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Crispy Chicken Schnitzel

Panko breadcrumbs give these chicken breast schnitzels an assertively crispy outside. Cornstarch helps keep the meat tender inside.
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 4 4-ounce chicken breast cutlets pounded to 1/4-inch thick, if necessary (see Kitchen Notes)
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 2 eggs
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs or regular breadcrumbs
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil plus more, if needed
  • Chopped fresh Italian parsley for garnish
  • lemon wedges (optional)

Instructions

  • Season chicken cutlets with salt and pepper on both sides. Arrange three separate shallow bowls with cornstarch in the first; eggs and mustard beaten together in the second; and breadcrumbs and Parmesan mixed together in the third.
  • Dredge cutlets in cornstarch, shaking off excess. Dip in egg mixture, making sure to coat. Dredge in panko mixture, again making sure to coat. Transfer cutlets to plate, pressing gently with fingertips to help panko adhere.
  • Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high flame. When the oil is very hot, add cutlets. Cook in two batches, if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan. Cook for 2 minutes on the first side, then turn and cook an additional 2 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. If working in batches, cook the second pair of cutlets, adding more oil to the pan, if needed—I didn't need to do this.
  • Plate cutlets and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve lemon wedges alongside, if desired. In fact, do serve lemon wedges—I had intended to, but the lemon I thought was in the fridge had already given its life for another meal. Lemon would have added a nice bright note to the cutlets and a great spot of color to the photo above.

Kitchen Notes

Flattening the chicken. Increasingly, you can find chicken breast cutlets already sliced thin at the supermarket. If not, buy boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, place between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat tenderizer until about 1/4-inch thick. You want each cutlet to weigh about 4 ounces. If the breast halves are overly large, halve them horizontally before pounding into cutlets—you’ll save a lot of pounding and not end up with cutlets the size of dinner plates.