Newsletter
Kid Food
family dinner

For the Crispiest Breaded Chicken, I Never Use the 3-Step Breading Method

Christine GallarySenior Recipe Editor
Christine GallarySenior Recipe Editor
After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, I worked at Cook's Illustrated and CHOW's test kitchens. I've edited and tested recipes for more than 15 years, including developing recipes for the James Beard-award winning Mister Jiu's in Chinatown cookbook. My favorite taste testers are my husband, Hayden, and daughter, Sophie.
published about 2 hours ago
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
overhead shot of a platter full of chicken milanese cutlets
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter

As much as I love a classic chicken Parmesan, I’ve never been a fan of its traditional three-step breading process. The ingredients never get completely used up and have to be tossed afterward, plus there are lots of dishes to wash. A few years ago, I saw a tip in America’s Test Kitchen’s Best Chicken Parmesan recipe that streamlined that process in a super-smart way. Ever since then, I’ve used this two-step breading method on everything from zucchini fries to Scotch eggs, and I always come back to it when I want to make the crispiest breaded chicken cutlets.

Why I Never Use the 3-Step Breading Method

The traditional three-step breading method goes in the following order: flour, beaten eggs, breadcrumbs (or your choice of crispy breading). When the flour and eggs come in contact with each other, they form a sort of “glue” that helps the breadcrumbs stick to the chicken and turn into a crust. The problem is that you need three dishes for the process, and you end up throwing out a lot of the eggs and flour after. Not to mention your hands tend to get goopy after doing a few rounds of flour and egg coating.

The technique I now use is to whisk just a spoonful of flour and an egg together to make a smooth “glue.” Just this small amount of “glue” can stretch to coat a few pieces of chicken, and leaves you with not much left over. From there, coat in the breadcrumbs as you usually do. This coating always cooks up golden-brown and crispy, and you only have to wash two dishes afterward! 

How to Do the 2-Step Breading Method Instead

  1. Make the “glue.” Whisk 1 large egg and 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour together in a pie plate or shallow dish until smooth.
  2. Bread the chicken. Place the breadcrumbs in a second pie plate. Coat the chicken in the egg mixture first, letting the excess drip off. Place in the breadcrumbs and flip until evenly coated. 

Tips for Using the 2-Step Breading Method

  • 1 large egg plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour will coat about 4 chicken cutlets. Scale up the “glue” as needed if you’re making larger batches or need more.
  • If you usually add spices or seasonings to the eggs or flour, add some of it directly into the “glue.”
  • Use this technique for coating other proteins like pork chops or fish, or use it to coat zucchini fries or onion rings.

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: For the Crispiest Breaded Chicken, I Never Use the 3-Step Breading Method

More to Love from Cubby