How to Flour Chicken Cutlets for Perfect Crispy Coating

Thin chicken cutlets are a weeknight lifesaver: they cook quickly and a light coating of seasoned flour transforms them. Dredging cutlets in seasoned flour creates a golden crust, adds flavor, and helps develop a rich fond—the caramelized brown bits that form on the bottom of the pan when sautéing in butter or oil. That fond boosts any pan sauce you make when you deglaze the skillet with a splash of liquid.

Cutlets are simply chicken breasts sliced or pounded into thinner pieces so they cook fast and evenly. This floured method works for both thin and thicker cutlets and can be applied to whole chicken breasts, though thicker pieces will require more cooking time.

How to Flour Chicken Cutlets: Thin chicken cutlets cook quickly, and dredging them in seasoned flour adds flavor to the chicken and the whole dish.

How to Slice Chicken Breasts into Cutlets

The simplest way to turn a thick breast into two cutlets is to set the breast on a cutting board, place your non-dominant hand on top to steady it, and cut horizontally from the thicker end with a sharp chef’s knife. For easier slicing, chill the breasts in the freezer for 15–20 minutes so they firm up slightly.

Very large breasts may need to be cut into three pieces or trimmed vertically first to separate the thicker and thinner sides. After slicing horizontally, you can pound the pieces between plastic wrap or in a resealable bag to even out thickness and make them thinner for faster, more uniform cooking.

How to Flour Chicken Cutlets

1. Prepare the seasoned flour: Put all-purpose flour in a shallow bowl and add salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you like (paprika, garlic or onion powder, a touch of cayenne). Whisk to combine.

2. Coat the chicken: Dredge each cutlet in the seasoned flour, pressing lightly so the flour adheres. Use tongs or your hands, and tap off excess flour.

3. Cook the chicken: Heat a skillet over medium with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil or butter. In batches if needed, sauté the floured cutlets until golden and cooked through—about 4–5 minutes on the first side to develop color, then 1–2 minutes after flipping. Serve with the browned side up.

Tips for Cooking Chicken Cutlets

• Thin cutlets brown quickly; to avoid overcooking, let one side cook a bit longer to get a good crust, then flip briefly so the interior stays juicy.
• Keep the pan unwashed if you plan to make a pan sauce—the fond contains concentrated flavor that will enrich the sauce when deglazed.
• For best presentation, serve cutlets with the more browned side facing up.

Floured Chicken Cutlets Recipes

Seasoned-flour cutlets are versatile—use them in classic dishes such as Chicken Piccata, Chicken Parmigiana, Chicken Marsala, or creamy skillet recipes. They also work well with garlic-parmesan preparations and honey-garlic sauces.

More Chicken Cooking Tips

• How to pound chicken breasts to an even thickness.
• Tips for roasting a perfect whole chicken.
• Safe methods for thawing frozen chicken.
• Guidelines for marinating times.
• How to cube chicken breast for sautés and skewers.

5 from 1 vote

How to Flour Chicken Cutlets

By: Katie Workman

Thin chicken cutlets cook up so quickly, and dredging them in seasoned flour adds flavor to the chicken and the whole dish.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 4 People

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ to 1 teaspoon cayenne, paprika, onion powder, or garlic powder (optional)
• 1½ pounds thin-sliced boneless skinless chicken cutlets (about 1/2-inch thick)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or unsalted butter (optional)

Instructions

• Place the flour in a shallow bowl. Add the salt, pepper, and any additional seasonings and stir until blended.
• Dredge the cutlets in the seasoned flour, pressing to coat. Use tongs or your hands and tap off excess flour.
• Heat butter or olive oil in a skillet over medium. In batches, sauté the floured cutlets about 4–5 minutes on the first side until well browned, then flip and cook 1–2 minutes until opaque and cooked through. Serve browned side up.
• Optionally, make a quick pan sauce from the browned bits left in the pan.

Notes

To slice a thick breast into cutlets, place it on a cutting board, steady it with your hand, and use a sharp knife to cut horizontally from the thicker end. Partially freezing breasts for about 20 minutes makes them easier to slice.

For very large breasts, trim vertically first or cut into three pieces. Pounding the cutlets after slicing evens thickness and speeds cooking.

Nutrition

Calories: 1486 kcal, Carbohydrates: 97 g, Protein: 158 g, Fat: 47 g