• The chicken cutlet is characterized by its crunchy crust and thin, tender interior.

• Proper preparation techniques – including slicing with a sharp knife, pounding for consistent thickness and using a flour-egg-flour dredge – are essential for achieving the perfect chicken cutlet.

• International styles of chicken cutlets, such as Chicken Francese, Chicken Katsu and Saltimbocca alla Romana, showcase the dish’s adaptability across cuisines.

Hammer Out Crisp Facts for Frying Up the Chicken Cutlets

My fondest memory of working in restaurants was the staff meal at Bimbo’s Italian Restaurant and the massive plate of Chicken Parmesan we got. My 14-year-old eyeballs got wide every time I glanced at this magnificent meal as I made my way to the storeroom to eat this beauty on a sack of potatoes. On the football-shaped plate sat a giant pile of spaghetti, covered with ladle of homemade sauce and topped with a giant chicken cutlet and mounds of melted mozzarella. It was my dream meal, my first love!

This memory has its own lane in my food mind – probably because of the crunchy chicken cutlet: a pounded, breaded and fried beauty that anchored the chicken Parm. This simple preparation for chicken breast has a wide audience, and it can compete with any menu item in your pizzeria or restaurant.

History of the Chicken Cutlet

The word “cutlet” is derived from the French côtelette and the Italian cotoletta, meaning a slice of meat from the leg or ribs. Most modern chicken cutlets have versions to thank worldwide. The Pozharsky cutlets from Russia, the Italian Cotoletta alla Milanese and the 19th century Chicken Katsu from Japan as well as the famous egg-washed Schnitzel from Austria are part of our culinary history. Most of the European cutlets started as veal – but as an influx of Italian immigrants landed in the U.S., the availability and affordability of chicken made it a perfect fit.

Today, the number of variations on the chicken cutlet are immense, but the same finished product almost always includes a crunchy crust or thin, sauce-forward cutlet like the moist interior of the Petti di pollo alla Bolognese, which highlights the combination of Prosciutto di Parma and Bel Paese cheese melting atop the chicken.

How to Slice, Pound and Dredge Chicken Cutlets

There are as many ways to prepare chicken cutlets as there are restaurant kitchens in the U.S. Here are some tips that may or may not work in your restaurant.

Slicing

It is always better to use a sharp, well-honed chef’s knife to cut chicken cutlets, since it is easy for thin-bladed slicing knives to change direction while slicing through the chicken. To get three cutlets out of one breast, I’ve found it best to first start slicing the bottom of the breast, where you’ll be able to visually guide your knife through the inconsistent and bumpy flesh. It is always good to have firm, closed fingers on top of the chicken breast to gently press down against the cutting board while slicing cutlets. You always must remember what your finished product looks like when plate ready. Do you want a huge, football shaped cutlet or smaller ones?

Pounding

This is the most important part of fabricating chicken cutlets to accommodate the thinness you need in your restaurant. Some more roundish cuts can be pounded into oblong cutlet shapes. Place the sliced meat on a large plastic sheet (to eliminate the possibility of micro-plastics, you may use baking parchment) and fold it over like a book, making sure no meat is near the fold. Using a flat-sided meat mallet, pound from the thickest part of the flesh first and do not pound too hard. Some meat mallets have a course and fine tenderizers, but I have found these too brutal to use on chicken breasts. There are other mallets on the market, but for chicken breasts, I’ve found my favorite is a short-handled, hammer-like pounder. It is more accurate to create consistent thickness and easier to manipulate meat than with a short, up-and-down pounder.

Dredging

Chefs prefer a flour-egg-flour dredge, which works well in deep, hot oil for dishes like Chicken Francese or Chicken Parm. For other recipes, such as Chicken Piccata or Marsala, flour helps the outer skin of the cooked absorb flavors from being fried in butter or extra-virgin olive oil. This also leaves a nice brown “fond,” or bits of flavor left in the pan to produce a base for a nice sauce. Some chefs stick with a 50/50 blend of cornstarch and flour that adheres to meat well and creates a crispier crust.

International Chicken Cutlet Styles

Here are some exciting dishes using chicken cutlets from around the world.

Chicken Francese

This is an Italian-American dish famed for its thinly pounded chicken cutlets lightly dusted in an olive-oil pan sauce bolstered with stock, lemon and parsley.

Chicken Katsu (cutlet)

This chicken dish is pounded, egg dredged and breaded in panko breadcrumbs before being deep fried. Usually served with cabbage, lettuce, rice and a tonkatsu sauce. This sauce is thick and fruit-forward with vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce and sugar.

Chicken Marsala

This chicken cutlet recipe often served over pasta features a rich, savory sauce made with Marsala wine, mushrooms and chicken stock. This can be bolstered with heavy cream, parsley and sometimes lemon.

Saltimbocca alla Romana

Saltimbocca translates to “jumps into your mouth,” which is a good title for this Roman chicken cutlet dish. The cutlets are wrapped with two sage leaves and a slice of Prosciutto di Parma. The pan is deglazed with wine to create a sauce bolstered with butter for a salty and earthy entree. There are many different versions that include cheeses, such as fontina and provolone, as well as lemon.

Chicken Piccata

This is a simple recipe that I’ve grown to love: Flour-dredged and pounded cutlets are sautéed in a pan with extra virgin olive oil and butter until done. After removing the chicken, more butter, white wine, lemon juice, capers and chicken stock are added to the pan to reduce into a nice, thick sauce. Add the cutlets back in and serve immediately. If the sauce is too thin, you can add more butter, flour or corn starch slurry.

JOHN GUTEKANST owns Avalanche Pizza in Athens, Ohio.