Breaded Chicken Cutlet Sandwich
This breaded chicken cutlet sandwich is loaded with Italian favorites like, fresh mozzarella, Delallo Foods’ pesto, chopped fresh spinach salad, and Delallo Foods’ bruschetta. Honestly, this might be the best breaded chicken cutlet sandwich I’ve ever had and, if you like chicken parmesan, it makes a mean chicken parmesan. This is one of the best main dishes I’ve eaten in a while, and your can make this recipe without breadcrumbs or breading.
About this Chicken Breast Sandwich Recipe
Just when you thought this breaded chicken cutlet sandwich couldn’t be any more amazing, it’s tucked between homemade Syrian bread brushed with olive oil and toasted. Don’t worry, if you do not have homemade Syrian bread handy, ciabatta or focaccia will work perfectly! Just be sure to brush the center of the bread with oil or butter and toast it in a pan before loading it up.
When you bite into this chicken cutlet sandwich you are in for such a treat. The chicken is crispy on the outside and juicy in the center. The cheese is perfectly melted and tastes so great with the crispy chicken breasts, spinach salad, pesto and roasted peppers.
If you’re in the mood for spice, add a few red pepper flakes or your favorite hot sauce. For a lower carb version, enjoy this sandwich open faced with a knife and fork. No matter how you slice it, this chicken cutlet sandwich is guaranteed to be a one of your family’s favorite meals.
Chicken Recipes: How to Make Chicken Cutlets
When prepping the chicken breast, butterfly both breasts if they are too thick so they get crispy. Once they are butterflied or sliced in half, be sure to pound the chicken in a Ziplock bag so it is even thickness. This will allow it to cook more quickly and evenly in the pan. Once the chicken is pan fried, finish cooking it in the oven to make it crispy. The internal temperature should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure doneness.
Are Cutlets the Same as Chicken Tenders?
No, chicken cutlets are not the same thing as chicken tenders. If you do not have chicken cutlets handy, however, or do not want to make your own cutlets, you can use chicken tenders as a substitute.
These tenders should not be breaded, and should be sliced in half horizontally to thin the meat out for cooking. If substituting cutlets for tenders, you may need to cook the meat longer to accommodate for the difference in thickness.
What Makes a Cutlet a Cutlet?
A cutlet is just the way the meat is prepared when it is being cut by the butcher. Cutlets can be from any type of meat, but are typically from the breast, rib, or leg section of meat as these areas tend to be juicier and thicker.
Once this section of meat is in hand, it is sliced in half to create a cutlet. Typically, when preparing cutlets, the meat is pounded even thinner to create a very thin, very tender piece of meat.
Chicken cutlets should be an even thickness about ¼ inch thick all the way down. This ensures that the meat cooks quickly and evenly for a fast and delicious meal.
Why Do Chicken Cutlets and Chicken Breasts Get Chewy?
A lot of people who cook cutlets for the first time may be led to believe that they don’t like this cut of meat because it is chewy and dry. This, however, is not the case when a cutlet is cooked well.
Chicken cutlets get chewy when it is undercooked, overcooked, or left out for too long. Leaving the cutlet out after frying allows the meat to dry out, but this can make it chewy any time because of how thin it is.
Undercooking it will make it chewy as the proteins have not broken down enough while overcooking may be too much time under heat and can toughen the meat up.
What Cut is Best for Cutlets?
Chicken cutlets are typically cut from less tender sections of meat, as it is thinned and tenderized before cooking anyway. This makes the less desirable parts of the meat just as delectable as more choice parts. When dealing with veal, chicken, or pork cutlets, the meat is typically take from the leg or shoulder portion of the meat.
Today, however, chicken cutlets may also be made from breast or rib meat as these areas are thicker, allowing you to create more cutlets from a single piece of meat.
Storage
Store any leftover chicken cutlets covered in the refrigerator for three to four days. Reheat in the microwave until heated through for no more than one or two minutes. This recipe makes four crispy chicken sandwiches which are perfect for dinners. Please see below for nutritional information. The nutritional info does not reflect the vegetable oil for frying the chicken.
Looking for more delicious lunch recipes? Try my quick and easy tuna noodle pasta salad. Another great lunch idea is my plant-based curry chickpeas salad. Both are easy to make and so delicious.
Breaded Chicken Cutlet Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 lb. chicken breasts, about 2 breasts, butterfly and pound into 4 thin cutlets
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced thin
- 2 tablespoons Delallo Foods’ pesto, split among 4 sandwiches
- ½ cup Delallo Foods’ bruschetta, drain excess liquid
- ½-1 cup vegetable oil, for pan frying the chicken cutlets
- 4 buns, bread or buns of your choice
Breading Station
- ½ cup AP flour, all purpose
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large egg, whisked
- 2 tablespoons 2% milk
- ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Spinach Salad
- 6-8 ounces baby spinach
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh squeezed
- ¼ cup shallots, diced small
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Equipment
- 1 medium skillet
- 1 baking dish
- 1 cutting board
- 1 mixing bowl
- 3 plates
- 2 storage bags
- 1 mallet
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Grab an oven-safe baing dish and set it aside.
- Butterfly the chicken into 4 thin cutlets. Next, using a mallet, pound the chicken breasts until they about ½ -1 inch thick.
- Once the breasts are pounded thin, you’ll run them through a breading station.
Setup Breading Station
- Grab 3 plates.
- Add the flour, salt and pepper to the first plate. Add the whisked egg and milk to the second plate and stir until well combined.
- On the third plate, combine the breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.
- First, dredge the chicken breasts through the flour mixture. Make sure it is well coated. Next, dredge it through the egg wash.
- Finally, dredge it through the breadcrumb / cheese mixture. Making sure the chicken is well coated. Repeat for all four cutlets. Set aside.
Pan Fry Chicken
- Add the vegetable oil to a non-stick skillet over medium/high heat. You’ll want the oil to be hot, but not smoking.
- Once the oil is hot, add the breaded chicken one piece at a time. Cook each breast until it is crispy and golden brown on both sides. Repeat for all four cutlets.
- Once golden-brown, place the chicken on a paper towel to absorb and excess oil. Next, place the pan fried chicken in an oven safe baking dish, top it with a few slices of mozzarella cheese and cover it with foil. Bake for 15 minutes.
Prepare the Toppings and Bread
- While the chicken is baking, assemble the toppings and prepare the bread.
- Brush the inside of your bread / bun with olive oil or butter and toast it in a hot pan until golden brown. Once the bread is toasted to perfection, remove it from the pan. Repeat for all four buns.
- Using a brush or the back of a spoon, smear a small amount of pesto on one side of the bread.
- Next, drain any excess liquid off of the jarred Delallo bruschetta. Set aside.
- Next, make the spinach salad. Chop the spinach into small pieces.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the chopped spinach with lemon juice, olive oil, diced shallots, salt and cracked black pepper. Toss the salad until it is well combined. Set aside.
Assemble the Sandwiches
- Take the toasted bread slices brushed with pesto and place the cheesy breaded chicken cutlets on top. One piece of chicken per sandwich.
- Next, add the bruschetta and spinach salad. Top with the second half of the bread and enjoy.
One Comment on “Breaded Chicken Cutlet Sandwich”
These turned out way better than I imagined. I’m not a great cook and I am always afraid to try to make new things, but I am so proud of myself. Thank you for giving me confidence!