Golden, crunchy chicken cutlets are a weeknight hero—quick to cook, endlessly versatile, and loved by both kids and adults. Here, they’re paired with a velvety basil-infused cream sauce that elevates the dish from everyday comfort food to something special enough for company.
The cutlets are lightly breaded and pan-fried until crisp, then draped with a sauce that balances the richness of cream with the freshness of fragrant basil.This dish is as flexible as it is flavorful: serve the cutlets over pasta to catch every drop of sauce, alongside roasted vegetables for a lighter dinner, or tucked into a sandwich.
The contrast of crunch and cream makes it irresistible, while the basil keeps it bright and aromatic. Best of all, it comes together in under 40 minutes, making it an ideal recipe to keep in your weeknight rotation. If pressed for time, you can buy your pesto from the store, but if possible I highly recommend making your own pesto from scratch as it really does make a difference.
Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele
Ingredients
For The Chicken Cutlets:
- 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 1 Cup All-purpose Flour
- 5 Large Eggs
- 3 Cups Panko Bread Crumbs
- 1/3 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
- 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil, Divided
- 3 Tablespoons Butter
For The Basil Cream Sauce:
- 3 Garlic Cloves, Minced
- 1 Cup Heavy Cream
- 1/3 Cup Prepared Basil Pesto
Instructions
- Make the sauce: In a medium pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil to medium.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in the cream, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
- Bring to a simmer over medium, and cook, stirring often, until the sauce has thickened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove the sauce from the heat, and stir in the pesto until blended.
- Cook the Chicken:
- Thinly slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise.
- Place each sliced chicken breast one at a time between two pieces of parchment paper, plastic wrap, or plastic bag and gently pound them using a meat mallet or tenderizer until it is no thicker than ¼” of an inch.
- Add flour to a plastic bag, and season the flour with salt and pepper, then set it to the side.
- In a separate shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, and pepper.
- In a large shallow bowl, mix the bread crumbs, grated cheese, salt and pepper.
- Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Next, dredge one chicken breast into the flour to coat it. Dust off any extra.
- Transfer it to the egg wash pan, dunk it, and flip it until coated on all sides.
- Next, add the chicken to bread crumbs and shake the pan to get the crumbs to move over the top of the chicken.
- Flip the chicken over and press it down to get the crumbs to stick completely to it.
- Place chicken on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper or a platter. Repeat the process until all the chicken is breaded.
- Add the remaining oil and butter to a large frying pan over medium heat until bubbly.
- Add the breaded chicken two or so at a time to the pan of hot oil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until golden brown on both sides and cooked throughout.
- Set the chicken cutlets on a rack over a sheet tray and repeat the process until all the chicken is cooked.
- Repeat the process until all the chicken is cooked.
- Serve the chicken with a dollop of the pesto cream sauce on top.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 622Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 216mgSodium: 602mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 33g