Chicken is the most delicious when it’s crispy on the outside, yet juicy and succulent on the inside. A tasty chicken cutlet is a culinary staple in so many different cuisines, from Japanese to German, but one of the best ways to enjoy it is by cooking it the Italian way.
If you’ve ever had a Milanese dish before, you’ll know that the chicken is the star of the show. And making it yourself at home is so easy, as you only need a handful of ingredients. Italian chef Francesco Mattana recently shared his recipe for Cotoletta di Pollo on TikTok, hailing it as “super crunchy and succulent”.
In a recent video, he said: “I love a good crispy breaded chicken and in Italy this is how we make Cotoletta di Pollo.
“Super crunchy on the outside and still succulent in the middle, served with lettuce and a fresh squeeze of lemon juice – it’s just the best! This is a dish that makes everyone at the table happy.”
He explained that there’s one “really important” step in the process that you won’t want to miss out. After tenderising the chicken and coating it in breadcrumbs, you’ll want to press these firmly into the chicken cutlet, so that they become “nice and firm” and fully stick to it.
This is what’s going to give your chicken the best crispy texture, which he described as “beautiful” after trying a piece. Here’s everything you need to make it at home.
Crispy Italian chicken
Ingredients
Two chicken breastsTwo or three eggs125g breadcrumbsOne lemonBaby gem lettuce or mixed salad leavesOil for fryingSea salt
Method
Place each chicken breast between two pieces of parchment paper and bash it down using a rolling pin until it’s about 1cm to 1.5cm thick. Make sure it’s even on all sides.
Set out three plates, one with the flour, one with the whisked eggs and one with the breadcrumbs. Coat each chicken breast in the flour, then pat and gently tap off any excess before you transfer it to the eggs. Coat this well in the egg on both sides and transfer it to the breadcrumbs.
Press down well on both sides so that the breadcrumb coats the chicken completely.
Fill a large frying pan with enough oil to shallow fry and bring it up to 180C. One at a time, lay each chicken breast into the oil.
It should slowly get nice and golden and it should take about two to three minutes on each side.
Transfer the chicken from the pan to some kitchen towel to absorb any excess oil, and season it with salt.
Serve with potatoes, chips or on a bed of baby gem lettuce or mixed salad leaves. Squeeze some lemon juice all over the chicken, and enjoy.
Dining and Cooking