Description
Crunchy cheddar chicken cutlets with salad is an easy delicious meal to satisfy your healthy and indulgent cravings.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 4 thin-cut chicken cutlets
- 1 heaping cup shredded cheddar cheese (1/2 sharp, 1/2 mild)
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 cup plain panko bread crumbs
- 3/4 cup plain (fine) bread crumbs
- 1 package of salad greens (your choice)
- 1 large tomato cut in wedges
- 1/4 of an onion, sliced in thin strips
- Salt and pepper to taste on chicken
- Canola oil for frying
Optional Toppings:
- Balsamic vinaigrette for salad or your favorite dressing
- Red pepper flakes for chicken
- Flaky salt for chicken
- Fresh grated parmesan cheese
- Parsley
Instructions
- Lay plastic wrap over the thin chicken cutlets and pound down to even out the pieces. Should all be about ¼” in thickness. I used already thin-cut chicken breast. If you are using large chicken breast that you cut in half and pound down this will take a little longer. Season one side of the chicken with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper. (about ¼ to ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper)
- Shred the cheese and set aside. I used both a sharp and a mild cheddar for this.
- Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Use two small bowls. Crack the egg and let the white part fall into one bowl. Move the yolk back and forth between the two shells until all the white is gone. Put the yolks in their own bowl. Do this for all five eggs. Whisk the egg yolks together until well combined. Add a pinch of salt here too.
- Refrigerate the whites and make an omelet another time. Transfer the egg yolks to a wider bowl for the dredging station.
- To a second wide bowl, add the panko bread crumbs and the regular (fine) bread crumbs. Then add the shredded cheese and toss to combine.
- Dip one thin chicken cutlet into the egg yolks and cover on both sides. Hold it up with a fork and let the excess yolk drip off. There isn’t a lot of yolk, but there is enough for four cutlets. Just make sure you let the excess drip off. Place chicken in bread crumb and cheese mixture and coat on both sides. Transfer breaded cutlet to a plate or sheet pan. Do this for all four cutlets.
- Refrigerate the cutlets for 30 minutes before frying.
- While the chicken is in fridge – if you are using the optional parsley garnish you can chop that now.
- Wash your salad greens and put in a large mixing bowl.
- Cut the tomato into wedges for the salad.
- Slice a chunk of an onion into thin strips for the salad.
- Heat canola oil in large two pans on medium heat – about a ¼ inch of oil per pan. Let it get hot before adding the chicken. You can use one pan and cook in batches, but it’s quicker to use two.
- Once oil is heated, carefully place the chicken cutlets, one at a time into the oil. Let them cook about
- 3-4 minutes until you can see it getting gold brown around the edges. Turn chicken carefully. I used a fork and a small spatula to turn – need to be careful of oil splatter here. Then cook 3 minutes on other side or until golden brown.
- Remove chicken from oil and transfer to a paper towel-lined sheet pan and let cool a couple of minutes.
- Cut the chicken in half at a diagonal angle and transfer to a serving platter.
- Add my favorite balsamic vinaigrette (or your favorite dressing) to the salad greens and give them a toss. Transfer greens to the platter. Top with tomato wedges and onion.
- Sprinkle a little flaky salt on the chicken cutlets, and if you want a little red pepper flakes, fresh parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.
- Serve immediately.
