Thin chicken cutlets are a weeknight lifesaver. A quick dredge in seasoned flour before cooking gives them a golden crust, adds flavor, and helps create a flavorful fond in the pan—perfect for finishing with a simple pan sauce. Because cutlets are thin (either sliced or pounded from chicken breasts), they cook quickly in a skillet and usually need no oven time.
Coating cutlets in a seasoned flour mixture both enhances the exterior texture and boosts overall flavor. When the floured chicken is sautéed in butter or oil, the browned bits left in the pan—the fond—add depth to any sauce you make by deglazing the pan with a little liquid. This technique works well with thin cutlets and with thicker pieces or whole breasts as long as you allow extra cooking time for thicker cuts.
- How to Slice Chicken Breasts into Cutlets
- How to Flour Chicken Cutlets
- Tips for Cooking Chicken Cutlets
- Floured Chicken Cutlets Recipes
- More Chicken Cooking Tips
- How to Flour Chicken Cutlets Recipe
How to Flour Chicken Cutlets: Thin chicken cutlets cook quickly, and dredging them in seasoned flour enhances both the chicken and the whole dish.
How to Slice Chicken Breasts into Cutlets
To turn a thick chicken breast into two thinner cutlets, place the breast on a cutting board and steady it with your non-dominant hand. Beginning at the thicker end, use a sharp chef’s knife to slice horizontally through the breast, creating two even pieces. If the breasts are very large, you can first cut them in half vertically to separate the thicker and thinner portions, then slice each portion horizontally into cutlets as needed.
Kitchen Smarts
Chill the breasts in the freezer for 15–20 minutes before slicing; slightly firmed-up meat is easier to cut thinly and evenly.
If you want perfectly uniform thickness or even thinner cutlets, place the sliced pieces between plastic and gently pound them with a meat mallet or rolling pin. Pounding evens out thickness so the cutlets cook at the same rate and stay juicy.
How to Flour Chicken Cutlets
- Prepare the seasoned flour: Put all-purpose flour in a shallow bowl and stir in salt, pepper, and any additional seasonings you like (paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, or a pinch of cayenne all work well). Mix until evenly combined.
- Coat the chicken: Dredge each cutlet in the seasoned flour, pressing gently so the flour adheres. Use tongs or your hands, then tap off any excess flour.
Kitchen Smarts
A flour coating is lighter than a full breading (which involves egg and breadcrumbs) and produces a delicate, crisp exterior that works well with pan sauces.
- Cook the cutlets: Heat a skillet over medium heat and add butter, oil, or a combination. Cook the floured cutlets in batches so they have space in the pan. Aim for about 4–5 minutes on the first side, until golden brown; flip and cook 1–2 minutes more until the interior is opaque and cooked through. Serve with the browned side up for the best presentation.
Tips for Cooking Chicken Cutlets
- Thin cutlets can be tricky: to get good browning without drying the meat, cook longer on the first side and briefly on the second. This yields a nicely browned exterior and a juicy interior.
- If you plan to make a pan sauce, don’t wash the pan. Use wine, stock, or lemon water to deglaze and lift the fond so it becomes part of the sauce.
- For a prettier plate, serve the cutlets with the more browned side facing up.
Floured Chicken Cutlets Recipes
Floured cutlets are a great base for many dishes. Try using them in these preparations:
Chicken Piccata
Chicken Parmigiana
Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Potatoes
Chicken Marsala
Parmesan-Garlic Mushroom Chicken
Easy Creamy Tuscan Chicken
More Chicken Cooking Tips
- How to pound chicken breasts for even thickness.
- Tips for making a perfect roast chicken.
- How to safely thaw frozen chicken.
- Guidance on how long to marinate chicken.
- How to cube chicken breast for other recipes.
How to Flour Chicken Cutlets
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ to 1 teaspoon cayenne, paprika, onion powder, or garlic powder (optional)
- 1½ pounds thin-sliced boneless skinless chicken cutlets (about 1/2-inch thick)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or unsalted butter (optional)
Instructions
- Place the flour in a shallow bowl. Add the salt, pepper, and any additional seasonings. Stir to combine.
- Dredge each chicken cutlet in the seasoned flour, pressing to coat. Use tongs or your hands and tap off excess flour. Prepare according to your recipe—sauté, brown, or fry.
- Or heat the optional butter or olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the floured cutlets in batches: about 4–5 minutes on the first side until nicely browned, then turn and cook 1–2 minutes more until the chicken is opaque and cooked through. Serve with the browned side up.
- Make a pan sauce if you like by deglazing the pan with wine, stock, or lemon and stirring in butter or other flavorings.
Notes
Pounding sliced breasts evens thickness and speeds cooking. Very large breasts may need to be cut into three cutlets—first slice vertically to separate thick and thin sections, then cut or pound to even thickness.