Chicken cutlets hold a special place in our hearts as one of the first dishes Liv made for Jarrett early in our relationship and the one that made Jarrett really believe in a future for Suburbia. Chicken cutlets are such a humble dish in terms of letting a few simple ingredients really shine, but behind that tender yet crunchy bite is a labor of love - a series of simple techniques that elevate an ordinary chicken breast into something truly craveable. And although this recipe is for Suburbia's basic cutlet, there are a million ways to put your own spin on them from seasoning to serving.
Ingredients:
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast (Bell & Evans)
AP Flour | 1~ cup per 4 breasts
Zesty Italian Dressing Packet Mix (Good Seasons) | 1 tbsp per 4 breasts
Eggs (we recommend organic, pasture raised) | 2 eggs per 4 breasts
Sherry Cooking Wine (Holland House) | ¼ cup per 4 breasts
Breadcrumbs (4C - Seasoned) - 1 cup per 4 breasts
Panko Breadcrumbs (4C - Seasoned) - 1 cup per 4 breasts
Fresh Grated Pecorino Romano - ½ cup per 4 breasts
Cooking Oil (Zero Acres) - enough to fill your Dutch Oven to ~2.5-3" high
Equipment
Meat Mallet
Ziplock Bag - 1 Gallon (optional)
3 large bowls
Dutch Oven
Stainless Steel Tongs
Paper Towels
Cooling Rack
Cling Plastic Wrap (optional)
Step 1: (Optional) Pro-Tip for Easy Clean Up
Cover your kitchen workspace / a large portion of your countertop in plastic cling wrap so you have a large surface to rest your prepped cutlets and to make clean up easy at the end! Not necessary, but highly recommended.
Step 2: Prep Your Dredging Station
Take your 3 large bowls and in the first add your AP flour with the Zesty Italian Seasoning mix. Mix the two so they are well incorporated and set aside. In the second bowl, combine your eggs, another sprinkle of Zesty Italian Seasoning mix, and the Sherry.** Mix and set aside. In the third bowl, add your breadcrumbs, panko crumbs, and grated pecorino.
Step 3: Prep Your Chicken
One of the key elements to a great chicken cutlet is achieving the right thickness. A cutlet is not just a breaded and fried chicken breast, it needs to be pounded out, which will achieve two things simultaneously - 1.) it will tenderize the chicken and 2.) it will create more surface area for an optimal meat to breading ratio. We aim for a thickness of about a 1/4". Typically Liv can get 3 to 4 cutlets from a single chicken breast by first slicing lengthwise into 3 to 4 pieces and then beating each with a meat mallet for a consistent thickness across the cutlet.
Step 4: Heat Your Cooking Oil
Fill your Dutch oven to about 1/3 full (or approximately 2.5-3 inches worth of oil) and heat over medium to medium-high heat to 350-375°F. If the oil is too cool, the cutlets will soak up the fat and become soggy; if it's too hot, the breadcrumbs will burn before the chicken cooks through. If you do not have a thermometer, you can drop a single larger piece of panko into the oil to see if it's at temp. You are looking for the oil the bubble up around the panko flake. If it sinks to the bottom without much movement from the oil, it is not hot enough yet. Move onto Step 5 while you wait for your oil to heat up.
Step 5: The 3-Part Dredge
Once all cutlets are cut and pounded, each will go through a 3 step coating process from the 3 bowls you prepped in Step 2 - first the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs. Make sure to tap off excess at each stage. Once you get to the third stage (breadcrumbs) make sure to really pressed them into the chicken to give it a nice crust. Let your cutlets rest on your plastic covered counter while you dredge the remaining cutlets. Resting your cutlets actually helps keep the final crust intact.
Step 6: The Fry
Gently place a few cutlets in your hot oil. Do not drop them as they will splatter. Do not crowd the pot as it will bring down the temperature and lead to soggy cutlets - A 7Q Dutch Oven can probably hold 2-3 cutlets per batch without being overcrowded. Fry the cutlets for 2-3 mins per side or until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
Step 7: The Dry
Upon removing each batch of cutlets from the fryer, transfer to your wire rack that has paper towels below it to catch the excess oil and sprinkle with flakey sea salt. Repeat the process until all cutlets are fried.
One of the best opportunities to customize this recipe to make it yours is at the dredging station. Feel free to experiment by adding spices to the AP flour mix or additional wet flavor components to your egg mixture like pesto, caper brine, or mustard. The opportunities are endless.
From our kitchen to yours - Have fun and enjoy!
-Liv & Jarrett
Follow Suburbia Sandwich Co @suburbiasandwichco on Instagram and find their adorable truck outside Burr Mansion every weekend this summer for delicious sandwiches, small bites and more!