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It does not get more homey than breaded cutlets fried golden brown and served with a savory pan gravy. Crispy chicken cutlets with herbed Carolina Gold rice and pan gravy is a forkful of Southern comfort!
If you love fried chicken, you won’t want to miss my recipes for oven fried chicken drumsticks and this chicken-fried chicken with country gravy!
Table of Contents
Introduction
Crispy chicken with herbed Carolina Gold rice and scratch pan gravy may not stand out as a fancy dish. Each element of this meal is conventional, but the combination of chicken and rice is the core of Southern cooking. Charleston, South Carolina was built on cotton, indigo, and especially rice. It is said that without rice, the City of Charleston as we know it today would simply not exist.
Pilau (pronounced “per-loo” in Gullah culture) is a quintessential Lowcountry rice dish, traditionally steamed with meat, shellfish, or vegetables in a seasoned broth. This dish is a great example of how Charleston chefs combine European and Lowcountry cuisine in a delicious way.
Ingredients
Wondering what ingredients you need to recreate this simple chicken cutlets and rice with gravy at home? Grab these key ingredients, and you’ll be ready to start cooking!
- Panko Breadcrumbs: These add a wonderful crunch to the cutlet breading! Use fresh homemade breadcrumbs if you want, but they won’t be as crispy.
- Smoked Paprika: For my dish, I used my bourbon smoked paprika. The scant addition of this spice is sweet, a little smoky, and really, really delicious.
- Homemade Chicken Stock: I am always sure to use homemade chicken stock for the most flavorful gravy.
- Carolina Gold Rice: This unique type of rice has been cultivated in the Charleston area for over 200 years and is delicious in this recipe! I like to flavor it with softened, salted butter and fresh chopped herbs from my garden.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Crispy Chicken Cutlets with Rice and Gravy
- Prepare the chicken. Pound the chicken breasts to 3/4-inch thick, then bread each piece by dipping it first in beaten egg, then in the herbed panko mixture. Cook them in a large skillet for 3-5 minutes per side, or until golden. Bake in a 350°F oven until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
- Make the pan gravy. Whisk melted butter and flour in the same skillet you used to cook the chicken, cooking it for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the chicken stock, salt, and pepper and cook until thickened, whisking frequently, about 2-5 minutes.
- Make the herbed rice. Combine the cooked rice with butter, parsley, chives, thyme, salt, and pepper and set aside.
- Plate and serve. Scoop two large spoonfuls of rice onto each plate, then top the rice with one cutlet and a small amount of gravy. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
My chicken cutlets are cooked twice. First, I fry each cutlet in a greased skillet for 3-5 minutes per side, or until the breading is golden and crispy. Then, I bake the cutlets in a 350°F oven until they are cooked through, about 10 more minutes. This means it will take about 13-15 minutes to cook chicken cutlets.
Make sure to shake off the excess egg before dipping it in the breadcrumb mixture. Also, use your hands to press the breadcrumbs onto the egg-coated chicken, as this will help them stick to the egg.
I recommend dipping your chicken cutlets in egg first so the breadcrumb mixture can stick to the meat. Otherwise, the breadcrumbs may not hold to the meat, and will simply become soggy from the egg.
Serving Crispy Chicken Cutlets with Rice and Gravy
I recommend rounding out this simple Southern meal with a light salad, like this marinated fresh fig and mozzarella salad or this strawberry blueberry salad with balsamic vinaigrette. For dessert, serve this with a slice of strawberry pretzel pie for a vintage touch, or opt for something indulgent with this apple bottom bourbon cheesecake instead!
Expert Tips
- Don’t have 6 chicken breasts? Simply use 3 chicken breasts halved lengthwise.
- When making the gravy, use the same skillet that you used to cook the chicken. The flavorful bits remaining in the skillet will make the gravy so much better.
- If the gravy is too thick, stir in up to 1/2 cup more broth, 1/4 cup at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
- Can’t find Carolina Gold rice? Substitute with arborio or basmati rice. Cook the rice according to the package directions, then add 1-2 tablespoons of butter, or enough to make it slightly sticky. I recommend using Carolina Gold rice, though, as it’s what I’ve tested this recipe with.
Other South Carolina Recipes To Try
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Crispy Chicken Cutlets with Herbed Rice & Gravy
Equipment
- carbon steel skillet or a cast iron skillet
Ingredients
For the Chicken Cutlets
- 6 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or 3 chicken breasts halved lengthwise
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons black pepper, divided
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning, or Herbes de Provence
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, such as this bourbon-smoked paprika
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 3 tablespoons good-quality olive oil
For the Pan Gravy
- ¼ cup salted butter, softened
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups homemade chicken stock, or full-fat chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
For the Rice
- 4 cups hot, cooked Charleston Gold rice, or another short-grained white rice
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 tablespoons fresh flatleaf parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
Prepare the Chicken
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Place the chicken breasts between 2 sheets of plastic wrap, and flatten to about 3/4-inch thickness, using a rolling pin or flat side of a meat mallet. Sprinkle chicken with 1 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper.
- Whisk together eggs and milk in a shallow dish. Stir together panko, Italian seasoning or Herbes de Provence, smoked paprika, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in another shallow dish.
- Dip chicken, 1 piece at a time, in egg mixture, shaking off excess; dredge in panko mixture, coating well and pressing to adhere.
- Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large carbon steel skillet over medium. Cook 3 chicken breasts in skillet until golden, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Remove chicken from pan, and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining butter, oil, and chicken.
- Bake the fried cutlets in the preheated oven until chicken is cooked through (has an internal temperature of 165°F), about 10 minutes.
Make the Pan Gravy
- Using the same skillet in which you cooked the chicken, combine the butter and flour over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it's bubbly, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the chicken stock, then add the salt and black pepper.
- Cook, whisking often, until mixture comes to a boil and is smooth and thick, about 2-5 minutes.
Make the Herbed Rice
- Combine the cooked rice with the remaining ingredients in a bowl, stirring until the butter is melted.
Plate the Dish
- Mound 2 large spoonfuls of the herbed rice in the center of each plate. Using tongs, transfer 1 cutlet to each plate, standing the cutlet up on the rice at an angle. Top with a small amount of the gravy. Garnish with additional chopped herbs or handfuls of fresh thyme. Be sure to have the remaining gravy on the table for passing. Enjoy!
Notes
- When making the gravy, use the same skillet that you used to cook the chicken. The flavorful bits remaining in the skillet will make the gravy so much better.
- If the gravy is too thick, stir in up to 1/2 cup more broth, 1/4 cup at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
- Can’t find Carolina Gold rice? Substitute with arborio or basmati rice. Cook the rice according to the package directions, then add 1-2 tablespoons of butter, or enough to make it slightly sticky. I recommend using Carolina Gold rice, though, as it’s what I’ve tested this recipe with.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The chicken turned out perfect, and the herbed rice went very well with it. The whole family loved this meal. So good!
Ethel, thank you so much! I LOVE when readers have a good experience with these recipes – thanks for letting me know 🙂 Jenny
What a lovely meal! We made it quite fast, and the taste was fantastic. Loved the herbs combination, really gave the dish a nice flavor.
Laura, I am so pleased that you enjoyed this meal! It is a quick, super yummy comfort dish that just tics all the boxes, you know? x – Jenny
Made this last night for dinner, hubby devoured it, loved the crispy breading! Having leftovers today for lunch, and keeping this one on rotation 🙂
Sara, I love that you love it!!! Honest to goodness comfort food. x – Jenny
This was my kind of meal! The gravy was perfect with the rice. I couldn’t find Carolina Gold so I used regular rice and it was terrific!
Jennifer, this makes me so happy! If you decide to try this recipe again and wish to use American-grown Carolina rice going forward, I PROMISE it is OUTSTANDING compared to what you have already experienced. I like this brand and also this brand 🙂 I use both all of the time, however you will see that I used the latter in my photographs in the post. Jenny
Yum. yum, yum! I made this last night and it was so good! It’s super easy to make, we loved the spices and the panko makes the chicken super crispy. I will be making this on the regular. Thanks for such a delicious recipe!
Rebecca, this is among my top 5 faves on the website. It just tics all required boxes every single time; flavor, ease of preparation, and nobody pushes away from the table hungry. Thank you for making a point of coming back by to drop this kind comment! Jenny
Thanks for sharing at the what’s for dinner party. Hope you’re having a great weekend.
Just returned to California from vacationing with my sisters in the Charleston, SC, area. Wanted to make my husband a Southern dish and found this one. Very flavorful with the delicious gravy and the chicken was so moist. It is the best! Minnie from The Help couldn’t have done it better, and this one uses healthier olive oil instead of Crisco.
Cathleen, THIS DISH is so representative of Charleston! I am thrilled to hear you made it and enjoyed it! I hope you were able to purchase a bag of Carolina Gold before you left town. Now that you have visited, you know all about our Carolina Gold, I am sure! x – Jenny
I found your recipe after I purchased some Carolina Gold rice at my local (Ohio) specialty grocery store. I will never make anything but Carolina gold rice ever again. Loved your recipe! The best comfort food! The herbs for the rice were perfect!
Ann! I love that you loved this! Carolina Gold, right? Do you know how often I get funny looks from people when I tell them about American grown rice? Thank you for circling back to leave a rating!!! X – Jenny
This looks amazing! Pinned it, stopping by from Lou Lou girls fabulous party!
Well thanks for this sweet visit, Miss Tanya! If I’m honest, it’s the scratch pan gravy that puts the pièce de ré·sis·tance! x – Jenny
I love how you embrace Southern food! This looks delicious – Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party! Hope your weekend is fabulous.