Is there a trick to perfectly cooked chicken cutlets?
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Anonymous
| I made breaded chicken cutlets tonight and am wondering how go get an even golden crust on both sides? The first side go go down always looks perfect but it seems to soak up the oil and then the other side turns blotchy and slightly blackened in areas if I leave it too long. Is there a trick im missing? Do I add more oil before flipping? |
bakersman
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First, you need to pound your cutlets to an even thickness -- no more than 1/2 inch thick.
Second, you need to regulate your oil temp. You want the temp to be consistent. Start at a medium heat. The way I tell if the oil is ready is that I put the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil and if there are bubbles around the handle it is ready. Or you can drop some bread crumbs in and if they sizzle and there are bubbles, you are good to go. Then put in your cutlets, but don't crowd the pan. Because you have added cold meat into the pan, the temp is going to go down, so turn up the temp ever so slightly. Third, don't touch the cutlet for 1.5 minutes and then lift to take a peak, remove or keep in for another 30 to 45 seconds. Then flip, reduce the heat every so slightly, and cook the other side for 1.5 to 2 minutes. Then remove to grain on paper towels -- keep in mind that the cutlet will continue to cook a bit more. I only put enough oil in the pan so that it goes up half the side of the cutler -- 1/4 of an inch. If you are doing a number of cutlets, you will want to use a spoon to remove some of the egg/bread crumbs that get in the oil periodically. You will also want to keep adding more oil to keep the level at 1/4 of an inch. Each time you add oil, give it time to come up to temp before adding new cutlets. I assume you are coating the cutlets with flour, then egg and then bread crumbs. If you have time, put the coated cutlets into the refrigerator for 30 minutes before cooking. It helps the coating to stay on. |
Anonymous
| Thank you this is so helpful! I see now what mistakes I'm making - crowding the pan, not enough oil, and definitely cooking too long (5 minutes) on the first side. Can't wait to make them again using these tips! |
Anonymous
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7 minutes to cook a chicken breast. 3.5 minutes on each side.
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Anonymous
If you have pounded the breast into a uniform 1/2, a 7 minute pan fry at the correct temp will over cook the breast. If it takes 7 minutes to cook, the oil is too cool and the cutlets will be oily. |
Anonymous
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Yes - if you don't have enough oil after you flip, it sounds like your oil is too cold and/or you are not starting with enough oil.
Also, I like to cut the breast at an angle to form 3 or 4 smaller pieces, and then I pound these flat for smaller cutlets. You will get patty sized pieces that are easier to work with. |