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My family’s Beef Cutlets recipe embraces the spirit of the Italian cotoletta: thin, tender meat with a perfectly golden crust. If you are looking for a quick and delicious meal, these beef cutlets are the answer. Thinly sliced beef coated with Italian breadcrumbs and fried until crispy.
🥩 Why You’ll Love Beef Cutlets
Easy to prepare: with a very simple ingredient list, these beef cutlets (aka beef cotoletta) are so easy to make.
Ready in 30 minutes: from beginning to end, this recipe won’t take you longer than 30 minutes.
Pairs well with just about anything: pasta, rice, potatoes or a simple house salad, these cutlets pair perfectly with a variety of side dishes.
🗒 Ingredients You’ll Need To Make Beef Cutlets
Vegetable oil: has a high smoke point, making it ideal for frying. Meaning, it can reach high temperatures without burning the cutlets.
Beef cutlets: top round steaks, minute steaks, eye of round steak are all great options.
Italian seasoned breadcrumbs: will provide the crispy coating, and golden crunch.
Flour: a good flour base reduces the chances of the breading falling off during frying.
Italian parsley: adds a brightness and herbaceous flavour.
Eggs: acts as a glue for the breadcrumbs to adhere to.
Garlic powder: adds a subtle spice and garlic flavour to every bite.
Lemons: optional to garnish.
👀 How To Make Beef Cutlets
- Prepare the beef: place your beef cutlets between two pieces of parchment paper and using the textured part of a meat mallet gently pound each piece of beef until thin.
- Season: both sides of your beef cutlets with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- Prepare the bowls: one with the eggs, one with the flour, and one with the breadcrumbs and parsley.
- Assemble: dredge each beef cutlet in the flour mixture, then into the beaten eggs, then into the breadcrumbs.
- Fry: carefully add the breaded cutlets into the hot oil and fry for 2-3 minutes per side.
👉🏻 Tips when making this beef cutlets recipe
- Don’t overcrowd the pan: ensure theres enough space between each cutlet. Overcrowding can cause the oil temperature to drop which will result in soggy cutlets.
- Cool on a wire rack: after frying, allow the cutlets to cool on a wire rack for a few minutes. Allowing them to cool will help them stay crispy rather than soaking up the excess oil.
- Finish with salt: once you’ve transferred the cutlets to a wire rack, finish them with a sprinkle of flaky salt.
🗒️ Variations & Substitutions
Frying oil: oils that have a high a high smoke point that can be used are: peanut oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, or grapeseed oil.
Meat variation: swap the beef with thinly sliced chicken.
🤝 Pairs Well With
- Simple House Salad
- Cacio E Pepe Orzo
- The Best Caesar Salad You’ll Ever Have
- Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Roasted Pepper Salad
🤔 FAQ’s
Firstly, pound the beef thin and pat to dry. Next, ensure you press the cutlets into the breadcrumb mixture well. Finally, allow the cutlets to cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before serving.
The general rule is you want to use oils that have a high smoke point. For instance: peanut oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, or grapeseed oil.
Firstly, achieving the right oil temperature for cutlets is important. To begin with, use a thermometer and once the oil reaches about 350°F, you can begin to fry. Alternatively, add the back of a wooden spoon directly into the oil, and if it begins to boil, it’s ready to fry.
Yes, you can! To begin with, preheat your oven to 400°F. Following that, prepare your breaded cutlets and add to a lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. Afterwards, allow the cutlets to cool on a wire rack for a few minutes.
🍴 Leftovers? Lucky you.
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat simply microwave for 30-45 seconds or bake in a 375°F oven for 15-20 minutes or until warm throughout.
👩🏻🍳 Hungry For More?
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Italian Chicken Cutlets
- Yogurt Marinated Chicken
- Caramelized Onion Pasta
- Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry
- Best Chicken Marinade
💌 Let’s Stay Connected
Keep in touch with me on Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest! If you do make this recipe (or any recipe of mine) don’t forget to leave a review.
Beef Cutlets
Equipment
- 1 Large frying pan
- 1 cooling rack
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegetable oil, see notes below
- 8 beef cutlets, thinly sliced, see notes below
- 1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped fine
- 2 eggs
- salt
- pepper
- garlic powder
- lemon wedges, optional to garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the beef: place your beef cutlets between two pieces of parchment paper and using the textured part of a meat mallet gently pound each piece of beef until thin. About 1/4 inch thick.*This helps tenderize the meat.
- Season: both sides of your beef cutlets with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- Prepare the bowls: one with the eggs, one with the flour, and one with the Italian seasoned breadcrumbs and fresh Italian parsley.
- Assemble: dredge each beef cutlet in the flour mixture, ensuring both sides are evenly coated. Shake off any excess flour. Dip the floured cutlet into the beaten eggs, allowing any excess to drip off. Lastly, press the egg-coated beef cutlet into the breadcrumb mixture ensuring both sides are completely covered.
- Heat your pan: to a large deep frying pan add the oil and set to medium-high heat.See notes below for oil recommendations and quantity.
- Fry: carefully add the breaded cutlets into the hot oil in a single layer. Avoid over-crowding. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. The internal temperature should reach 145°F (63°C).
- Allow to cool: on a wire rack for 2-3 minutes.
- Garnish: finish with flaky salt and a few wedges of lemon.
Video
Notes
- The amount of oil you use will depend on the size of your pan. Aim for the oil to be about ½ to 1 inch deep. You want the cutlets to be partially submerged when frying.
- The general rule is you want to use oils that have a high a high smoke point. For instance: peanut oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, or grapeseed oil will all work.
- Top Round, sirloin, eye of round, bottom round or minute steaks are all great options for beef cutlets.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My grandmother was from southern Italy, immigrated to Pennsylvania in the 40’s, and carried these recipes to all generations after her. Now, she would call this Beef Cutlet dish “Rouladen” in our house and would serve this over a bed of homemade mashed potatoes and red sauce.
Delicious, easy to make….perfecto!
Delicious! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you! It’s exactly like my grandma’s too! Makes me feel like home, she used to combine the leftover breadcrumbs and make little cakes that she fried up after all the cutlets were done, so yummy! Always with mashed potatoes and fried green beans. 😊
Perfect recipe!