21 Delicious Chicken Cutlet Dinner Recipes

Southern Living Chicken Cordon Bleu on a plate to serve with a simple green salad. — Photo:
Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

Chicken cutlets may just be chicken breasts thinly cut for quick cooking, but they're also the secret to a speedy chicken dinner on a weeknight. Often fried until golden brown and crispy, cutlets can be used in so many more ways. They're great wrapped in prosciutto or bacon, which adds fat and flavor to the lean cut. They're also tasty simmered in a cream sauce, or topped with a zesty salsa. If you can't find cutlets in the meat section of your grocery store, you can slice and pound out boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead. Scroll down for delicious ideas on how to put this tender cut to use.

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Lemon Chicken Pasta

Although the lemony pasta that makes up the base of this recipe is delicious on its own, adding a crispy panko-crusted chicken cutlet takes the dish to the next level.

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Crispy Breaded Chicken Breasts

Southern Living Crispy Breaded Chicken on a plate to serve with mashed potatoes and roasted brussels sprouts — Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

This is one of those recipes to always have in your back pocket. Great on its own, thrown on a salad, or sandwiched between buns, a good crispy cutlet never fails to satisfy.

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Chicken-Fried Chicken

Chicken-Fried Chicken might sound like a silly name, but it simply means using the frying technique and gravy from a classic chicken fried steak on chicken cutlets instead of beef.

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Million Dollar Chicken

You might be wondering what exactly makes this recipe worth a million dollars? Well, just one bite of the bacony cream cheese topping is all the explanation you'll need.

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Grilled Chicken Sandwiches

Southern Living Grilled Chicken Sandwich on a plate to serve — Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox

A thick layer of pimento cheese makes juicy grilled cutlets shine on this simple and delicious sandwich.

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Chicken Fries

Thin chicken cutlets are the key to extra crispy chicken fries that rival what you can get at fast-food restaurants.

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Chicken Cordon Bleu

Crispy, salty, and juicy, this chicken dish has it all. Skip the laborious pounding and use cutlets instead of whole breasts.

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Marry Me Chicken

Be careful who you make this recipe for — it could lead to wedding bells! This social media favorite is as quick to make as it is utterly delicious.

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Buffalo Chicken Salad

This twist on a blackened chicken salad is a bright and peppery delight perfect for lunch or dinner.

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Chicken-Fried Chicken

You can't say "Southern food" without thinking of fried chicken, and this recipe makes the classic similar to a German schnitzel for a crispy, easy meal.

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Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken Cutlets With Haricots Verts

Sure, everything's better with bacon, but have you tried adding prosciutto? The aged and dry-cured pork product adds deep savory flavor to lean meats like chicken.

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Chicken Cutlets With Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

Sun-dried tomatoes cooked in the chicken drippings form the flavorful base of the beautiful orange-hued sauce in this chicken cutlet dish.

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Southwest Chicken Cutlet Rice Bowl

Microwaveable long-grain white rice makes these hearty bowls a breeze to pull together on a weeknight.

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Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Serve these cutlets over rice with a veggie side, or on a bun as a chicken Parmesan sandwich with marinara.

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Chicken Schnitzel With Cabbage-Carrot Slaw

A tangy purple cabbage coleslaw helps cut through the richness of these crispy fried chicken cutlets.

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Easy Chicken Parmesan

You could likely broil anything under slabs of fresh mozzarella and it would taste great, but chicken cutlets fried to golden perfection are the perfect match for all that cheesy-goodness.

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Chicken Scallopini

The creamy mushroom sauce for this chicken recipe uses dry white wine for flavor. Pro tip: Choose a wine you'd actually drink, as you'll have some leftover to enjoy with your meal.

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Cast-Iron Chicken Piccata

Lemon juice, capers, and butter make a super silky and tangy sauce for these pan-fried chicken cutlets. Have plenty of crusty bread or pasta ready to soak up every last bit of the sauce.

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