Why This Recipe Works

Classic breaded chicken cutlets are often plagued by a soggy, greasy, unevenly browned coating. Our first improvement was to ditch the usual homemade bread crumbs in favor of drier, crunchier panko. To streamline the traditional multistep breading process, we ditched the flour and found that we got a more delicate crust. Whisking salt right into the egg meant we could skip seasoning each cutlet separately, and there was no need to pat the chicken dry before starting since there was no flour in the mix. To make sure the frying oil was at just the right temperature, we added a pinch of panko to the skillet with the oil and waited for the crumbs to turn golden brown before adding the cutlets. Letting the cutlets rest on a wire rack lined with paper towels ensured that they were not greasy and retained their crunch.

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Before You Begin

Be sure to remove any tenderloins from the breasts before halving them; reserve them for another use. The breasts will be easier to slice into cutlets if you chill them in the freezer for about 15 minutes. If you are working with 8-ounce breasts, the skillet will initially be crowded; the cutlets will shrink slightly as they cook. The first batch of cutlets can be kept warm in a 200-degree oven while you cook the second batch. The cooked cutlets can be sliced into 1/2-inch-wide strips and served Japanese-style over rice with Tonkatsu Sauce or Garlic-Curry Sauce. They can also be served simply spritzed with lemon, in a sandwich, or over a green salad.

Instructions

Place panko in large zipper-lock bag and lightly crush with rolling pin. Transfer to shallow dish. Whisk eggs and 1 teaspoon salt in second shallow dish until well combined.

Working with 1 cutlet at a time, dredge cutlets in egg mixture, allowing excess to drip off, then coat all sides with panko, pressing gently so crumbs adhere. Transfer cutlets to rimmed baking sheet.

Set wire rack in second rimmed baking sheet and line rack with paper towels. Heat 1/4 cup oil and small pinch panko in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. When panko has turned golden brown, place 4 cutlets in skillet. Cook, without moving cutlets, until bottoms are deep golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs, carefully flip cutlets and cook on second side until deep golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer cutlets to prepared rack and season with salt to taste. Wipe skillet clean with paper towels. Repeat with remaining 1/4 cup oil and remaining 4 cutlets. Serve immediately.