Crunchy golden Oven Baked Chicken Cutlets have a crispy coating, while staying tender and juicy inside! This is a great healthy alternative to a classic fried chicken breast recipe that you can make in just under 40 minutes.
Making Chicken Cutlets was never easier! There is no hot oil involved, which means you don’t have to clean your kitchen from top to bottom from the greasy splashes. Instead, we are going to bake it in the oven, which also helps to make the coating super crispy and so much healthier!
The prepping time shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes. We just need to slice and pound the meat, coat it, and bake to perfection.
There are so many ways you can serve this recipe! Plus, it’s great for a meal prep or use it for quick dinner meals during the week, similar to my Buttermilk Chicken Tenders, Easy Lemon Chicken Recipe, and Classic Chicken Parmesan Recipe.
If you like to cook with poultry, check out my Healthy Chicken Dinner Ideas for more inspiration.
How to make it
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet and brush or spray it with cooking oil, then set aside.
Prepare 3 separate dished. 1st with 1 cup all-purpose flour. 2nd with 2 whisked eggs. In a 3rd dish mix 1 cup Italian bread crumbs, ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, and 1 tbsp lemon zest.
Cut the chicken breasts in halves lengthwise. Cover them with plastic wrap and pound with a meat tenderizer until they are even thickness and about ¼-inch thick. Season them with salt and pepper from both sides.
Dredge each cutlet in flour, then beaten eggs, and then breadcrumb mixture.
Place on a pre-greased wire rack. Spray the tops of the cutlets with some cooking spray, that will help to keep the tops crispy and get golden in color.
Bake at 400°F for about 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Tips for best results
- Seasoning. I like to season all the coating ingredient with salt and pepper. Your cutlets will taste much better when each layer is well seasoned.
- Baking. Make sure you grease the wire rack very well before placing the meat on it, so the cutlets crust doesn’t stick to it.
- Marinade. If you want to bring these cutlets to a whole new level, you can marinate them in buttermilk and spices, like I do it with my Buttermilk Chicken Tenders.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can refrigerate them in an air-tight container or a zip-lock bag for about 3-5 days.
I always prefer to reheat these chicken cutlets in the oven, so they stay crispy. Place them on a baking sheet with a wire rack and put in the oven at 350°F for about 10-12 minutes. If you decide to reheat them in a microwave, they will come out soggy.
First, we need to cut the meat in half lengthwise, so they are approximately the same size and thickness. Then place one half of the meat on a cutting board. You can cover it with a piece of plastic wrap or place it in a zip-lock bag, or place it in between two pieces of parchment paper.
Using a meat tenderizer, slightly pound the meat, starting with the thicker part, then moving to a thinner side. Pound it until the meat is even in thickness and about ¼-inch thick.
If you don’t have a meat tenderizer, you can use anything heavy you have on hands, like a rolling pin, a small skillet, or canned food.
The cooking time really depends on how thick the cutlets are. For me, it usually takes about 15-20 minutes, and I start measuring internal temperature using a meat thermometer after baking them for 15 minutes. Make sure the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F.
Baking chicken cutlets on a wire rack, help them to stay crispy on both sides. If you bake them just on parchment paper or foil, the bottom side will be soft and soggy.
There are so many ways you can serve this recipe! Here are a few of my suggestions:
– Side Dishes: Loaded Mashed Potatoes, Crispy Smashed Potatoes, Instant Pot Mac and Cheese, Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables, or Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes.
– Vegetables: Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Green Bean Almondine Recipe, Oven Roasted Butternut Squash, and Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan.
– Salads: Orzo Pasta Salad, Olivie Salad, Farro Salad Recipe, and Potato Salad with Bacon and Egg.
More Healthy Dinner Recipes:
- Taco Zucchini Boats
- Turkey Zucchini Meatballs
- Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
- Greek Meatballs
- Hawaiian Chicken Recipe
- Chicken Cobb Salad
- Easy Chicken Stew Recipe
- Easy Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
- Instant Pot Lentil Soup Recipe
- Cast Iron Chicken Thighs
- Dutch Oven Whole Chicken
- Cast Iron Chicken Breast
Oven Baked Chicken Cutlets
Ingredients
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- Salt, pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet and brush or spray it with cooking oil, then set aside.
- Prepare 3 separate dished. 1st with 1 cup all-purpose flour. 2nd with 2 whisked eggs. In a 3rd dish mix 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs, ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, and 1 tbsp lemon zest.
- Cut the chicken breasts in halves lengthwise. Cover them with plastic wrap and pound with a meat tenderizer until they are even thickness and about ¼-inch thick. Season them with salt and pepper from both sides.
- Dredge each cutlet in flour, then beaten eggs, and then breadcrumb mixture. Place on a pre-greased wire rack. Spray the tops of the cutlets with some cooking spray, that will help to keep the tops crispy and get golden in color.
- Bake at 400°F for about 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Notes
- Seasoning. I like to season all the coating ingredient with salt and pepper. Your cutlets will taste much better when each layer is well seasoned.
- Baking. Make sure you grease the wire rack very well before placing the meat on it, so the cutlets crust doesn’t stick to it.
- Marinade. If you want to bring these cutlets to a whole new level, you can marinate them in buttermilk and spices.
- How to store. You can refrigerate them in an air-tight container or a zip-lock bag for about 3-5 days.
- How to reheat. I always prefer to reheat these chicken cutlets in the oven, so they stay crispy. Place them on a baking sheet with a wire rack and put in the oven at 350°F for about 10-12 minutes. If you decide to reheat them in a microwave, they will come out soggy.
I slice my chicken breasts into three pieces but I don’t pound them so it took a little longer but these were delicious!! Happy not to use all that oil for a change.
Your ads are so obnoxious that I couldn’t stay on the recipe. Every time a new ad came up, which was every half second it jumped the page to the top making reading the recipe impossible
Veronika, Great oven baked Chicken Cutlets Recipe. It’s was very educational the way you laid out the process. Thank you, Bob
I made this oven baked chicken cutlet recipe this evening and it was so good. The cutlets were tender, tasty and surprisingly crispy. My husband loved them and he usually loves them fried. Thanks so much for this recipe. No greasy cleanup which was such a pleasure.
Thank you so much, Tina! I’m so happy you and your husband love this recipe 😉
You’re very welcome and thank you for sharing. Such a coincidence that I visited this page today and tonight I plan to make this recipe again
This was a easy and quick recipe..Bake it in the oven and was delicious….will do it again..Thank you
Thank you so much, Eva!
Healthy, easy, satisfying, and delicious! I made some extras and plan to chops them and toss them into salads this week for something different and tasty!
I often make chicken cutlets for chicken parmesan but usually fry them in oil! I have never thought to do them in the oven but will be trying it next time round. Definitely a healthier and less messy way!
These were delicious and I used them as my chicken in my chicken parmesan dish! Next time, I’m going to make these in my air fryer instead of the oven. Excellent flavor and easy to make! Thanks for the recipe!!
This is the ultimate baked chicken cutlets recipe! I love how versatile this recipe is as well!
These baked chicken cutlets were a quick and easy weeknight meal my whole family loved. This is such an easy and flavorful recipe , a real keeper.
Loving these baked chicken cutlets! They were so easy to make for a busy weeknight! I loved all the flavors and how crispy they got!
These chicken cutlets made such a great dinner and I love how easy it was to make. They were perfectly crunchy and packed with flavor just as I was hoping for 🙂 Thank you!
I can’t get enough chicken recipes, and this one is a winner!! It will definitely be on my regular rotation, thanks so much for the recipe!!
Love that these are baked in the oven and not pan fried. Healthier and a much easier cleanup. The addition of lemon zest is so lovely, too! Huge bonus for me is that this is made completely with pantry staple ingredients and totally kid friendly.
Love love love this recipe! The tender pieces of chicken are virtually irresistible when they’re coated with crispy golden crumbs. Pass the sweet n sour sauce please!