Baked Chicken Cutlets

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This crispy oven baked chicken cutlets recipe comes together so quickly in only a few simple steps! Irresistibly golden and crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside, this baked chicken recipe is a great healthy alternative to deep-fried cutlets.

Crispy, flavorful, and easy to make, these baked chicken cutlets make for a delicious meal that the whole family will love! Since there’s no deep-frying, these golden chicken cutlets are effortless enough to make on a busy weeknight.

An overhead view of a plate with a baked chicken cutlet along with broccoli and potato wedges. Another plate, a drink, and dip off to the side.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

I love making chicken katsu but I don’t always want to bust out the Dutch oven to deep fry chicken, so think of this crispy chicken cutlet as a healthier fried chicken recipe that’s still juicy and crunchy.
You don’t need a ton of ingredients to make a flavorful baked chicken cutlet! Most of the ingredients are pantry staples, so you’re more than likely able to whip up this recipe without needing to run out to the store.
These breaded baked chicken cutlets reheat well and freeze well, so it’s the perfect make ahead meal! You can easily double this recipe and freeze the extra for an easy future meal.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients needed to make baked chicken cutlets.

chicken breasts — I have 4 chicken breasts that I cut into cutlets and pounded thin. You can buy them butterflied but it’s much cheaper to butterfly chicken breasts yourself.
flour — you’ll need some flour to coat the chicken. Just regular all-purpose flour is fine.
seasoning — to add a ton of flavor to the chicken cutlets, you’ll want to season the flour, so it’s evenly coating the chicken underneath the breading. I use salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dried parsley, and dried basil.
eggs — you’ll need 2 to 3 eggs to help bind the breadcrumbs to the chicken cutlets.
panko breadcrumbs — panko breadcrumbs have a light, airy, and delicate texture. Regular breadcrumbs are not as flaky as panko.
cheese — you can use shredded asiago or parmesan cheese. The cheese helps bind the crust together and adds a salty, crunchy component.

How to Make Crispy Baked Chicken Cutlets

Set of two photos showing dredging station set up and a chicken breast coated in seasoned flour.

Set of two photos showing chicken added to the beaten egg mixture and then the breadcrumb with cheese.

Heat the oven to 425F.
In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dried parsley, and dried basil.
In another shallow bowl, whisk the eggs together.
In a third shallow bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs with the shredded asiago or parmesan cheese.
Dredge the chicken cutlets in the flour (shaking off the excess), transfer them to a bowl with the whisked eggs, and coat the chicken in panko (shaking off the excess).

Set of two photos showing before and after the chicken cutlets are baked on a lined sheet pan.

Place the breaded chicken cutlets onto a lined sheet pan and continue with the rest of the cutlets.
Bake the chicken cutlets for 30 minutes, flipping them halfway.

Overhead view of baked chicken cutlets on a lined sheet pan.

Recipe Tips and Notes

I don’t recommend making this recipe without butterflying the chicken breasts. Butterflying a chicken breast gives you thinner, more even pieces that will cook quicker and more evenly.
You’ll need two sheet pans to fit all 8 cutlets.
For brighter flavors, you can add some lemon zest to the flour or squeeze a lemon over the chicken cutlets before serving.
Some sides I like to serve my crispy chicken cutlets are potato wedges, fries, mashed potatoes, smashed broccoli, brussels sprouts, pesto rice, cabbage slaw, avocado corn salsa, roasted brussels sprouts and carrots, or strawberry goat cheese salad! These baked chicken cutlets also pair wonderfully with my homemade tonkatsu sauce!
Your chicken is cooked through once the internal temperature has reached 165°F (74°C).
Turn this into a sandwich like my pesto chicken sandwich!
You can also cook the chicken on a wire rack on your sheet pan so you don’t need to flip it while cooking. I prefer flipping them as a wire rack is more work to clean.
When coating the chicken in the panko crumbs, make sure to apply a bit of pressure so the crust will stick to the cutlets.

A close up view of a plate with baked chicken cutlets along with broccoli and potato wedges.

Make Ahead Tips

Meal Prep: Once cooled, transfer the chicken cutlets to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 4 days. Make sure they are cool as you’ll end up with condensation and lead to soggy cutlets if they’re set in the fridge while still hot.
Reheat: For the best results when reheating, I like to heat it back up in the oven/toaster oven or air fryer so it stays super crispy.
Freezer: Once cooled, transfer the crispy chicken cutlets to a freezer safe container or a freezer safe ziploc bag, making sure all the air is squeezed out if using a bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. You can reheat this directly from frozen or thawed.

How to Cut a Chicken Breast into a Cutlet

Place the chicken breast on a cutting board, smooth side down (where the skin would have been). Place one hand on top of the chicken, making sure to curve your fingertips up slightly so you don’t accidentally cut them. Insert the knife into the middle of the thickest part (the top round bit) and slice the chicken breast horizontally into two even pieces.

Then, sandwich the sliced chicken breast between sheets of plastic or parchment paper and pound them to an even form and thickness, about 1/4 inch thick.