Learn How to Bread Chicken with this simple technique that wows everyone in the house and keeps the mess to a minimum. Then pan-fry, air-fry, or bake your cutlets to golden, juicy perfection.
There’s nothing quite as good as a breaded chicken cutlet, served hot and crisp on, well, anything at all. Crispy chicken tenders, or baked breaded chicken, Chicken Parmesan, Chicken Milanese, or Chicken Piccata—they all rely on a coating of breadcrumbs for their mouthwatering, crunchy texture.
Once you get all your culinary ducks in a row and your ingredients organized, known in the culinary world as mise en place, you’ll be breading chicken like a sous chef in no time. This how-to keeps it simple and as mess-free as possible so you can get on with enjoying your night.
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe. Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Dip each breast into the flour, then shake off the excess. Next, run the breast through the egg to coat it lightly and hold the chicken over the liquid to let any excess fall back into the bowl. Finally, lay the chicken in the bread crumbs, turn it over and press it into the breading to coat.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 4 breaded chicken cutlets.
- Storage: Store leftover cooked chicken cutlets covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: The cutlets can be pounded out, breaded, and stored covered in the refrigerator one day in advance. Unfortunately, they cannot easily be frozen and then reheated in a pan or oven.
- Seasoning: Spice up your breading with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, Cajun seasoning, Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, or anything else that sounds tasty.
- Other crumbs: Substitute finely-crushed corn flakes or walnuts instead of bread crumbs.
You can substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs for the chicken breast. Just pound out, bread, and fry in a similar fashion.
Made from crustless white bread that is baked using an electrical current and ground into uneven pieces. Panko crumbs are light, crispy, and great for pan-fried foods.
What is the best meat tenderizer?
To get your chicken super flat and tender for cooking, I love using the Oxo Steel Meat Tenderizer! It’s my top choice in my roundup of the best meat tenderizers and the one I personally use for cooking and in my test kitchen. You can get it for $16.80 at Amazon.
When frying chicken do you dip in egg or flour first?
FAQ
Do you put chicken in flour or egg first?
Do you put the egg before or after the flour?
Do you dip egg or flour first in fried chicken?
What is the correct sequence for breading?