Italian Chicken Cutlets With Gremolata
Our fresh take on classic Italian chicken cutlets features crispy panko-coated chicken boosted with lemon zest, optional Parmesan, and a hint of Dijon. We add even more vibrance with a simple, zesty parsley-lemon-garlic gremolata finish.
The cutlets, called cotoletta di pollo or pollo alla Milanese in Italian, can be served hot straight from the skillet or transformed into a delicious chicken parmesan sandwich. Think leftovers!
What to expect
Classic with amplified flavor and crunch: We stick to the classic Italian chicken cutlet preparation – thinly pounded chicken, dredged in flour, dipped in egg, and coated in breadcrumbs – and accent it with lemon zest, thyme, Dijon, and crispy panko. The gremolata – another Italian classic – adds another layer of bright flavors to make it an extra delicious recipe.
The breading process is messy, despite the wet-hand, dry-hand trick, so just bumble through and do your best. That’s what I do. It’s not hard, just messy. The process can be done up to a day ahead.
Ingredients – tailored to your taste
- Chicken: Buy regular boneless chicken breasts, kosher chicken breasts (already brined so juicier and more flavorful), or thin chicken cutlets (pre-sliced at the grocery store).
- Breadcrumbs: Use plain panko crumbs for extra crispiness or regular bread crumbs.
- Parmesan (optional): Parmesan gives the breadcrumbs a more complex, cheesy flavor and a crunchier crust that sticks better to the chicken.
- Gremolata – a mixture of finely chopped fresh parsley, minced garlic, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt. Big flavors, little effort.
Substitutions
- Chicken: Swap chicken breasts for chicken thighs, turkey, pork or veal cutlets.
- Breadcrumbs: Use regular Italian breadcrumbs or gluten-free panko or breadcrumbs
- Parmesan: Substitute with Grana Padano, Asiago, or Pecorino Romano, or omit entirely for a dairy-free option (if omitting, add a little extra panko and salt instead).
- Herbs: Use dried Italian seasoning or oregano instead of thyme. Or fresh thyme instead of dried.
- Egg Wash: Replace Dijon mustard with whole-grain mustard or a hot sauce for a different kick.
- Gremolata: Use basil instead of parsley.
Variations
- Spicy Version: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the breadcrumbs or egg wash for heat.
- Herby Coating: Mix finely chopped fresh basil, oregano, or chives into the breadcrumbs for even more flavor.
- Gremolata: Add a little mayo for a creamy topping. Or a little olive oil for a dressing-like topping.
- Oven-Baked Cutlets: I prefer pan-frying for this recipe, but this is a lighter option – see instructions in the recipe notes.
- Other topping options: Instead of gremolata, try our red pepper sauce or 5-minute herb sauce.
Step by step instructions
Tips
- Pound Evenly: Gently pound the chicken breasts to a uniform thickness using a meat mallet, rolling pin, heel of your hand or bottom of a heavy saucepan (my go-to).
- Don’t Crowd the Pan: Fry cutlets in batches and avoid overcrowding to ensure they crisp up well. Crowding the pan will result in steamed, soggy cutlets.
- Keep the cutlets crunchy: Place fried cutlets on a wire rack instead of paper towels. And serve immediately after frying if possible. If needed, place them in a low-heat oven on a rack over a sheet pan.
Shortcuts
- Buy seasoned regular or panko breadcrumbs if you don’t want to add spices yourself. And adjust the seasoning accordingly in the recipe.
- Buy pre-sliced chicken cutlets – saves slicing the chicken and pounding if they are cut evenly.
- Buy store-bought uncooked breaded cutlets: Not the best option, but in a pinch, these would save all the breading steps and get dinner on the table very quickly.
- Buy cooked breaded cutlets: OK, this is a huge shortcut! Just add the gremolata topping!
- Skip the gremolata (if you must) and serve the cutlets with lemon wedges.
What to serve with chicken cutlets
There are three salads I absolutely love with this chicken recipe: arugula salad with peaches and walnut dressing, tomato and onion salad, and roasted vegetable salad with quinoa (a 3-in-1 side dish).
While so many side dishes pair well, here are a few of my favorites: creamed spinach, crispy roasted potatoes, parmesan roasted cauliflower, and grilled zucchini slices.
Recipe FAQs
“Woody” chicken breasts are tough, stringy, and firm, and tend to have a pale, grayish color, resulting in tough, chewy meat. Try to buy quality chicken breasts – locally sourced and free range. Smaller breasts are less likely to be woody than large ones.
Some people use EVOO to fry the cutlets to add flavor, but since it has a low smoke point, it might be best to use part 80% EVOO and 20% vegetable or canola oil.
Baked chicken cutlets won’t be quite as crispy, but they do save hands on time and calories. Pound them less thinly (e.g. 1/2 inch/1.3 cm) so they don’t dry out, then bake them on a wire rack over a baking sheet at 425°F (220°C) for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway. For extra crispness, spray with cooking oil before baking.
Yes, flash freeze cooked or uncooked chicken cutlets on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer them to an airtight container or ziploc bag for up to 2 months.
Gremolata is a fresh Italian condiment made with chopped parsley, garlic, and lemon zest. It adds a burst of brightness to meats and vegetables.
More Italian recipes
- Chicken meatball soup (wedding soup)
- Orange polenta cake
- Sous vide veal chops with mushroom sauce
- San Marzano tomato sauce
- Crispy biscotti
Or check out our full list of Italian recipes.
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Italian Chicken Cutlets With Gremolata
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts Note 1 (about 2 half breasts)
- seasonings: 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ cup all purpose flour (you will use a bit less)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil for frying (to cover bottom of pan) (or part olive, part vegetable oil or butter)
Egg mixture
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Breadcrumb mixture
- ¾ cup plain panko, Note 2 (or breadcrumbs)
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese (optional), Note 3
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tbsp fresh thyme)
- zest of 1 lemon
Gremolata Ingredients
- ½ cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, finely grated or minced
- zest of 1 lemon
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- PREP WORK FOR CHICKEN: If not using store-bought chicken cutlets (already pre-sliced thinly) slice the breasts horizontally with a sharp knife, then pound each piece to an even thickness – about 1/4-1/3 inch (0.6-0.8 cm) using a meat mallet, rolling pin, the heel of your hand or bottom of a small heavy saucepan (what I use). To prevent splatters, place chicken between two layers of parchment or plastic wrap.
- SEASON AND FLOUR CUTLETS; Sprinkle chicken on both sides with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Sprinkle flour on cutlets, then flop them around between your hands to achieve a thin even coating or flour.
- EGGWASH AND BREAD CUTLETS: In one bowl, mix eggs, 2 tsp Dijon and 1 tablespoon water with a fork. In a second shallow dish or bowl, combine breadcrumb mixture ingredients (panko, parmesan if using, thyme, lemon zest). If not using Parmesan, add an extra 1/4 cup/30 grams breadcrumbs and 1/4 tsp salt. For each seasoned, floured cutlet: dip in egg mixture, letting excess drip off. Then coat all over with panko mixture. Place on cutting board, pressing gently to adhere crumbs. Repeat with remaining cutlets. Let cutlets sit for 10 minutes at room temperature or up to 24 hours in the fridge.
- MAKE GREMOLATA: Combine finely chopped fresh parsley, 1 tsp minced garlic and the zest of one lemon. in a small bowl.
- PAN FRY CUTLETS: Heat a heavy large skillet to medium-high heat. Add oil to cover the bottom – approximately ¼ inch/6 mm (about 3-4 tablespoon. If a breadcrumb starts sizzling when you toss it in, the pan is ready. Reduce heat to medium heat. Add 2 cutlets (you don't want to overcrowd the pan). Fry for 2-3 minutes, use a fork to turn them over, and fry another 2 minutes. Cooking time will depend on thickness. Internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer should be 160F/71C (it will rise when resting). Repeat with remaining cutlets. You may need to add another tablespoon oil. Note 4 to bake in instead.
- SERVE: Serve immediately or, if needed, keep warm in a 200F/93C oven on a wire rack over a pan, uncovered. Sprinkle on gremolata just before serving.
Recipe Notes
- Chicken substitutes: Use pre-sliced chicken breasts, chicken thighs (trimmed), turkey cutlets, pork or veal cutlets.
- Panko alternatives: Regular breadcrumbs, homemade crumbs, or Italian breadcrumbs. If crumbs are seasoned, reduce seasonings for the breadcrumb mixture a bit, especially the salt.
- Parmesan cheese substitutes: Grana Padano, Asiago, or Pecorino Romano,
- To bake cutlets: Instead of frying, spray the breaded cutlets with oil, place on a rack over a baking pan in a hot oven (425°F/220°C), and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Note: Pound the cutlets to about 1/2 inch/1.3 cm (a bit thicker than for frying) so they don’t dry out. Cutlets won’t be quite as crispy when baked.
- Gluten free version: Use gluten free breadcrumbs and gluten free flour.
- Dairy-free version: Omit the parmesan cheese in the breadcrumb mixture and replace with 1/4 cup/30 grams extra breadcrumbs and a little extra salt.
- Shortcuts:
- Skip the gremolata (but it’s good!)
- By seasoned breadcrumbs and just add lemon zest.
- Buy pre-sliced chicken breasts (cutlets)
- Buy pre-breaded raw chicken cutlets (not always to best, but quick)
- Other variations:
- Seasoning: For breadcrumbs, use dried Italian seasoning or oregano instead of thyme. For gremolata, try basil instead of parsley.
- Toppings: Instead of gremolata, try our red pepper sauce, 5-minute herb sauce or just a squeeze of lemon juice. Or add a little mayo or oil to the gremolata for a different texture.
- Make ahead:
- Bread cutlets up to 1 day in advance. Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate until ready to cook.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freeze uncooked cutlets: Complete breading process, lay cutlets on a baking sheet and flash freeze until solid frozen. Transfer to a ziploc or container and freeze up to 2 months.
- Freeze cooked cutlets: Cool completely, flash freeze on a tray until solid then transfer to a ziploc bag or container. Freeze up to 2 months and reheat for a quick weeknight meal.
- Reheat (from frozen or fridge): Reheat cutlets in a 400°F (200°C) oven on a wire rack set over a baking sheet until heated through and crispy, about 10-15 minutes (adding a few extra minutes if reheating from frozen). You can also reheat in the microwave for a minute or two but the cutlets will not be crispy.
