½cupparmesan cheese crisps - broken into small pieces
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425F and spray a metal sheet pan with oil. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is warm, add the panko breadcrumbs to the pan to toast. Toss frequently until golden brown, about 5-10 minutes. Take care not to burn the panko because it can easily burn
While you toast the breadcrumbs, cut the chicken breasts in half longways so that each one is a thinner fillet. Pound the fillets out just so they lay flat - you don’t need them too thin.
In a shallow bowl, whisk together the egg, ¼ cup mayonnaise, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp chili powder and ¼ tsp smoked paprika. Pour toasted breadcrumbs into a separate bowl.
Set up breading station with the chicken fillets on a cutting board, mayo mixture in one bowl and panko in another.
Using a basting brush, brush a generous amount of the mayo mixture onto the chicken fillets one at a time. Then, press them into the toasted panko so that they are well coated. Place directly on the greased baking sheet
Once all of the cutlets are breaded, place baking sheet in the oven at 425F for 10 minutes. Gently flip the breasts and bake for another 5 minutes. Check for an internal temperature of at least 165F before removing from the oven.
While the chicken cooks, prepare the ranch kale slaw. In a medium mixing bow, whisk together greek yogurt, mayo, apple cider vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, dill and parsley. Pour shredded kale into the bowl and use your hands to massage the ranch into the kale (you can also use tongs, but hands work better)
Melt the butter and hot sauce together in a double boiler or in the microwave at 30 second intervals. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
Brush the hot sauce and butter mixture over both sides of each cutlet while still warm. Top each cutlet with some of the ranch kale slaw and some crumbled parmesan cheese crisps.
Notes
Pound the chicken thin, but not too thin. Thin cutlets are the key to getting the panko golden and crispy at the same time the chicken cooks all the way through. If the chicken is too thick the breading will burn before the inside is cooked.Press the panko on firmly. After dipping the chicken in the egg wash, press it into the panko coating on both sides and really pack it on. The more panko that sticks, the crispier the cutlet will be.Massage the kale. Do not skip this step! Massaging the kale with the dressing breaks down the tough fibers and makes the slaw tender, flavorful, and so much easier to eat.