Easy Chicken Cutlets for Two with a Quick Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce
I admit it. I’ve never really liked chicken breast. My husband does however, so I set out to find a recipe that I could love too. I wanted chicken breast that wasn’t bland and dry. Cooks Illustrated had a recipe that was super simple with very little time investment and it turns out that’s the trick. Cooking chicken cutlets should only take a few minutes or you start getting into that dry territory. Having the cutlet tender was one thing but I still want flavor and lots of it! The quick sun-dried tomato sauce is THE answer to flavorful and NOT boring chicken! You can make the sauce during the weekend and just toss it in the fridge and when you’re ready to saute the chicken cutlets during the week you can have dinner on the table in nothing flat!
This sauce is loaded with flavor and only takes about 5 minutes to put together. You’ll start with oil-toasted bread and pine nuts which add richness and texture. Next you’ll add in some no-cook ingredients to build up the sauce and then finally add in fresh herbs and spices for a boldly flavored sauce.
For the chicken breast you’ll need to slice them in half horizontally and then pound them between two sheets of plastic wrap to about 1/4 inch thickness. It’s easier to slice the breast if you freeze them for about 15 minutes first. All you need for seasoning is salt and pepper and then a quick two minute saute in hot oil set over medium-high heat, don’t add the chicken until the oil is starting to smoke though. Once you place the cutlet in the pan don’t touch them for two minutes so they get nice and browned. Flip them over for a minute more. Remove them to a plate and loosely tent them with foil for 5 minutes before serving.
I’m so glad I found a chicken breast recipe that I could love! This one’s just too easy not to try, so make it for dinner and let me know what you think!
- 1/4 slice hearty white sandwich bread, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, sliced thin
- 1/2 small tomato, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed
- 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- Salt
- 2 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed, halved horizontally, and pounded 1/4 inch thick
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- Heat bread, pine nuts, and 2 teaspoons oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat; cook, stirring constantly, until bread and pine nuts are lightly toasted, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer bread mixture to a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped, about 5 pulses. Add tomato, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 2 teaspoons oil to food processor. Pulse until finely chopped, 5 to 8 pulses. Transfer to bowl and let stand, at least 10 minutes.
- Pat the cutlets dry with paper towels and sprinkle each side of each cutlet with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Place the cutlets in the skillet and cook without moving them until browned, about 2 minutes. Flip cutlets and continue to cook until second sides are opaque, about 1 minute longer. Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with aluminum foil. Let stand for 5 minutes. Serve with sauce.
- Rinse the jarred sun-dried tomatoes for the best flavor.
- Sauce can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated in airtight container.
Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich with Slaw and Spicy Aioli for Two
I was feeling sorry for myself because there are no Chik-Fil-A restaurants close to where I live now. When I lived in Florida I was a regular there and I was really starting to crave one, so I set out to find the best chicken sandwich recipe ever! I found it. This isn’t anything like the Chik-Fil-A sandwich though, it’s way better. I would even say that once you try this chicken sandwich you will measure every other chicken sandwich by this one! It’s a towering sandwich once all of its components are assembled on top of one another and just looking at it made me happy! 🙂
First, lets talk about the slaw. If you’ve been eating it on the side with your meal it’s time for a new rule: Slaw doesn’t go with the sandwich, it goes on the sandwich. This slaw isn’t mixed with heavy mayo either, it’s crunchy with a bright acidic kick that really balances the more fatty goodness of the meat and aioli.
Next we’ll talk about the chicken! It’s dredged in seasoned flour, then dipped in buttermilk and then back in the flour again. When you bite into this there is an audible crunch. There’s no sign of soggy breading here! The bread and butter pickles add the right sweet and tanginess to the aioli which is only slightly spicy…just enough to keep you wanting more. The bun is buttered and then grilled on a skillet to golden perfection! All of these parts add up to one unbelievably great chicken sandwich! I promise!
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 to 1 tablespoon Louisiana-style hot pepper sauce
- 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 to 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced, depending on how hot you like it
- 2 cups thinly sliced cabbage
- 1/2 cup bread-and-butter pickle slices, plus 1/8 cup pickle juice
- 1 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper, don't skimp!
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, if the are very thick then use just one and halve it crosswise.
- Peanut or vegetable oil (for frying)
- 2 white sandwich rolls
- 1 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- Mix garlic, mayonnaise, and hot pepper sauce in a small bowl; cover and chill. Toss onion, jalapeño, cabbage, pickles, and pickle juice in a large bowl to combine; cover and chill.
- Whisk flour, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a shallow bowl. Pour buttermilk into another shallow bowl. Working with 1 piece at a time, dredge chicken in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Dip in buttermilk, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Dredge again in flour mixture, shaking off excess.
- Pour oil into a large heavy skillet to a depth of 1/2". Prop deepfry thermometer in oil so bulb is submerged. Heat over medium heat until thermometer registers 350°F.
- Fry chicken until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a wire rack set inside a baking sheet; season with salt. Spread cut sides of rolls with butter. Heat another large skillet over medium heat. Cook rolls buttered side down until browned and crisp, about 1 minute.
- Spread with spicy mayo. Build sandwiches with rolls, chicken, and cabbage slaw.
- If you have a deep fry thermometer use it to measure the temperature of the oil.
