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Sauteed Chicken Breast Cutlets

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on September 19, 2011

Time

15 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Sauteed Chicken Breast Cutlets

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds), rinsed and dried thoroughlySalt and ground black pepper ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter 1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil

Instructions

  1. Generously season both sides of each breast with salt and pepper and dredge one at a time in flour placed in a shallow dish; shake gently to remove excess flour and set aside. Heat butter and vegetable oil in 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat, swirling to melt butter. When foam subsides and butter begins to color, place cutlets in skillet, skinned side up. Reduce heat to medium-high and sauté without moving until nicely browned, about 4 minutes. Turn cutlets over and cook on other side until meat feels firm when pressed and clotted juices begin to emerge around tenderloin, 3 to 4 minutes. If preparing pan sauce (see related recipes), transfer cutlets to plate, cover loosely with foil, and keep warm in 200-degree oven.
Sauteed Chicken Breast Cutlets

Sauteed Chicken Breast Cutlets

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

15 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds), rinsed and dried thoroughly
Salt and ground black pepper
¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds), rinsed and dried thoroughly
Salt and ground black pepper
¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds), rinsed and dried thoroughly
Salt and ground black pepper
¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil

Why This Recipe Works

Nothing dresses up a chicken breast recipe like a quick pan sauce. We found that the best way to create a flavorful sauce was to make use of the fond, those bits of meat and traces of juice that caramelize on the pan surface during cooking and are loaded with flavor. The easiest way to release that flavor into a sauce was to use a liquid to lift off and dissolve the fond in a process known as deglazing. We used wine, water, juice, brandy, stock, vinegar, or a combination thereof to create a variety of flavorful pan sauces, boiling down the liquid to reduce and thicken.

Instructions

  1. Generously season both sides of each breast with salt and pepper and dredge one at a time in flour placed in a shallow dish; shake gently to remove excess flour and set aside. Heat butter and vegetable oil in 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat, swirling to melt butter. When foam subsides and butter begins to color, place cutlets in skillet, skinned side up. Reduce heat to medium-high and sauté without moving until nicely browned, about 4 minutes. Turn cutlets over and cook on other side until meat feels firm when pressed and clotted juices begin to emerge around tenderloin, 3 to 4 minutes. If preparing pan sauce (see related recipes), transfer cutlets to plate, cover loosely with foil, and keep warm in 200-degree oven.

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