Crispy Chicken Cutlets with Lemon Parmesan Pasta

This crispy chicken cutlet pasta has perfectly seasoned gluten free chicken cutlets served over a creamy and easy lemon parmesan pasta. This is the dinner recipe you’ll keep coming back to!

Nothing beats a 30 minute dinner that is high protein, flavorful, easy to make AND made with ingredients you probably already have on hand. This chicken cutlet pasta with lemon parmesan sauce is truly all of my favorites wrapped in one!

It’s similar to my lemon chicken pasta but we’re making very thin and crispy pan fried chicken cutlets here instead. This is a family favorite recipe that you will keep coming back to!

Crispy chicken cutlets are one of my favorite things, but they’re hard to find in restaurants because there is usually flour and breading that has gluten. But making your own gluten free version at home is so much more rewarding, I promise.

If you love this recipe, try my high protein nut free pesto pasta or chicken piccata next!

Before we get started…

• Usually when making chicken cutlets, you dip the chicken in flour, then eggs, then breadcrumbs. I find the chicken gets even crispier if you omit the flour step. It makes it faster too! The egg is the key to getting the breading to stick to the chicken, not the flour!
• It only takes about 3 minutes on each side to fry chicken cutlets, so be sure to keep an eye on them so they don’t burn!
• You’ll know the chicken cutlets are done when the internal temperature reaches 165 Fahrenheit.

How to make crispy chicken cutlet pasta

Butterfly the chicken breasts. This means to cut them in half widthwise so you’re creating 4 thinner chicken breasts. When you butterfly, you usually don’t slice all the way through, but in this case you want to end up with 4 pieces.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions. Be sure to reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a shallow bowl.

In another shallow bowl, add the breadcrumbs, spices, salt and pepper. Dunk each piece of chicken into the egg wash on both sides, then dip into the breadcrumbs on both sides.

Heat a skillet with oil over medium heat.

Once hot, add the chicken and cook on both sides for 3 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 Fahrenheit. Set aside.

Wipe out the pan, and then to the same pan, add 1 tablespoon of the butter and melt over medium/low heat.

Saute the shallot for 2-3 minutes, then add in the garlic and saute 1-2 more minutes. Add in the rest of the butter and melt.

Add in the lemon juice and zest. Whisk in the half and half, pasta water, salt and pepper. Add in the parmesan and stir until melted.

Add in your cooked pasta and remove from heat. Toss the pasta with the sauce.

Serve your pasta with the chicken and top and garnish with red pepper flakes, parsley and extra parmesan if desired. Enjoy!

Ingredient swaps & variations

Breadcrumbs. I of course used gluten free breadcrumbs here, but if you are not gluten free, just use regular! Since we are adding our own spices, I suggest just plain breadcrumbs, not Italian.

Parmesan. We need parmesan in both the chicken breadcrumb mixture and in the sauce. You can swap for my homemade cashew parmesan or use a dairy free store bought version if you prefer.

Half & half. I opted for half & half instead of heavy cream to make this sauce a bit lighter. You can use heavy cream if you want it richer, or sub for a dairy free cream – just make sure it is unflavored and unsweetened.

Eggs. Unfortunately, there isn’t a good swap for eggs here. They’re key to ensure the parmesan breadcrumb mixture sticks to the chicken.

My favorite pasta

In terms of shape, I love spaghetti or fettuccine, but penne, rotini or even bow ties work well. If you’re looking to add even more protein, you can try a chickpea or legume based pasta.

Or, if you’re looking to keep this low carb and keto friendly, you can try zucchini noodles in place of regular pasta.

For this recipe, I used a fresh gluten free fettuccine from the brand Taste Republic which I found at Whole Foods.

Easy weeknight dinners to try next!

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