Baked Chicken Cutlets are moist and juicy inside with a flavorful, crispy coating. This is truly such a tasty and versatile way to cook chicken! With just 8 simple ingredients, these easy oven-baked chicken cutlets are so easy to make and so delicious – pretty much guaranteed to become a fast favorite.
No boring chicken breasts here! With these baked breaded chicken cutlets, thin slices of chicken are breaded then baked quickly at high heat for wonderfully crispy chicken that’s so tender and juicy inside.
To ensure a crispy exterior, thinly sliced chicken cutlets are dredged in flour, then an egg mixture, and then finally in crunchy bread crumbs flavored with Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese. It’s SO full of flavor, yet neutral enough to enjoy in so many ways.
These thin baked chicken cutlets are a game changer!
Why I LOVE this recipe!
- Healthier option – Many chicken cutlet recipes call for frying the pieces. But with oven-baked chicken cutlet recipes like this one, you can reduce the oil/fat when cooking it, for a leaner option that still tastes amazing.
- Family friendly – These delicious crispy baked cutlets are simple enough for the kids while tasty enough for the adults. They’re a win-win!
- Simple & easy – With less than 10 ingredients and only 15 minutes hands on time, this is one of my favorite ways to prepare chicken!
- Versatile – Make a double batch of these baked chicken cutlets, then enjoy them whole for dinner one night and then eat the leftover chicken sliced up over pasta, on pizza, or in a salad the next.
Recipe Notes
This baked chicken cutlets recipe is as simple as promised! Just 8 ingredients & 15 minutes prep for a family friendly meal.
In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use for how to make baked chicken cutlets to get the absolute best and most delicious results.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Chicken – You’ll want boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into cutlets (sliced horizontally and/or pounded out for uniformly thinner pieces).
- Flour – Dredging the chicken in a coating of all-purpose flour helps make the exterior extra crispy.
- Eggs – Dipping the chicken in the eggs creates a “glue” for the bread crumbs.
- Bread crumbs – Grab them from the store, or you can make your own if you prefer.
- Parmesan cheese – You’ll want the finely grated Parmesan cheese which adds so much flavor!
- Garlic – Lots of fresh garlic, finely minced,
- Italian seasoning – Grab this spice mix from the store, or you can easily make your own Italian seasoning.
- Salt & pepper
- Butter – Melted butter is mixed into the bread crumb mixture, adding flavor and helping to create a coating that will crisp up nicely.
Make sure to see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full quantities and ingredients list.
Recipe Variations
If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!
- Baked Chicken Cutlets with Panko– For an even crispier crunch, try coarse Panko bread crumbs! Just swap them in for the bread crumbs in this recipe.
- No-Breading Chicken Cutlets– To make an oven-baked chicken cutlet recipe without breading, skip the dipping and place the chicken cutlets in a casserole dish with deep sides. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper, then baked as directed.
- Lemon Pepper Chicken Cutlets– Swap out the Italian seasoning for lemon pepper for a kicky citrus twist.
Recipe Step by Step
I am going to highlight a few key steps in the recipe here, but make sure to jump down to the recipe card for comprehensive instructions on how to bake chicken cutlets.
Add the bread crumbs, Parmesan, garlic, seasoning, salt, and pepper to a bowl and combine. Pour in the melted butter and combine again.
Set up two more shallow bowls, one with flour and one with eggs. First, dredge the chicken cutlets in the flour.
Then, dip the chicken in the beaten eggs.
Turn each side in the bread crumb mix, coating the chicken with the bread crumbs.
Place breaded chicken on a greased baking sheet in a single layer.
Bake until the tops are crispy and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Recipe Tips
- Cut or pound your chicken into cutlets – Chicken cutlets are chicken breasts cut and/or pounded into thinner pieces for faster, more uniform cooking.
To make a chicken breast into a cutlet, place it on your cutting board and rest your hand on top to hold it in place, then slice it into three or four thinner pieces, horizontally through the middle (parallel to the cutting board). You can also cut each breast in half then pound them out for larger cutlets. - Make sure the chicken is not touching – In order for every bit of the chicken to achieve a crispy exterior, make sure you lay it in a single layer on the baking sheet without the pieces touching one another.
Recipe Short Cuts
If you need to make this recipe, but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!
- Prep ahead – Cut your chicken breasts into cutlets and get your three bowls of ingredients ready (except for the melted butter in the bread crumb mix). Cover the bowls with plastic wrap and store the chicken in an airtight container in the fridge up to 2 days ahead of time. Then, when it’s time to cook your easy baked chicken cutlets, it’s just a matter stirring the melted butter in to the bread crumbs, then dunking and baking!
- Grocery store shortcuts – Grab the Parm already grated, and buy seasoned bread crumbs so that you can skip having to add the Italian seasoning. You can also buy chicken breasts already sliced into cutlets in some grocery stores, or you can ask the butcher to do it for you, so that you don’t have to cut your chicken at home.
What to Serve with Baked Chicken Cutlets
Since this protein based dinner has the delicious flavors of Italian cuisine, it will pair well with many of your favorite Italian-inspired side dishes.
Choose one or several of these side dishes to create a wholesome, well-rounded dinner. There are both classic options and some healthy options to keep it light.
Side Dish Ideas
Baked Chicken Cutlets Leftovers
If you have leftovers after making this recipe, then it is your lucky day! They save and reheat well, and can make the start of another delicious dish.
To save leftovers, separate into meal sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store:
- in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
- in the freezer up to a month
Leftover Recipes
Here are a few ways to repurpose those leftovers and give them a delicious makeover!
- Baked Chicken Cutlet Parmesan– Set your leftover chicken cutlets in a baking dish and top with mozzarella cheese, then pour marinara over the top. Bake until hot.
- Baked Chicken Cutlet Caesar Salad– Slice leftover chicken cutlets into strips and serve over caesar salad (also great in Chicken Caesar Salad Sandwiches!)
- Baked Chicken Cutlet Fettuccine Alfredo– Prepare fettuccine with Easy Alfredo Sauce and warm leftover chicken. Slice chicken into strips to serve over the top of your Fettuccine Alfredo.
- Easy Baked Chicken Cutlet Cordon Bleu– Place leftover chicken on a baking sheet and top with sliced deli ham and Swiss or Emmentaler cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and the chicken is warmed through.
Recipe FAQ’s
How do you keep breaded chicken crispy in the oven?
I have a few tricks to make sure this breaded chicken turns out crispy. The first is dunking it in flour before adding the breading. Secondly, the breading contains butter, which helps crisp it up. Then, when you lay your chicken in the baking sheet, lay it in a single layer and without the pieces touching one another so that air can circulate around the chicken and crisp up the breading. If the chicken is touching, you’ll get more of a steaming effect when baking it, which is the enemy of crispy chicken! I also like to bake my chicken cutlets at a higher temp (425°F) so that it cooks fast, sealing in the juices and making the exterior extra crispy.
How to make sure chicken breast is cooked without thermometer?
If you don’t have an instant-read thermometer, don’t fret! While measuring the interior temp is the easiest and safest way to ensure chicken is cooked through, there are a couple of other ways you can tell it’s done. First, when you press on the chicken, it will be firm and not squishy. Second, when you cut into a piece, it will be opaque and white inside with no pink. Lastly, when you cut into a piece of chicken, the juices will run clear. If the juices are pink or red, it’s not done.
How long to bake chicken cutlets?
When you’re baking chicken cutlets are my recommended temp or 425°F, you’ll want to bake them for 12-15 minutes, until the tops are crispy and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of one of the larger pieces registers an internal temperature of 165˚F.
More EASY Baked Chicken Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!
You can check out all of my easy chicken recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite recipes below.
- Cheesy Broccoli Chicken Rice Casserole
- Baked Chicken and Peppers
- Ranch Baked Chicken Tenders
- Perfect Baked Chicken Breast
Italian Style Baked Chicken Cutlets
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, (3 chicken breasts)
- 3/4 cup flour
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425˚F.
To make the chicken into cutlets
- Place the chicken breast on a cutting board or other firm surface. Carefully use a long, sharp knife to slice each chicken breast horizontally into 3-4 thin chicken cutlets.Alternately, you can cut the chicken in half and pound the chicken out into thin cutlets.
To bread the chicken cutlets
- Gather 3 shallow bowls. In the first, add the flour. In the second, beat 3 eggs. In the the third, combine the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic, Italian seasonings, salt, and pepper. Then pour in the melted butter and stir together until evenly distributed.
- To coat the chicken, first dip it into the flour on all sides. Then wet the entire chicken cutlet in the egg mixture. Last turn each side to coat in the bread crumbs.
To bake the chicken cutlets
- Grease one or more baking sheets, then lay the chicken cutlets on the pan in a single layer (not touching). Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the tops are crispy and the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165˚F.
- Remove from the oven and move the chicken cutlets to a wire cooling rack until ready to serve to stay crispy. If you let them sit on the baking sheet the bottoms can get soggy.
Recipe Notes
- Italian seasoning: If you don’t have Italian seasoning mix on hand, you can make your own by using 1/2 teaspoon each of the following dried herbs: basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, and sage.
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