Easy Cornflake-Crusted Chicken Cutlets are tender chicken breasts coated in crunchy cornflake crumbs, made without buttermilk. A simple, 4-ingredient, dairy-free recipe that offers a unique alternative to traditional breading.
Cornflake chicken cutlets are a flavorful, high-protein schnitzel dish that’s perfect for busy weeknight dinners or weekend lunches.
They’re versatile—have them on a plate with sides, tuck them into a pita with fillers, or have them with lettuce on a roll.
Enjoy them plain, with ketchup, or with your favorite dipping sauce.
And they’re kid-friendly.
You can easily create chicken fingers or nuggets by slicing the breast accordingly before coating.
And they’re delicious with French fries.
Plus, chicken has health benefits.
Tip: You can crind or crush the cornflakes into large crumbs, or you can blend them into a powdery consistency.
Another name for chicken cutlets is chicken schnitzels, a name used in Germany, Austria, and Israel.
What is a schnitzel?
The word “schnitzel” comes from German, meaning “cutlet,” and is prepared from fried or baked tenderized slices of meat coated with egg and flour or breadcrumbs.
The story goes that schnitzel was brought to the Austro-Hungarian Empire from Italy in the middle of the 19th century.
Ever heard of the term “Wiener schnitzel” (the “w” being pronounced like a “v”)? Well, apparently, the schnitzel dish of veal coated in breadcrumbs and fried in butter or lard was named after the Austrian city of Vienna somewhere around the turn of the 20th century, and the wienerschnitzel was born!
Then, like today, the dish was often served with fries or mashed potatoes.
Before coating, the meat is either tenderized—using a meat-tenderizing hammer—or just cut into thin slices.
Today, this original dish is prepared and served throughout the world in a variety of ways, using veal, lamb, beef, pork, turkey, or chicken, and may be known by different names (such as breaded veal cutlet, breaded pork chop, or chicken-fried steak).
Not only are cornflakes terrific for coating, but Kelloggs® Cornflakes have a history!
Some useful cooking terms:
What does it mean when recipes say “to taste” about an ingredient?
When recipes say “to taste,” it means that you can put in as little or as much as you like to your own taste. Some recipes have many ingredients that a cook can adjust to their own taste when cooking (not so much when baking though).
The best way to calculate what your taste is with a recipe that you are not yet familiar with is to first taste the dish and then add the “to taste” ingredient GRADUALLY, a little at a time—a splash of this or a pinch of that—until the dish is just the way you like it.
Make sure to stir the ingredient after each time you add it so that the flavor will distribute evenly and become part of the dish. Then taste again. Repeat until you reach your personal preference.
Note: If you plan on using the recipe again, it is highly recommended to make a note of what and how much you added so that you can refer to it next time.
What does it mean when a recipe says that an ingredient is “optional”?
If an ingredient is “optional,” it means that you can add it in or not based on your own preference. An optional ingredient can be flavor-related (i.e., salty, sweet, spicy, etc.), appearance-related (garnish), or even something like nuts or chocolate chips in baking.
What does “savory” mean?
“Savory” refers to foods that are not sweet, such as foods that taste salty, spicy, or herbal.
What cooking measurement expressions mean:
Drop – ¹/₆₄ teaspoon (or less—it’s however a literal drop comes out)
Smidgen – ¹/₃₂ teaspoon
Pinch – ¹⁄₁₆ teaspoon (what you can grab between your finger and thumb)
Dash – ⅛ teaspoon (what comes out when you shake out of a shaker or bottle)
Tad – ¼ teaspoon
Dollop—a glob on a spoon (like with mayonnaise or ice cream)
Scant—a scant cup is almost a cup, just below the line.
Heaping—above the line of the spoon (teaspoon, tablespoon)
Everyday pantry essentials to keep in your kitchen (suggested)
I have found that this list of “essentials” is great to always have on hand in my kitchen and has saved me numerous sudden trips to the store or having to borrow from a neighbor.
Seasoning and flavoring:
- salt (my recipes use regular table salt)
- ground black or white pepper
- granulated garlic or garlic powder (I prefer granulated)
- onion powder
- sweet paprika and/or sweet pepper flakes (paprika is ground dried red pepper, pepper flakes are crushed dried red pepper)
- hot paprika, hot pepper flakes, or cayenne pepper (moderately spicy dried ground chili pepper) for those occasional spicy dishes
- ground turmeric
- ground cumin
- ground cinnamon
- ground ginger
- ground nutmeg
- ground cloves (for pumpkin flavors)
- sugar (granulated)
- brown sugar
- chicken consommé powder / beef bouillon powder (regular or vegetarian)
- onion soup mix
- onion flakes (substitute for fresh onion—3 tablespoons for 1 medium onion).
- various herbs
- additional spices to adapt taste to preference
Misc:
- oil / margarine / butter / cooking spray
- coconut cream as a dairy-free cream substitute
- flavorless milk substitute as a dairy-free milk alternative
- cornstarch as a thickening agent
- flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- bread crumbs or cornflake crumbs (you can make these with your blender or food processor) for coating
- condiments, such as ketchup, mustard, and barbecue sauce
- tomato sauce/tomato paste/canned tomatoes—diced or crushed/pasta sauce
- soy sauce (makes a great flavoring for savory foods)
We always have eggs in the fridge and onions, rice, and potatoes on our shelves, as well as pasta.
In addition, having some fresh vegetables in the fridge, such as carrots, celery, tomatoes, bell peppers (various colors), etc., can be very useful when putting together a quick but delicious meal.
It is also a good idea to have some meat or chicken in the freezer to be able to make dinner in a snap.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I get the cornflake crumbs to stick to the chicken without buttermilk?
This recipe uses egg to help the cornflakes adhere tightly to the cutlets before baking or frying.
Should I use fine or coarse cornflake crumbs?
It depends on your preference. You can grind or crush the cornflakes into large crumbs, or you can blend them into a finer, powdery consistency.
Can I turn these cutlets into chicken nuggets or tenders?
Yes. You can cut the chicken breasts into strips or bite-sized nuggets before dipping and coating them in the cornflakes. Just adjust your cooking time slightly since smaller pieces cook faster.
Are these cornflake-crusted chicken cutlets dairy-free?
Yes. This recipe is dairy-free and makes a delicious, kid-friendly alternative to traditional breaded chicken cutlets.
So, what is needed to make easy cornflake-crusted chicken cutlets?
Even if you don’t want to keep a pantry full of just-in-case ingredients, these are all you need to have on hand to make this recipe!
raw boneless chicken breast
egg
flour
Cornflakes
oil for frying
Chicken nuggets
Ingredients:
24 ounces boneless chicken breast cut into chunks of approximately 1″ x 1 1/2″
1 egg, beaten
1 cup flour
1 cup of ground cornflakes
oil for frying
Instructions:
- Place the flour and ground cornflakes in two separate bowls.
- Then, place the beaten eggs in another bowl (make sure both bowls are large enough to easily accommodate the raw chicken pieces).
- Pour oil into a frying pan so it reaches approximately 1/8 to 1/4 inch high and heat it on medium. (You will know it’s hot enough when you can toss a little bit of cornflakes in and it sizzles.)
- Take a piece of the raw chicken and dip in the flour and then in the egg, coating well. Let the excess egg drip off a bit and then coat well with cornflakes on both sides.
- Gently place in the hot oil.
- Repeat with the remaining chicken chunks. Make sure to leave a little room between the pieces.
- Fry on one side until golden brown, then gently turn and fry on the other. Remove from oil and place on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil and cool.
Easy Cornflake-Crusted Chicken Cutlets Recipe
Easy, delicious, and dairy-free cornflake-coated chicken cutlets.
Ingredients
- Approximately 1 1/2 pounds raw boneless chicken breast sliced into cutlets
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup of ground Cornflakes or 2 cups of crumbled cornflakes *
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Place the flour and ground/crushed Cornflakes in two separate bowls. Then, place the beaten eggs in another bowl (make sure both bowls are large enough to easily accommodate the raw chicken slices).
- Pour oil into a frying pan so it reaches approximately 1/8 - 1/4 inch high and heat on medium. (You will know it's hot enough when you can toss a little bit of Cornflakes in and it sizzles.)
- Take a piece of the raw chicken, dip it in the flour, then dip in the egg, coating well. Let the excess egg drip off a bit and then coat well with Cornflakes on both sides.
- Gently place in the hot oil.
- Repeat with the remaining cutlets. Make sure to leave a little room between the pieces.
- Fry on one side until golden brown, then gently turn and fry on the other.
- Remove from oil and place on paper towel lined plate too absorb excess oil and cool.
Notes
* the bigger the crumbs, the more you will need.
RECOMMENDATION: Have extra extra flour, cornflakes, and an egg aside in case you need more.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 395Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 207mgSodium: 295mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 49g