kids' Chicken Katsu

    Don’t trust anyone who doesn’t love a chicken cutlet. Be sure to work in batches, to avoid crowding the pan and ensure optimal crispiness. And don’t be intimidated by the frying—with minimal cook time and huge payoff, it’s like eating adult-approved chicken tenders.

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Antara is an associate editor at Bon Appétit whose work includes writing about the joys of cooking with South Asian spice blends, a review of Bad Bunny’s Miami restaurant, and plenty of ingredient and technique explainers to help level up your kitchen skills. She developed the “Part-Time Plant-Based” cooking column ... Read More
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