James Briscione's Breaded Chicken with Buttermilk Ranch, as seen on Food Network Kitchen.
Recipe courtesy of James Briscione

Breaded Chicken Cutlets with Buttermilk Ranch Salad

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  • Level: Easy
  • Total: 40 min
  • Active: 40 min
  • Yield: 4 servings
These crispy chicken cutlets will have your kids begging for it on repeat. Mixing the breading ingredients and stirring up the buttermilk ranch dressing are great ways for small hands to help with dinner prep!

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Whisk 2/3 cup of the buttermilk, the sour cream, dill, chives, 1/2 teaspoon of the garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon of the onion powder, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a medium bowl until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  2. Cut the chicken breasts in half through the middle so that it looks like you are opening up a book, making 4 roughly equal pieces (they should look like thinner chicken breasts). Place a chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap, drizzle with some canola oil to keep the plastic wrap from sticking, and pound out to 1/4-inch thick. Repeat with the other 3 chicken breasts. Sprinkle each breast with salt and pepper.
  3. Set up a standard breading station: Mix the flour, 2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper in a shallow dish or pie plate. Beat the eggs with the remaining 1/3 cup buttermilk, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a couple grinds of pepper in a second shallow dish or pie plate. Mix the panko, remaining 2 teaspoons garlic powder, remaining 2 teaspoons onion powder, 2 teaspoons salt and a generous amount of pepper in a third shallow dish or pie plate.
  4. Dredge one piece of chicken in the flour mixture, turning to coat evenly. Shake off any excess then dip into the egg mixture, turning to fully coat both sides. Let the excess egg drip off, then press firmly into the breadcrumb mixture, turning to coat on both sides and packing the crumbs into any crevices. Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining pieces.
  5. Line a clean baking sheet with paper towels or a rack. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 pieces of chicken and cook until the breading is golden brown and crisp and the chicken is just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to the baking sheet lined with paper towels or a rack. Sprinkle with salt while the chicken is still hot. Wipe the skillet clean if necessary and repeat with more oil and chicken.
  6. Toss the romaine with the buttermilk ranch, Parmesan and a large pinch of salt. Serve the chicken alongside the salad, sprinkle with more Parmesan if desired.