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A family favorite that everyone loves. Simple breaded chicken cutlets are baked or pan-fried until golden and crisp, then finished with freshly grated parmesan and a drizzle of sweet honey. Easy, casual, and perfect for family dinners, game nights, and movie nights alike. Serve with pasta and a big salad for a relaxed, cozy meal.
As you all know, I’m in Italy for the next couple of weeks. While this recipe has a little Italian inspiration, it’s definitely not traditional. It’s actually inspired by my friend Benny, who always pan-fries his chicken in butter, then finishes it with honey and parmesan.
It’s an unexpected combination, but it’s always so good. He taught me how to make his favorite chicken cutlets last year, and I’m finally sharing my own version with you.
Of course, being in Italy has me full of new ideas (wait until you see the pics from the Parmigiano Reggiano dairy farm). But this felt like the perfect place to start—and I know you’re going to love it.
I’ve included two ways to make the chicken. If you prefer baking, you can follow my simple oven method, which is how I usually make crispy chicken most days of the week.
When I have a little extra time, I love pan-frying the cutlets or tenders in salted butter. It’s truly the most delicious option and absolutely worth the extra effort.
Here are the details
Ingredients
- panko bread crumbs
- regular bread crumbs – benny uses Italian seasoned
- grated parmesan – fresly grated is always best
- garlic powder
- turmeric
- black pepper
- eggs
- boneless chicken tenders or small cutlets
- salted butter
- olive oil
- honey
- flaked sea salt
This is what you need from the Kitchen
You’ll just need a few basic kitchen tools to make this recipe come together smoothly. Grab a baking sheet and some parchment paper, a couple of shallow bowls for breading, and a whisk or fork for the eggs. An oven-safe skillet is key if you’re pan-frying, along with tongs for easy flipping. Finish with a box grater for the parmesan and a sharp knife and cutting board to prep the chicken, and you’re good to go.
The Steps
Step 1: Prepare
Start by preheating the oven and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper to make cleanup easy.
Set up a simple breading station with one bowl for the seasoned crumb mixture and another for the beaten eggs.
Step 2: Dredge and Dip
Dip each piece of chicken into the eggs first, then press it into the crumbs until fully coated on all sides.
Place the breaded chicken onto the prepared baking sheet.
Step 3: Bake the Chicken
If you’re baking, arrange the chicken in an even layer on the baking sheet and drizzle lightly with olive oil.
Bake until golden, crisp, and cooked through, flipping once halfway through if you’d like extra crunch.
Step 4: Pan-Fry the Chicken
If you’re pan-frying, heat butter and olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Once melted and sizzling, add the chicken and cook until deeply golden on the bottom.
Flip, add a little more butter, and baste the chicken as it cooks until crispy and cooked through. Finish in the oven if needed.
Step 5: Finish and Serve
While the chicken is hot and crispy, drizzle it with honey. Then shower with freshly grated parmesan, and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
Serve right away while everything is warm and melty. I love adding a little extra honey on the side for dipping.
The salty parmesan and sweet honey are perfectly balanced, and the chicken stays wonderfully crispy—never too sweet, just delicious.
Looking for more recipes? Here are a few to try:
Baked Crunchy Hot Honey Chicken
Sheet Pan Honey Garlic Chicken and Feta Potatoes
Sheet Pan Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Buffalo Cauliflower with Spicy Tahini Ranch
Lastly, if you make these Crispy Honey Parmesan Chicken Cutlets, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crispy Honey Parmesan Chicken Cutlets
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
- 1 cup regular breadcrumbs
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- salt and black pepper
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 2 pounds boneless chicken tenders
- 2 sticks (1 cup) cold salted butter, cubed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- honey, for drizzling
- flaked sea salt
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.2. In a shallow bowl, mix the panko, breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic powder, turmeric, salt, and pepper. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, add the chicken, and toss to coat.3. Dredge the chicken in the crumbs, pressing to fully coat.4. To bake: Arrange on the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and bake 20–25 minutes, until crisp and golden.5. To pan-fry: Heat an oven-safe skillet over medium heat with 4 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. When shimmering, cook the chicken in batches until golden, 3–4 minutes per side. Add the remaining butter, baste the chicken all over, then transfer to a baking sheet and bake 10 minutes, until cooked through.6. Serve hot, drizzled with honey and finished with parmesan and flaky sea salt.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
These did not turn out for me at all 🙁
Sorry to hear this, Carol. Is there something specific that went wrong? Anyway that I can help? Let me know!
Usually, you don’t fry things in butter because it burns easily. Is there a reason you recommend using butter specifically in this recipe?
Hi Linda,
The butter adds so much flavor to this chicken and the olive oil helps to prevent the butter from burning.
I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try!
Came out delicious! Kids had fun helping me mix the breading mixture. Thank you for a fun weeknight dinner
Hey Kayleen,
Awesome! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your feedback, so glad to hear it was enjoyed!
I don’t see how much milk to add?
Hi Elizabeth,
There’s no milk in this recipe:) Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Served these for my Monday night dinner group. Everyone seemed to enjoy them. I made them as recipe states and oven baked them. They were crispy and tender! I served with a choice of BBQ and CFA sauces. Had them with tater tots and oven roasted Brussel sprouts. Nothing fancy, but really good! 😊
Thanks so much, Joey! Love to hear this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it!
these are DELICIOUS, slightly different taste with the tumeric than our traditional cutlet recipe. The kids were wild for them!
Hey Brodie,
Happy Sunday! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well!
These seem more like tenders than cutlets – is something missing in the instructions?
Hi Katherine,
Yes, I just used chicken tenders to make it easy:) I hope you love this recipe!
I don’t see where you say to cut or pound the meat to make it a cutlet. Am I missing something? Or is that not needed for this? I am used to traditional cutlet meaning so wanted to check before making!
Hi Sara,
So I just used chicken tenders to make it easy:) Let me know if you have any questions!
Hi Tieghan, do you think these would work in the air fryer? Thanks!
Hi Kim,
Sure, I bet that would work nicely for you! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it!
Unfortunately these turned out so soggy and greasy for me despite following the recipe exactly. Maybe it’s the two sticks of butter and olive oil but I was disappointed.
Hi Lara,
Thanks for trying the recipe and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear it was not enjoyed!
Oh no, I think you maybe misread the recipe! It calls for 4 Tablespoons of butter and 2 Tablespoons of olive oil – but only if you’re frying them. If you’re using the oven/bake method, you just drizzle some olive oil over them before baking.
(Just replying to you because I read your comment after sliding my cutlets into the oil and was worried I’d missed something in the recipe because I’ve done that all too often, ha.)
I tried this last night and we loved them!! (I used the frying method). The tumeric added a really nice depth to the flavor and the parmesan gave it that nice umami! Thanks for another great recipe!
The recipe calls for 2 sticks of butter if you pan fry. Did you use the entire cup of butter? Mine didn’t turn out well at all so curious if you tweaked the recipe at all!
Hi Tieghan! If needed, would you recommend holding off on putting the honey and parm cheese until serving from reheated (if you had to make the chicken as meal prep)? This looks amazing!
Hey Marcella,
Thanks so much! Yes, that would work nicely for you! I hope you love this recipe!
I don’t understand why you need 2 sticks of butter. Do you oven bake and pan fry?
Hi Elizabeth,
I provided two different ways to make this recipe. You can oven bake OR pan-fry. Totally up to you!
I hope you love these cutlets!