Baked Chicken Cutlets

Baked Chicken Cutlets are basically lightly breaded chicken cutlets that are baked in the oven. They are coated in a flavor bomb mixture of parmesan cheese, garlic powder and spices, then baked until crispy and slightly golden.

These baked chicken cutlets are crispy and flavorful while retaining juicy and moist texture on the inside. They are much healthier than fried, much easier to make, and just as delicious, which is truly the best of both worlds!

Breaded Chicken Cutlets in the Oven

Chicken cutlet is basically a thin, boneless, skinless chicken breast. This results in a piece of chicken that cooks faster because it is thinner, and has a larger surface area which is why it is ideal for breading and frying or, in this case, breading and baking in the oven.

Like my Garlic Rosemary Chicken and Creamy Mushroom Chicken recipes, I always recommend slicing a thick chicken breasts into chicken cutlets for optimal flavor and easier cooking process. And that is absolutely true for this baked chicken cutlet recipe as well.

Baked chicken cutlet is a basic yet very delicious chicken cutlet recipe that everyone needs in their hip pockets. Think of this as a healthy and lighter take on chicken schnitzel or a quick and lighter chicken parmesan (without the sauce and less cheese). Healthier and yet still formidable in the flavor and texture department. Yummy and guilt-free!

So I give you this Baked Chicken Cutlets recipe. A not-so-boring oven baked breaded chicken cutlet for your low-carb repertoire. Hot dang this baked chicken cutlet recipe is so much more than your run-of-the-mill baked chicken breast. You will actually crave for it.

I tested this baked chicken cutlets with multiple methods before I felt completely satisfied with the final product. It came down to a few things that really sets this recipe apart:

• Bake chicken cutlets on a baking rack so that chicken is truly crispy.
• Instead of using an egg wash to bind the breading to the chicken, use butter instead for amazing flavors. Butter will not only seal the breading to the chicken, it has more flavor than egg wash. I was inspired to use butter because butter is a key for flavor in some of my favorite breaded meat recipes such as Garlic Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops.

Our baked chicken cutlets are some of the juiciest and flavorful chicken. It is truly one-of-the-kind and the BEST there is out there!

Ingredients

To make this baked chicken cutlets recipe, you will only need a short list of simple ingredients. Nothing fancy here. To simplify your life yet give you the most delicious chicken dish you can imagine:

• Chicken cutlet – chicken cutlets are basically thinly sliced chicken breast. If you can’t find pre-cut chicken cutlets, simply use a boneless, skinless chicken breasts and slice them in half lengthwise. By doing so, you’ll be able to cook your chicken cutlet much more quickly and it’ll also be more flavorful because there is more breaded/seasoned surface area.
• Salted butter – Melted salted butter is used as one of the ingredient to coat each chicken cutlet. It offers good flavor and helps keep the chicken cutlet moist and juicy.
• Breadcrumbs – I use plain breadcrumbs, but you can also use Italian style breadcrumbs for an additional layer of flavor.
• Garlic powder – Adding garlic to the coating for the chicken breast gives a bit of a garlic-parm flavor, which is a magical combination if I must say. I avoided using fresh minced garlic in this because garlic powder sticks to chicken better. When using fresh minced garlic, garlic typically falls off.
• Parmesan cheese – use the best quality parmesan cheese for the best flavor. Avoid using non-refrigerated parmesan cheese which usually has fillers in it.
• Salt
• Black pepper

How to make baked chicken cutlets

Let’s make these easy and delicious breaded chicken cutlets in the oven!

It’s a simple process that takes 45 minutes from start to finish. 30 minutes of that time is passive baking time, a.k.a. the oven (not you!) does the work!

Step 1: Bread chicken cutlets

If using chicken breast, slice chicken breast into half lengthwise to get thin slices of chicken cutlets, then pat dry chicken cutlets.

We will have two mixtures for the breading:

1. butter mixture – melt butter in a shallow dish
2. breadcrumb mixture – combine plain breadcrumbs with parmesan cheese, salt and black pepper.

Use a brush to brush butter on both sides of the chicken cutlets, then dip chicken cutlets into breadcrumb mixture on both sides. Coat it twice if needed to really get bread crumbs all over the chicken cutlets.

Step 2: Prepare baking rack

As I mentioned earlier, using a baking rack is a game changer for making chicken cutlets crispy. It will help air circulate when baking, giving all sides of the chicken cutlet a crispy texture.

To do this, place baking rack over a baking sheet that is lined with aluminum foil for easy clean up (it will help catch any drippings). Grease the baking rack generously to avoid sticking.

Place breaded chicken cutlets onto baking rack. Avoid overlapping or overcrowding, making sure there is space between the chicken cutlets.

Step 3: Bake

Bake chicken cutlets in the oven for 30 minutes at 375℉, flipping chicken cutlets halfway through so the other sides brown as well. Bake until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165℉ when measured using a meat thermometer.

Air fryer will work well for these baked chicken cutlets as well!

Remove breaded chicken cutlets from the oven when it is done and serve immediately!

These homemade baked chicken cutlet might just be the best baked chicken you will ever eat…and it is fairly simple and easy to put together…with minimum clean-up!

Say goodbye to greasy, oily chicken and hello to all the yummy flavors and textures with minimal grease (and cleanup!)

Tips and Tricks

Here are a few notes to ensure success when baking breaded chicken cutlets in the oven:

• Pat dry chicken cutlet: Make sure to use a paper towel to pat dry and remove all the moisture on the chicken before breading it.
• Press down the breadcrumb mixture: Be sure to pat on the breadcrumb mixture on both sides of the chicken cutlets firmly to make it stick and form a thick layer so that our baked chicken cutlets will turn out crispy all over.
• Reduce cook time as needed: if your chicken cutlet is thinner, reduce baking time accordingly to avoid over baking it. Remove it from the oven as soon as it reaches 165℉. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.
• Avoid overcooking: Overbaking can make your chicken cutlets dry and tough. It’s always better to use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. The chicken is done when meat thermometer registers at 165°F.

Serving Suggestions

Here are a few ways to serve and really take the flavors of your baked chicken cutlets up a notch or two!

• Lemon: I LOVE serving my baked chicken cutlets with lemon wedges, and squeezing some lemon juice on the breaded chicken cutlets.
• Dipping sauce: To bring the flavors up a notch, serve your baked chicken cutlets with your favorite dipping sauce such as bbq sauce, honey mustard etc.
• Salad: It makes an amazing healthy meal so my husband and I like to pair with a simple salad such as Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad, Strawberry Bacon Spinach Salad and Carrot Raisin Salad.

Storage & Reheating

Storage baked chicken cutlets in air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Baked chicken cutlets can be easily reheated in the oven/toaster oven at 350℉. Make sure to cover them in foil when reheating so that the inside stays moist. Check for doneness after 20 minutes. Continue to heat in 5 minutes interval until baked chicken cutlets are heated all the way through.

Frequently Asked Questions