Boneless chicken breasts pounded thin, seasoned, dredged in seasoned flour and pan-fried in oil and butter until golden. Thin cutlets cook fast and stay juicy, and the browned bits left in the pan make the gravy. Serves 4 to 6.
Ingredients:
- 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 1/2 to 3 lb)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder, divided
- 2 teaspoons paprika, divided
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil, plus more as needed
- 4 tablespoons butter
Instructions:
- If the breasts are very thick, butterfly them first: lay each flat and slice through horizontally into two thinner pieces.
- Place each piece between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or heavy pan to an even 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick.
- Pat dry. Season both sides with half of the salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika.
- In a shallow dish, mix the flour with the remaining salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika.
- Dredge each cutlet in the seasoned flour, pressing so it sticks, then shake off the extra. Set on a sheet pan.
- Heat the oven to 200°F and set a wire rack on a sheet pan inside.
- Heat about 1/4 inch of oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a large heavy skillet over medium-high until the butter foams.
- Fry the cutlets in batches without crowding, 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deep golden and 165°F inside.
- Move the cooked cutlets to the rack in the warm oven. Add the rest of the butter and a little more oil between batches as needed.
- When done, pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of fat, but keep the browned bits in the pan for the gravy.
Cook's Notes:
- Even thickness is what keeps the chicken juicy. Pound the thick end more than the thin end.
- If the flour starts to burn, lower the heat a little and wipe out any black bits before the next batch.
- To double for 8 to 12 people, use 8 breasts, double the flour mix, and fry in more batches. The 200°F oven holds them for up to 30 minutes.