Extra crunchy Parmesan Chicken Cutlets in Lemon Butter Sauce! Dusted in parmesan and panko, pan-fried until golden, and drizzled with a homemade lemon butter that’s garlicky and so yummy!

platter with parmesan chicken cutlets drizzled in lemon butter sauce

This recipe is sponsored by Challenge Butter. We’re using their European style butter to make today’s parmesan chicken cutlets in lemon butter sauce!

Crispy, crunchy, and so addicting.

These parmesan dusted chicken cutlets are mouth-wateringly delicious. Tender seasoned chicken that we’ll dredge with seasoned flour, beaten eggs, and finally a combination of panko and parmesan. But what makes these chicken cutlets unique is that the panko lends tons of crunch while the parmesan cheese gives them the most magical umami flavor.

Wait a second! I haven’t even told you about the lemon butter sauce. It’s a combination of chicken stock and lemon juice with garlic that we’ll reduce to it packs a flavor punch. You won’t believe how beautifully this sauce pairs with the crunchy parmesan cutlets.

This whole thing is just one big party for your mouth!

plate of chicken cutlet on a bed of arugula with roasted potatoes

Parmesan Chicken Cutlets in Lemon Butter Sauce Ingredients

  • Chicken Breasts: I usually buy prepared chicken cutlets from the butcher to help cut down on prep time. If that’s not an option, no problem. You can use chicken breasts; just slice them lengthwise and pound them down into an even layer. Even chicken tenders would work, you’ll just want to pound them down, so they cook evenly.
  • Seasonings: You’ll need a handful of simple pantry staple seasonings for this recipe. I use garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, ground mustard, and kosher salt.
  • Flour: dipping the cutlets in all-purpose flour is the first step. Be sure to dust off the excess before placing them in the beaten eggs.
  • Eggs: Once you’ve dredged the cutlet in the flour mixture, we’ll dip it in the beaten eggs. The eggs will help the parmesan and panko mixture to adhere to the cutlet.
  • Parmesan + Panko: the combination of grated parmesan and panko is the last step of the dredging process. Make sure to press down so the beaten egg mixture on the cutlet grabs onto the breading.
  • Challenge Butter: I love using Challenge Butter in my recipes because it’s churned fresh daily, as it has always been since 1911. It’s also made the old-fashioned way, using the freshest milk and cream from happy cows at family-owned dairies.
  • Lemon Juice: Lemon juice is used to give the lemon butter sauce that signature zing.
  • Chicken Stock: We’ll use chicken stock to flavor the lemon butter sauce.
  • Garlic: lends a delicious garlicky flavor to the lemon butter sauce.
  • Parsley: adds freshness and a bright pop of color to the sauce – we do eat with our eyes first!
ingredients to make chicken cutlets and lemon butter sauce

How to make Chicken Cutlets in Lemon Butter Sauce

  1. Set up a dredging station. Combine the garlic powder, salt, onion powder, and ground mustard in a small bowl. Season the chicken on both sides. Then, combine the flour and the remaining salt in a shallow dish, beat the eggs in another shallow dish, and whisk the parmesan and panko in a third shallow dish. Dip each chicken cutlet in the flour mixture, dust off the excess flour, dip in the beaten egg mixture, dripping off the excess, and finally dredge in the panko parmesan mixture. Be sure to press down gently so the crumbs adhere to the chicken cutlet.
  2. Sear the chicken. Add a drizzle of oil to a warm skillet. Gently lay two chicken cutlets in the skillet and cook them on each side until golden brown. Remove the chicken to a wire rack set over a baking sheet when cooked. Continue cooking the remaining chicken the same way.
  3. Make the sauce. Wipe down the skillet carefully to remove any residue. You can also use another skillet if this one has bits of the coating stuck on it. Add the lemon juice, chicken stock, grated garlic, and red pepper flakes. Bring this mixture to a full simmer and let it reduce on high heat for 2 minutes. Then, you want to lower the heat to medium-low. Add a tablespoon of cold butter and swirl or whisk the butter into the sauce until it completely melts in. Repeat this step with the remaining butter, adding it the same way – one tablespoon at a time. When the sauce has thickened, stir in the parsley. Drizzle this all over the chicken and serve!
chicken cutlets in cast iron frying pan

FAQs about chicken cutlets in lemon butter sauce:

How do you make cutlets from chicken breasts?

Use chicken breasts that are roughly half a pound each. Place the boneless, skinless chicken breast on a clean cutting board. Cut the breasts in half lengthwise by running the knife parallel to the cutting board. Then place a piece of plastic wrap on the cutlets and use the flat side of a meat mallet to pound the chicken into an even flat surface.

How does the lemon butter sauce thicken?

Once the chicken stock and lemon juice have been reduced, we’ll turn it into an emulsified butter sauce. The sauce will emulsify by slowly adding cold butter cubes, one tablespoon at a time, and whisking or swirling the pan. The key here is to keep the heat low. If you allow the sauce to boil, it will separate. So take your time, and don’t rush this. Once all the butter is incorporated, you’ll notice the sauce has a beautiful, spoonable consistency!

If I’m serving this with pasta, will this be enough sauce?

This recipe makes just enough sauce to use on parmesan chicken cutlets and maybe a tiny bit extra. If you’d like to serve this with pasta, I suggest doubling the sauce. It may take additional time for the sauce to reduce if you double it though.

What are your serving suggestions with this?

These cutlets would be amazing over cheddar mashed potatoes, with pasta tossed in a double batch of sauce, with no knead bread, or a side of crispy roasted potatoes, use rosemary focaccia to mop up the sauce, or with a simple arugula salad dressed with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. 

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

parmesan chicken cutlets on plate with lemon wedges and parsley

A big thank you to our friends at Challenge Butter for sponsoring this post! We love working with companies that make good, wholesome ingredients!

Yield: serves 6

Parmesan Chicken Cutlets in Lemon Butter Sauce

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Extra crunchy Parmesan Chicken Cutlets in Lemon Butter Sauce! Dusted in parmesan and panko, pan-fried until golden, and drizzled with a homemade lemon butter that’s garlicky and so yummy!

Parmesan Chicken Cutlets in Lemon Butter Sauce

Ingredients

Parmesan Chicken:

  • 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken, cut into 6 thin cutlets
  • 1 teaspoon EACH: kosher salt AND garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon EACH: onion powder AND ground mustard
  • ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1¼ cup grated parmesan
  • ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons high heat oil, plus more

Lemon Butter Sauce:

  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • ½ cup chicken stock
  • 4-6 cloves garlic, grated or pressed
  • ⅛-¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted European Style Challenge Butter, cold + cubed
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions

    1. SEASON & DREDGE: Combine the garlic powder, salt, onion powder, and ground mustard in a small bowl. Season the chicken on both sides.
    2. DREDGE: Whisk the flour with ½ teaspoon kosher salt in a shallow baking dish. Combine the grated parmesan and the panko breadcrumbs in another shallow dish. Take each chicken cutlet, dredge it through the flour, dust off excess, dip in the egg mixture, and finally dip it in the parmesan coating. Gently press down so the parmesan and panko adhere. Place the cutlet on a clean plate, and repeat with the remaining cutlets.
    3. COOK: Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. When hot, add two pieces of the chicken cutlets to the pan and cook for 6-9 minutes, flipping halfway until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken to a wire rack set on a baking sheet. Cook the remaining chicken the same way, adding more oil as needed.
    4. SAUCE: Wipe down the skillet to remove any residue (or you can also do this in another pan.) Add the lemon juice, chicken stock, garlic, and red pepper flakes to the pan. Kick the heat up to high to gain a simmer, then reduce the sauce for 2 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low, add in 1 tablespoon of butter, swirl the pan or whisk to help the butter melt into the sauce. Repeat this method with the remaining butter, adding 1 tablespoon at a time. Take your time, don’t rush this! When the butter is completely incorporated, stir in the parsley and serve warm drizzled over the cutlets.

Notes

  • Panko: is a Japanese breadcrumb usually found in the baking aisle.
  • Chicken: You can also use six small chicken breasts or large tenders, be sure to pound with a mallet so they cook more evenly. Using whole chicken breasts instead of thin cutlets may increase the cooking time.

Have you made this recipe?

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