Thin sliced Italian inspired chicken cutlets with a golden crust on the outside and juicy on the inside. 3 Different chicken cutlet recipes that can be made: Gluten Free, Egg Free, Dairy Free or Keto if you prefer a grain free version.
Related: Healthy Chicken Fritters /Pancakes
Gluten Free Chicken Cutlets
A chicken cutlet is a thin sliced chicken breast. You can cut about 2–4 chicken cutlets from one chicken breast, it depends on how big it is.
This method of preparing gluten free chicken cutlets is the same as the original one: the breast meat is pounded until there’s even thinness. Then the cutlet is coated with one type, or a mix of gluten free flours, then egg, finished with or without bread crumbs and fried in a pan.
How To Cut Chicken Cutlets
To get 2 chicken cutlets from a chicken breast, slice it horizontally into two even pieces and you’re done. If the breast is bigger, first slice it in half (diagonally), and each piece slice it again horizontally, so you get 4 pieces.
Gluten Free Chicken Cutlets Without Breadcrumbs
1. Once the chicken cutlets are cut, to flatten, place them between two pieces of cling wrap and using a meat mallet pound the cutlet until it is about 1/4-inch thick or less.
2. Season each cutlet generously with salt, pepper and other spices of your choice, let it sit for 20 minutes, so the flavor can work its way into the meat.
3. Many people first coat the chicken cutlets with flour, then dip them in beaten eggs and as a last step – in some bread crumbs. Then the cutlets are fried in an oiled pan over medium-high heat about 2-3 minutes on each side. But for me, the breading is not very appealing. I like to make a Chicken Francese (also know as Chicken Francaise) inspired version but without that buttery sauce.
The egg being in the outside gives a really awesome golden color and the texture is much lighter and softer. And don’t worry you can barely taste the eggs.
How To Make Gluten Free Chicken Cutlets
- To replace the regular flour you can use gluten free or grain free flours (rice flour, buckwheat flour, sorghum flour, oat flour, cassava flour or almond flour).
- To replace the breading use gluten free crackers or homemade gluten free breadcrumbs. To do that I usually toast my gluten free sourdough bread until is crispy and then using a food processor I pulse until coarse crumbs form.
Chicken Cutlets Without Eggs
You can actually make your favorite chicken cutlets recipe without egg.
Here is what you can use to coat chicken instead of eggs:
- Use a salad dressing, just make sure it’s egg free;
- Sour cream;
- Yogurt or buttermilk;
- If you need it to be dairy free use this Vegan Ranch Salad Dressing or this Dairy Free Italian Salad Dressing;
- Balsamic vinegar mixed with Dijon mustard;
- Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar and honey mixture;
- Tomato puree and spices.
In the picture above, as egg replacement I used a mixture of stone ground brown mustard with apple cider vinegar, fresh minced garlic, dried parsley, olive oil and a touch of vegan mayo.
Baked Chicken Cutlets Alternative
If you don’t want the traditional fried chicken cutlet recipe because of too much oil, don’t worry. Here’s is how to bake chicken cutlets in the oven.
It will give you the same crispy crust on the outside and a tender meat inside. The secret is to rise the temperature to 425 F, then place the breaded chicken cutlets (in the preheated oven) on a wire rack set on a baking sheet.
Bake for 17-25 minutes. If you don’t use any breading as the last coat, make sure you have a non stick surface, like parchment paper or else the wet coating will stick to the wire rack.
Low Carb Keto Chicken Cutlets (Grain Free)
If you are following a dairy free keto diet then replace the gluten free flour with any nut flour.
In this case I used almond flour, that’s what I found in my pantry. First I dipped the chicken cutlets in the egg mixture and then dredged in almond flour.
I also made sure both the egg and flour is seasoned with a little salt. If you can have dairy then you can definitely use some Parmesan cheese mixed with almond flour.
It will enhance the flavor of the finished chicken cutlets tremendously!
Ways To Enjoy These Gluten Free Chicken Cutlets
There are countless of ways, but my favorite things to serve with chicken cutlets is a light creamy coleslaw and roasted vegetables. Alternatively you can add them in a cobb salad as the main meat.
These chicken cutlets can also be sandwiched in gluten free bread buns and topped with lettuce, tomato and a sauce of your choice.
They are also great for large family dinners, parties and finger food for you kids. Since these chicken cutlets can be made in advance they make a great meal prep recipe ready to be used for different meals, lunch or dinner.
If you want to watch exactly how these chicken cutlets are made, I have shared a video below for you.
Video: How To Make Chicken Cutlets 3 Ways (Keto, Gluten, Dairy & Egg Free):
More Chicken Recipes:
- Chicken Salad with Avocado Cranberries & Walnuts
- Healthy Chicken Fritters /Pancakes
- Healthy Stuffed Chicken Roll Ups
- Chicken Liver Patties (Pancakes)
- Spaghetti Squash + Chicken & BBQ Sauce (Whole30, Paleo, Dairy Free)
3 Chicken Cutlets Recipes (Keto, Gluten, Dairy & Egg Free)
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - (~5 oz each, sliced into cutlets and pounded)
- ¾ cup gluten free flour - I used buckwheat flour
- 2 large eggs - (or 3 small)
- 2 tbsp water or plant milk - to thin out the eggs
- 1 cup homemade gluten free breadcrumbs - (optional, you can also make them without breadcrumbs)
Seasonings for the chicken cutlets
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp thyme - dried
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp Himalayan pink salt
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp coriander - dried
- 2-4 tbsp olive oil or grape-seed oil - for frying
Egg mixture substitute for chicken cutlets
- 1 tbsp stone ground mustard
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 3-4 cloves of garlic - minced
- 1 tbsp parsley - dried or fresh
- 1 tsp vegan mayo
- splash of water
- salt + pepper - to taste
Breading Replacement
- ¾ cup almond flour - for keto, low carb option
Instructions
- Prepare 3 separate shallow bowls: 1 with gluten free flour seasoned with a little salt, 2nd with beaten eggs mixed with 2 tbps water/milk, seasoned with a little salt. And 3rd with breadcrumbs (optional) also seasoned.
- In a separate small bowl mix together all the seasonings to coat the meat.
- Pound out chicken cutlets, season the chicken with the prepared seasoning mixture. Let the meat absorb the seasoning flavors for 20 minutes.
For Frying The Chicken Cutlets
- Heat a thin layer of olive oil or grape-seed oil (that has high smoking point) in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Coat each chicken cutlet with gluten free flour (I used buckwheat flour), shaking off the excess.
- Then coat the cutlets in egg mixture then you have 2 options: 1) fry the cutlets without breadcrumbs. The egg being in the outside gives a really awesome golden color and the texture is much lighter and softer. Or 2) after dipping in egg, coat with gluten free breadcrumbs for a more crispy texture.
- Sear until golden and firm, aprox. 3 minutes on each side.
- Repeat with the remaining cutlets, adding more oil to pan (as needed) between batches.
To Bake The Chicken Cutlets:
- Preheat the oven to 425 F. Place the chicken on a baking sheet and spray with olive oil on both sides.
- Bake for 10 minutes, turn each piece over and continue baking for an additional 12 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Baking times vary depending on thickness of the chicken.
To Make Keto Chicken Cutlets:
- Dip the chicken cutlets in the egg mixture and then dredge in almond flour or any other nut flour or seed flour you like. If you can have dairy then you can definitely use some Parmesan cheese mixed with almond flour.
To Make Chicken Cutlets Without Egg
- In a separate bowl mix together the minced garlic, stone ground mustard, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, dried parsley, water, vegan mayo and some salt and pepper to taste.
- Coat the chicken cutlet in the “egg replacement” mixture then coat with gluten free flour (I used buckwheat).
- Place into the heated skillet and brown each side approximately 3-4 minutes.
Video
Notes
Tips For Making Glute Free Chicken Cutlets
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 20 minutes before you’re ready to cook, otherwise the cold meat will become tough and dry when cooked.
- To have a crispy crust and juicy middle, be sure to wait until the oil is just hot enough to sizzle. The immediate sizzle is a sign that the oil is hot enough.
- As soon as each cutlet is done, transfer it to a cooling rack, this will prevent the coating to turn soggy.
- Use a fork to turn over the cutlets (tongs may dislodge the coating);
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator.
If you try these chicken cutlets please leave a comment and star rating below. Your feedback is super helpful for me and readers. Thank you!
More Savory Dinner Recipes:
Healthy Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Recipe
Gluten Free Swedish Meatballs + Dairy Free Gravy Recipe
Baked Sweet Potatoes Stuffed With Savory Filling (Vegan)
Followgram
Friday 26th of July 2019
Think you can't have some of your favorite foods on a keto diet? Think again. These low-carb chicken cutlets will definitely satisfy your craving for fried chicken, and also make an excellent base for a keto chicken parm.
Eva
Tuesday 25th of June 2019
I never thought that leaving out the breadcrumbs will make such great chicken cutlets. A very ingenious way to make them gluten free :)
HealthyTasteOfLife
Wednesday 26th of June 2019
This is how my mother used to make the chicken cutlets, she never used breadcrumbs, and we all liked them a lot!