Crispy Chicken Cutlets with Herbed Rice & Gravy

A dinner plate heaped with rice and gravy topped with a crispy baked chicken cutlet.

5 from 57 votes

Crispy Chicken Cutlets with Herbed Rice & Gravy

Crispy golden chicken cutlets paired with herbed Carolina Gold rice and pan gravy is a match made in heaven! This recipe elevates classic Southern flavors into a comforting, hearty dish that's perfect for a weeknight meal or family get-together.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Author: Jenny DeRemer

Cost: $3.79 per serving

Equipment

carbon steel skillet or a cast iron skillet
rimmed baking sheet
wire whisk

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

US Customary - Metric

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