Bonnemaman’s Chicken Cutlets
I was fortunate to grow up with the most incredible grandparents. My grandmother, who we called Bonnemaman because of her half-French heritage, was a huge part of the lives of me and my siblings. There were many nights in our childhoods spent at our grandparents’ dining room table enjoying dinner. If the kids were in charge of picking the menu, more often than not it was Bonnemaman’s Chicken Cutlets. When chicken cutlets were on the menu, we kids got the very important job of helping Bonnemaman with the breading and cooking of the chicken. She’d pull a kitchen chair up to the counter for us to stand on, and we’d get to work dipping the flattened chicken into the flour, followed by the eggs and panko breadcrumbs, before placing it in a hot frying pan to be cooked. Collectively over our childhoods, my siblings and I spent hours helping our Bonnemaman with this. There was nothing more thrilling than standing on that backwards kitchen chair at the counter helping Bonnemaman. My Bonnemaman passed away earlier this year, and I want to honour her memory by sharing a recipe that was the foundation of so many of my happy childhood memories.
Table of Contents
Bonnemaman’s Chicken Cutlet Ingredients
To make this recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approx. 2 breasts)
- 1/3 cup all-purpose or gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- Sea salt and fresh black pepper
- 120 grams (2 cups) regular or gluten-free panko
- Olive oil, for frying
Equipment
- Parchment paper
- Meat mallet
- Deep plates or shallow bowls for breading the cutlets
- Large rimmed baking sheet
- Large skillet
- Wire cooling rack
- Meat thermometer
Step 1—Slice the Chicken into Cutlets
Place your hand flat on top of the chicken breast, then, using a sharp chef’s knife, slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally. Repeat with the remaining breast. Pat the chicken dry and season with sea salt and fresh black pepper.
Step 2—Flatten the Cutlets
Lay the cutlets out flat on a cutting board between two pieces of parchment paper. Use a meat mallet to flatten the cutlets until they are a uniform thickness of about half an inch.
If you don’t have a meat mallet at home, you can get creative and use another kitchen tool like a rolling pin to get the job done.
Step 3—Prepare the Breading Station
Set up three deep plates or shallow bowls on the counter. Measure the flour, salt, and fresh black pepper into the first dish; whisk the two eggs in the second dish; and add the panko to the third dish.
You want to make sure that the dishes are large enough for the chicken cutlets to lie flat in. I like to use small baking sheets or casserole dishes for this.
Step 4—Bread the Chicken Cutlets
Line a large baking sheet with parchment and set aside while you bread the chicken cutlets.
Working with one cutlet at a time, dredge the cutlet through the flour, making sure to coat all sides. Shake off any excess flour before moving the cutlet to the bowl of beaten eggs. Dredge the cutlet through the egg, coating all sides, letting the excess egg run off. Lastly, dredge the cutlet through the panko, coating all sides. Transfer the breaded cutlet to the lined baking sheet.
Repeat with the remaining cutlets.
Step 5—Fry the Cutlets & Serve!
Line a baking sheet with a wire rack and set it beside your frying area. Fill a large skillet with enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Heat the oil to 350℉. The oil should be hot but not smoking.
Carefully transfer the breaded cutlets to the pan, frying two at a time to avoid overcrowding the pan. Fry the cutlets for 3-5 minutes per side or until they are golden brown and the internal temperature reads 165℉. Transfer the cooked cutlets to the prepared rack to drain off any excess oil. Repeat with the remaining cutlets, adding extra oil to the pan between batches, if needed.
Season the fried cutlets with sea salt and fresh black pepper. I like to do this right after removing the cutlets from the oil so the seasoning adheres nicely.
Serve the chicken cutlets warm with your favourite sides—I have some of my favourites listed below. 
What to Serve with Bonnemaman’s Chicken Cutlets
I find that a crisp, fresh vegetable side pairs very nicely with a greasier or fried main. The juxtaposition between a piece of beautiful golden fried chicken and a crisp, fresh vegetable is mwah, chef’s kiss! Here are some of my favourite sides to pair with Bonnemaman’s Chicken Cutlets:
Winter Radicchio Salad with Blood Orange
Fennel and Apple Slaw with Tangy Dijon Dressing
More Delicious Chicken Recipes
If you loved Bonnemaman’s Chicken Cutlet recipe, make sure to try these other delicious chicken recipes:
Lemon & Herb Spatchcock Chicken
Quick Chicken Meatballs with Ginger & Scallions
If you make Bonnemaman’s Chicken Cutlets, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! I love to see what you all are making.
Feel free to leave any questions, comments, or reviews below. I love to hear from you!
Thank you for helping me honour my Bonnemaman by reading and supporting this recipe; it means a lot. ❤️
Bonnemaman's Chicken Cutlets
Equipment
- Parchment paper
- Meat mallet
- 3 Deep plates or shallow bowls for breading
- Large rimmed baking sheet
- Large skillet
- Meat thermometer
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
Chicken Cutlets
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approx. 2 large breasts)
- 40 grams gluten-free all-purpose flour (1/3 cup)
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
- Fresh black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 120 grams gluten-free Panko (2 cups)
- Olive oil, for frying
Instructions
Chicken Cutlets
- Cut the chicken breasts into cutlets. Place your hand flat on top of the chicken breast, then, using a sharp chef's knife, slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally. Repeat with the remaining breast. Pat the chicken dry and season with sea salt and fresh black pepper.
- Lay the cutlets out flat on a cutting board between two pieces of parchment paper. Use a meat mallet to flatten the cutlets until they are a uniform thickness of about half an inch.
- Prepare your breading station. Set up three deep plates or shallow bowls on the counter. Measure the flour, salt, and fresh black pepper into the first dish; whisk the two eggs in the second dish; and add the Panko to the third dish.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment and set aside while you bread the chicken cutlets. Working with one cutlet at a time, dredge the cutlet through the flour, making sure to coat all sides. Shake off any excess flour before moving the cutlet to the bowl of beaten eggs. Dredge the cutlet through the egg, coating all sides, letting the excess egg run off. Lastly, dredge the cutlet through the Panko, coating all sides. Transfer the breaded cutlet to the lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining cutlets.
- Line a baking sheet with a wire rack and set it beside your frying area. Fill a large skillet with enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Heat the oil to 350℉. The oil should be hot but not smoking.
- Carefully transfer the breaded cutlets to the pan, frying two at a time to avoid overcrowding the pan. Fry the cutlets for 3-5 minutes per side or until they are golden brown and the internal temperature reads 165℉. Transfer the cooked cutlets to the prepared rack to drain off any excess oil. Repeat with the remaining cutlets, adding extra oil to the pan between batches, if needed.
- Season the fried cutlets with sea salt and fresh black pepper. I like to do this right after removing the cutlets from the oil so the seasoning adheres nicely. Serve the chicken cutlets warm with your favourite sides—I have some of my favourites listed above.
Notes
- This recipe can be made with regular all-purpose flour and Panko if you are not gluten-sensitive.
- Leftover chicken cutlets can be stored in the fridge for up to four days. For best results, reheat the cutlets in the oven at 400℉ for about 10 minutes.
