Chicken With Panko Breading

Chicken cutlets with panko breading in hot oil in a skilled on the stove.

5 from 138 votes

Tender and juicy, each chicken cutlet is blanketed in a crunchy, crispy breading made with freshly grated Romano Cheese and panko bread crumbs. Serve with Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese or pasta topped with Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings:

Calories: 462kcal

Author: Melinda O'Malley Keckler

Ingredients

3 chicken breasts cut in half length-wise through the middle or use 6 thin-sliced chicken cutlets
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ cup flour
2 eggs
2 tablespoons water
1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs
1 ½ cups grated Romano cheese plus ½ cup extra, for serving
½ cup canola oil
1 lemon cut into wedges, for serving, optional

Instructions

Prepare Chicken Breasts

Slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise to create 6 thin sliced cutlets. Or, buy the chicken chicken breast already sliced thin.
3 chicken breasts
Place the chicken cutlets in a zip-top plastic bag or wrap each one in plastic wrap.
Use the flat side of a meat mallet and gently pound the cutlets to make each ¼” thick.
Remove the cutlets from the plastic wrap or bag and place on a large plate or baking sheet. Sprinkle each side of each cutlet with salt and pepper. Set aside.
1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper

Breading Step-by-Step

Set out three shallow dishes on the counter, pie dishes work great. Crack open the eggs and place them in one of the dishes. Add the water. Whisk to combine until the eggs are light and frothy.
2 eggs, 2 tablespoons water
In the second pie dish, place ½ cup of flour.
½ cup flour
In the third pie dish, place the panko breadcrumbs and grated Romano cheese, and stir to combine.
1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs, 1 ½ cups grated Romano cheese
Next, bread the chicken by placing each cutlet in the flour mixture and move the cutlets back and forth to thoroughly cover the cutlet with flour. Lift each cutlet and shake gently to remove excess flour.
Next dip each floured cutlet into the egg wash and lift to allow the excess to drain off.
Lastly, dip each cutlet into the bread crumb and grated cheese mixture. Coat thoroughly. If needed, press the breadcrumbs gently onto the surface of the chicken to help the breadcrubms stick.
Set the breaded chicken cutlets aside and let them rest for at least five minutes before frying. This gives the breading ingredients time to stick together properly to the cutlets.
Prep Tip: At this point, you can cover and refrigerate the breaded chicken cutlets for up to one day in advance if you'd like to prep this step ahead of time.

Cook and Serve

Place the oil in a large skillet on the stove and heat the oil over medium-high heat until the oil starts to shimmer.
½ cup canola oil
Carefully place the breaded chicken cutlets into the hot oil. Be careful not to crowd the skillet, depending on the size of the skillet, you’ll likely need to cook the chicken in batches.
Cook on each side until golden brown, approximately 4-5 minutes per side.
Remove each cutlet from the skillet and place on a large serving plate. Cover the plate lightly with foil to keep the cutlets warm before serving. Serve with wedges of lemon. (Optional)
1 lemon

Notes

Just like Buttermilk Chicken Tenders, another family-favorite chicken recipe, you can store leftover Crusted Chicken Romano in the refrigerator in an airtight or sealed container for up to 5 days. Be careful to arrange the leftover cooked chicken cutlets so they aren't stacked on top of each other, the breading may stick. Place a sheet of foil, waxed paper or parchment paper between any layers of the chicken cutlets.

To reheat, place the cutlets on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper and bake at 375°F for 15-20 minutes. In the mood to serve leftovers family style? Add a pizza to the menu and top it with Creamy Garlic Parmesan Pizza Sauce, delicious!

For more chicken inspiration, check out this roundup of 10 Dutch Oven Chicken Recipes!

Nutrition