Falafel Chicken Cutlets

Chicken cutlets are just chicken breasts cut in half horizontally for speedy cooking, but we all know they are really the stuff dreams are made of.

Typically, when we think “chicken cutlets,” we think breaded and fried — warm thoughts of crispy, golden brown, fried juicy chicken goodness.  I like a sprinkling of flakey sea salt, a squeeze of lemon, the first bite is pure bliss. Don’t even get me started on a chicken cutlet on a roll with a thick layer of mayonnaise, crunchy iceberg, and a slice of ripe tomato. Heaven!

To be clear, I’m pretty sure I didn’t use the term “chicken cutlets” to refer to this method until I moved to Long Island about 20 years ago.  (Most of the time, people just say “cutlets.” Like “Mom’s making cutlets for dinner.”) Where I’m from, we just would’ve said fried chicken breasts.  There are many names for this tasty treat depending on where in the world you’re from  – like schnitzel, cotoletta, milanesa, and escalope to name a few.

I’m surprised when I hear my New York friends tell me stories of how their moms used to fry up loads of chicken cutlets for dinner every week, because they’re not exactly quick or easy, and they kind of make a mess, but they are so gosh darn delicious, that I get it.  They’re pretty much a sure thing to please every family member too.  I think the key to success is preparation — set up your FEB station (flour, eggs, breadcrumbs), have two big sheet pans, one for the cutlets before they go into the oil, and one for after (I like to put a wire rack on the after pan so that the air circulates for prime crispiness and the bottom doesn’t get soggy).  I also recommend using a splatter screen for your frying pan to cut down on clean up. 

My new favorite iteration of this classic recipe is a Falafel Chicken Cutlet.  Falafel is a Middle Eastern dish, made of a mixture of chickpeas and/or fava beans, herbs, and spices, formed into balls or patties and deep-fried.  (If you visit New York City and would like to try some really good falafel, I recommend Taim.) Most grocery stores sell falafel mix, and for this recipe, I use it in place of breadcrumbs in the traditional cutlet recipe.

The mixture of herbs and spices is so flavorful, and the bean flour gives a unique texture.  I prefer using a meat mallet to pound the chicken breasts into thinner, more tender, versions of themselves, versus cutting them in half, but either way will do. I always serve these with a little salad of arugula and tomatoes (much like chicken Milanese – Italian cutlets!), and an ice cold glass of my Kind of Wild Gruner Veltliner (a classic pairing with schnitzel – Austrian cutlets!).

“Hope your family enjoys this recipe as much as mine does.  It’s truly a victory when I can make one meal that makes us all happy.”

— xo Katie

p.s. I’m including my recipe for my Cornbread Veggie Chili Skillet here as well.  It has absolutely nothing to do with cutlets, but I posted it on my Instagram last week, and many people asked me for the recipe.  One of our faves!

Falafel Chicken Cutlet

Easy 4 Servings 60 Minutes

Ingredients

For the Chicken

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• One (6.3-ounce) box falafel mix
• 4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts, pound to ½-inch thick
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil, for cooking

For the Salad

• One (5-ounce) container baby arugula
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
• 5 to 6 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 4 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

For the Chicken

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Set up a breading station with one shallow plate with the flour, one with the eggs and one with the falafel mix as the breadcrumbs. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Evenly coat the chicken in the flour, followed by the egg; finish with the falafel mix.
2. In a large skillet add a ¼ inch of oil (I like a combination of olive oil and avocado oil). Heat over medium heat until the oil is shimmering. Add the chicken, working in 2 batches and adding more oil if necessary, and cook until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the chicken is cooked to 165ºF, about 10 minutes.

For the Salad

1. In a large bowl, toss the arugula with the herbs, vinegar, lemon juice, and a drizzle of oil. Add the tomatoes and cucumbers and season with salt. Toss to combine.
2. Transfer the chicken to plates and top with the salad. Squeeze over more lemon as desired.

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Feel good food (and wine!) I make this veggie chili all in the iron skillet, then top it with buttermilk cornbread.

It’s rich and hearty, just like our new vintage of @kindofwildwines Cabernet Sauvignon that I paired it with (our wine also happens to be organic, zero sugar, and free from harmful additives and preservatives!).

Veggie Chili Cornbread Skillet

Easy 6-8 Servings 110 Minutes

Ingredients

Chili

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 2 cups medium-diced butternut squash
• 1 small green bell pepper, diced
• 1 small red bell pepper, diced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• Freshly ground black pepper
• One (16-ounce) jar salsa
• One (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• One (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• One (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup vegetable stock

Cornbread

• 1 cup (180 grams) fine-ground yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup (240 milliliters) buttermilk

Instructions

For the Chili

1. Heat the oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add the butternut squash and peppers and cook for about 5 minutes more.
3. Stir in the chili powder, salt, oregano, cumin, and black pepper to taste. Cook until the spices are aromatic, 2 to 3 minutes more.
4. Pour in the salsa, black and pinto beans and tomatoes, scraping any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a simmer.
5. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 30 to 45 minutes.

For the Cornbread

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk to combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and add the melted butter, egg, and buttermilk. Whisk to combine, taking care not to overmix. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure that all the ingredients are incorporated.
3. Use a tablespoon or ice cream scoop to dollop the cornbread mixture over the top of the chili in the skillet. Place the skillet in the oven and bake until the cornbread is golden brown on top, 25 to 30 minutes.