If you hate the typical three-step breading station required to make chicken cutlets, this recipe is for you. If you hate pounding chicken breasts, this recipe is also for you. Read on to learn the secret to making thin, crispy, and completely delicious chicken cutlets — the easy way!

Just-cooked chicken cutlets on a plate.

This recipe comes from the “Crumb” chapter of my cookbook Bread Toast Crumbs. The beauty of the method is that it allows you to skip the three-step coating process — flour, egg, bread crumbs — required to make classic chicken cutlets.

How? A simple mixture of mayonnaise and mustard replaces the flour and eggs. And no, you do not taste the mayonnaise — it, along with the mustard, simply acts as an adhesive for the bread crumbs, and it works brilliantly. All you need is a large bowl and a sheet pan spread with bread crumbs. Less counterspace, less mess, less to clean.

In the BTC recipe, I use breasts that I cut in half and pound to 1/2 inch thick. You could certainly do this, or you could take the easier path, which is to buy pre-sliced, thinly sliced breasts, which saves you the trouble of making a mess of your cutting board and perhaps a mess of the chicken breasts — I always find when I pound the breasts myself, they end up a little mangled.

Thinly sliced breasts cook in 3 minutes total, and they emerge from the skillet golden and crisp, tasting juicy and well-seasoned. Since discovering the glorious convenience of pre-sliced breasts, I haven’t looked back. My whole family loves these cutlets on their own (with ketchup on the side, of course), and I’ve found them to be a great addition to salads or as a jumping-off point for chicken parmesan, which I’ll save for another post. Stay tuned!

How to Make Thin & Crispy Chicken Cutlets, Step by Step

First, gather your ingredients:

The ingredients to make chicken cutlets on a countertop: panko bread crumbs, thinly sliced chicken breasts, mustard, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper.

Next, place 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon of mustard in a large bowl:

Three tablespoons of mayonnaise and one tablespoon of mustard in a large bowl.

Whisk together until smooth:

A mayonnaise-mustard mixture stirred together in a large bow.

Then add the thinly sliced chicken breasts:

Chicken cutlet in a bowl filled with a mayonnaise-mustard mixture.

Toss to coat:

A large bowl filled with chicken cutlets coated in a mayonnaise mustard mixture.

Spread a cup of panko bread crumbs on a sheet pan:

A sheet pan spread with panko bread crumbs.

Then lay the breasts on top, flip, and pat the crumbs into the breasts until they are evenly coated. Season the top side with salt and pepper:

Six breaded uncooked chicken cutlets on a sheet pan.

Heat 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. When it shimmers, lay three of the breasts in the pan, seasoned side down. Then season the tops with salt and pepper:

Three chicken cutlets frying in a large skillet on the stovetop.

Cook for 90 seconds a side.

Three chicken cutlets frying in a large skillet on the stovetop.

Repeat with the remaining 3 breasts, wiping out the skillet if necessary and adding oil as needed. Transfer chicken to a plate and let rest briefly before serving:

Just-cooked chicken cutlets on a plate.
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Just-cooked chicken cutlets on a plate.

Thin & Crispy (3-Minute) Chicken Cutlets

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Description

If you hate the three-step breading process of making chicken cutlets, this recipe is for you. The secret? Replace the flour and egg with a simple mixture of mayonnaise and mustard. Don’t worry, the mayonnaise flavor is undetectable, but its adhesive properties are unmatched. Using thinly sliced breasts makes the cooking process exceptionally fast: no more than 90 seconds a side.

This recipe comes from my cookbook, Bread Toast Crumbs. 

Notes:

  • Chicken: If you are not using pre-sliced, thinly sliced chicken breasts, you will want to pound your chicken breasts to a thickness of 1/2 inch. These slightly thicker breasts will require a slightly longer cooking time: 2-3 minutes a side, and you will want to lower the heat to medium after you lay the breasts in the skillet.  I like the Bell & Evans thinly sliced breasts. 
  • Pan/Cooking Process: I find my large stainless steel skillet cooks more evenly than my cast iron skillet. I also find that when using my stainless steel skillet, the outside of the breasts — meaning the side of the breast closer to the side of the pan — browns slightly faster than the inside, so I like to rotate them (not flip them) 180ºF after they’ve cooked for about 45 seconds. Then, after 90 seconds, I flip them over and repeat this process.  

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 6 thinly sliced chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs), see notes above
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs, plus more as needed
  • Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
  • extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and mustard. Add the chicken breasts and turn to coat them evenly. 
  2. Pour the bread crumbs onto a sheet pan. Lay the breasts on the panko in a single layer. Flip, pressing the crumbs to adhere. If necessary, sprinkle more panko over the top to ensure the breasts are evenly coated in crumbs. Season the top side of the breasts with salt and pepper. 
  3. In a large skillet, heat 3 to 4 tablespoons of oil over high heat. When it shimmers, add the chicken breasts seasoned-side down, as many pieces as can fit without crowding. Season the top side with salt and pepper, and cook for 90 seconds. (See notes above.) Flip. Cook for 90 seconds more. Transfer cooked chicken to a clean plate. 
  4. Repeat this process with the remaining breasts. I do like to wipe out the pan and start with clean oil to prevent the second batch of chicken from getting coated in burnt crumbs. 
  5. Serve immediately. 
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American