These perfectly crispy Baked Chicken Cutlets are juicy and tender on the inside! Great for pairing with any side dish, toss on your favorite pasta or salad recipe, or use in a sandwich. No matter how you serve these oven-baked chicken cutlets, the whole family is going to love this chicken recipe!
Crispy Baked Chicken Cutlets
There are so many different ways to cook a classic chicken breast, on the grill, smoker, sous vide, even the air fryer, but these easy baked chicken cutlets might be our new favorite! They are perfectly crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and cook in a fraction of the time. We love to butterfly chicken breasts into chicken cutlets to lower that cook time and get dinner on the table in under 30 minutes. Try serving them with our Creamy Tomato Pasta!
What You Will Need
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts – you can follow this recipe without cutting your chicken breasts into cutlets, but we highly recommend it to reduce that cook time. You could also place them on a non-wood cutting board, cover with plastic wrap, and use the flat side of a meat tenderizer to pound them to a thinner size.
- all-purpose flour – this is what we used but feel free to use a gluten-free flour if you want to keep it gluten-free.
- eggs – an egg wash is always a must when baking chicken!
- breadcrumbs – grab some at your local grocery store or easily make some homemade breadcrumbs.
- parmesan cheese – great for some added saltiness and flavor.
- lemon zest – just a little bit of acidity to really level up all of the flavors.
- kosher salt & ground black pepper – simple seasonings that are always a must when making any cut of meat.
How To Make Baked Chicken Cutlets
To start making this easy chicken recipe, carefully use a sharp knife to cut the chicken breasts into chicken cutlets.
Next, dredge each cutlet in flour and shake off any excess.
Now it’s time for the egg wash – fully coat each chicken cutlet and let the excess drip off.
Then place them in the breadcrumb mixture and flip to fully coat. We like to use our hands to really press this mixture on all sides of the cutlet.
Place the prepared chicken cutlets on a wire rack that has been sprayed with a non-stick cooking spray on a rimmed baking sheet.
Finally, put the whole baking sheet in the oven and bake at 400 degrees F for 10-15 minutes. The cook time will vary depending on how thick your chicken is. Make sure you use a meat thermometer to make sure they reach 165 degrees F at the thickest part.
Pro tip: if you are looking to get the outside of your cutlets crispy, plus browned to perfection, we highly recommend placing them under the broiler for the last few minutes of bake time. Just keep a close eye so they don’t burn!
Best Ways To Serve Baked Chicken Cutlets
There are so many great ways to serve these healthy baked chicken cutlets! We love to serve with our Creamy Tomato Pasta or on linguine noodles with some homemade alfredo sauce. They are also great to chop and toss on a Strawberry Chicken Salad, Honey Mustard Chicken Salad, or a classic Caesar Salad! No matter how you serve them, the whole family is definitely going to love this quick and easy weeknight dinner option!
Recipe FAQ
- how long to bake at 400 degrees F: we had pretty thin chicken cutlets and baked them for about 10-15 minutes, but this cook time is really going to depend on how thick your pieces of chicken are. Just make sure the internal temp reaches 165 degrees F.
- extra crispy: if you are really looking to keep the chicken super crispy, make sure it is fully coated before baking and follow the pro tip of finishing them under the broiler at the end!
- storage: any leftover cooked chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Once cooled they can also be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Made this recipe and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
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Other Chicken Recipes You Might Like
Baked Chicken Cutlets
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
Description
Baked Chicken Cutlets – this easy baked chicken cutlets recipe is the perfect addition to any pasta or salad! Simple and ready in 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cutlets
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour OR gluten-free flour
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (regular or gluten-free)
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Spray the wire rack with olive oil and set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Ensure chicken breasts are cut into cutlets by laying them flat and then cutting in half with a sharp knife, cutting parallel to the cutting board (see tutorial here).
- Prepare three bowls (ensure all three bowls are wide and shallow so that a chicken cutlet can lay flat in each. In the first bowl add the flour. In the second bowl, add the eggs and whisk. In the third bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, lemon zest, salt and pepper.
- Taking one chicken cutlet at a time, place it in the flour and fully coat. Shake off any excess flour and then transfer to the egg bowl. Coat the chicken in the egg wash, lift and let any excess egg drip off. Transfer to the breadcrumb bowl and fully coat the chicken. Transfer to the prepared wire rack/baking sheet. Repeat with all the chicken cutlets.
- Once all the chicken cutlets are coated, drizzle with a little olive oil (this will help them brown) and place in the oven (middle rack). Let cook 10-15 minutes or until the internal temperature at the thickest part reaches 165 degrees F. (start checking at 10 minutes as the total time will depend upon how thick your initial chicken breasts were and you don’t want to over-cook). If chicken isn’t fully cooked after 15 minutes cook for additional 2 minute increments until they reach 165 degrees F.).
- Browning tip: option to place these under the broiler for the last few minutes of bake time if you want a little extra crispiness or more of a golden brown color – but watch carefully so they don’t burn.
- Remove from the oven and let rest 5 minutes. Serve with some Creamy Tomato Pasta and Roasted Broccolini!
Notes
- Gluten-Free: to make these gluten-free use gluten-free flour and gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- Storage: store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat, I would recommend placing them on a baking sheet with a wire rack on top and then warm at 350 degrees F until warmed through.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cutlet
- Calories: 169
- Sugar: 1.3 g
- Sodium: 444.1 mg
- Fat: 4.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 21.3 g
- Protein: 10.5 g
- Cholesterol: 75.5 mg
B says
Made this for dinner tonight and served the chicken with a “rainbow quinoa salad”. The chicken was delicious! I was looking for a quick recipe with flavor and this one delivered. Thank you!
Bridget Montag says
That sounds delicious. So glad you liked it and thank you for leaving a review!