Breaded cutlet facts for kids
A breaded cutlet is a yummy dish made from a thin piece of meat that's covered in breadcrumbs or a special batter. After that, it's either fried until crispy or baked in the oven. You might know it by different names around the world! For example, it's called schnitzel in German-speaking countries, cotoletta in Italy, escalope in France, milanesa in Latin America, and katsu in Japan and Korea.
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Different Kinds of Breaded Cutlets
There are many delicious types of breaded cutlets, each with its own special twist!
Chicken Fingers
Chicken fingers, also known as chicken tenders, are a popular American dish. They are made by taking a smaller part of the chicken breast, covering it in breading, and then deep-frying it until golden and crispy. They're often served with dipping sauces.
Chicken-Fried Steak
Chicken-fried steak is an American dish that might have come from German and Austrian immigrants in Texas. It's a piece of beef steak, made tender and then coated in seasoned flour before being fried. It's usually served with mashed potatoes, and both are covered in a creamy white gravy. It's called "chicken-fried" because it's cooked in a similar way to fried chicken.
Chicken Kiev
Chicken Kiev is a famous breaded cutlet dish, especially popular in countries that were once part of the Soviet Union. It's made by taking a boneless chicken breast, flattening it, and then wrapping it around cold butter mixed with garlic and herbs. After that, it's breaded and either fried or baked. When you cut into it, the melted butter inside just oozes out!
Cordon Bleu
Cordon bleu is a fancy breaded cutlet. It can be made with veal, chicken, or pork. The special part is that it's stuffed with ham and cheese before being breaded and then fried or baked. It's a delicious surprise inside!
Cotoletta
The cotoletta comes from Italy, specifically from Milan, and is very similar to the famous Wiener Schnitzel. However, a traditional cotoletta is often cooked with the rib bone still attached.
In Spain, a breaded cutlet is often called escalope milanesa when served in restaurants with fries and lemon. If it's in a sandwich, it's simply called filete empanado. It's usually made from veal or beef.
Kotlet Schabowy
The Polish kotlet schabowy is like the Austrian schnitzel but is made with pork tenderloin. It's usually served with potatoes and a fresh salad, often made with pickled cabbage. There are also chicken versions called kotlet z kurczaka and turkey versions called kotlet z indyka.
Kotleta
In Russia and Ukraine, the word kotleta usually means a pan-fried patty made from minced (ground) meat. These patties often include bread soaked in milk, onions, garlic, and herbs, and sometimes they are covered in breadcrumbs.
A special kind of Russian kotleta is the Pozharsky cutlet. This is a fancy version made from minced poultry (like chicken or turkey) and covered in breadcrumbs. Butter is added to the minced meat, which makes it extra juicy and tender.
Otbivnaya
Another Russian cutlet is called otbivnaya, which means "beaten cutlet." This is a slice of meat, usually pork or beef, that's flattened with a hammer. Then it's covered in beaten eggs, dough, or breadcrumbs and fried. It's very similar to a schnitzel.
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Breaded minced kotlety
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Pozharsky cutlet served with sautéed potatoes
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Otbivnaya kotleta
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Kotleta po-kievski (Chicken Kiev)
Milanesa
The milanesa is a very popular breaded cutlet in many parts of the world, especially in South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Its name means "from Milan," showing its Italian roots.
Milanesa in South America
In countries like Argentina, Uruguay, and Venezuela, the milanesa is a common dish. It's usually made from beef or veal, dipped in egg, then breadcrumbs, and fried. A special version called milanesa napolitana is topped with ham, melted mozzarella cheese, and tomato sauce.
In Brazil, it's called filé à milanesa. It's often served with rice, beans, mashed potatoes, or French fries. There's also a parmigiana version, which has tomato sauce, ham, and melted cheese on top.
In Colombia, it's called milanesa or chuleta valluna, and it's made with a thin piece of pork. In Chile, it's known as escalopa and can be made from beef, pork, or chicken.
Milanesa in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean
In Cuba, it's called steak milanesa and is a thin sirloin steak, breaded and fried, often with tomato sauce and melted cheese. If it doesn't have the sauce, it's called bistec empanizado.
In Mexico, thin slices of breaded and fried meat, called milanesa, are popular in tortas (sandwiches). They can be made from beef, pork, or chicken.
In Panama, the breaded cutlet is also called milanesa. It's usually made from thin beef or chicken fillets, seasoned, dipped in egg, and covered with flour or breadcrumbs before frying. People often squeeze lime juice on top and eat it with white rice and other side dishes like salad or beans. It's also used to make sandwiches called emparedado de milanesa.
Panado
In Portugal, a breaded cutlet is called bife panado or just panado. It can be made with chicken, turkey, pork, or veal. The meat is often seasoned with black pepper, garlic, and lemon juice. It's commonly served with spaghetti, fried potatoes, or rice. It's also popular as a sandwich in a bun.
Parmesan
In North America, chicken parmigiana is an Italian-American dish. It's a breaded chicken breast topped with tomato sauce and melted mozzarella, Parmesan, or provolone cheese. It's often served with pasta or as a sandwich.
In Australia, chicken parmigiana is a very popular meal in pubs, usually served with chips (French fries) and salad.
Parmo
In Teesside, England, there's a unique breaded chicken or pork dish called "parmo." It's served with a creamy béchamel sauce and grilled cheese on top. It can be a main meal or a popular takeaway snack, sometimes topped with vegetables or extra meat.
Scaloppine
Scaloppine is an Italian dish made from thin, breaded cutlets of meat, usually veal or chicken. They are pan-fried and served with a special sauce.
Schnitzel
Schnitzel is a famous breaded cutlet dish, especially well-known in Austria and Germany. It's made by flattening a boneless piece of meat with a hammer, covering it in breadcrumbs, and then frying it.
The most famous type is Wiener Schnitzel (Viennese schnitzel), which is always made from veal. It's traditionally served with a slice of lemon and either potato salad or potatoes with parsley and butter. In Austria and Germany, the name Wiener Schnitzel is protected by law, meaning it must be made from veal.
Tonkatsu
In Japan, tonkatsu is a deep-fried pork cutlet that's breaded with a special kind of breadcrumb called panko. Katsu can also be made with other meats, like chicken katsu, gyū katsu (beef), and menchi-katsu (a ground meat patty). Katsukarē is a Japanese curry dish that has tonkatsu on top.
In Hawaii, chicken katsu is a common part of the local food. In Korea, pork cutlet is called donkasu, which comes from the Japanese tonkatsu.
In China and Taiwan, pork cutlets are called zhu-pai and are a popular restaurant dish, influenced by Japanese cooking. They are usually served with rice and vegetables. Another type in Taiwan, ji-pai, is made from chicken and is often found in night markets.
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A tonkatsu restaurant in Tokyo, Japan
