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Clean recipe · cooking.nytimes.com

Crispy Hash Brown Chicken Cutlets

This super-crunchy, potato-crusted take on schnitzel started as a latke-inspired Hanukkah treat, but this version is easy and delicious enough to make year-round. Store-bought frozen shredded hash browns, quickly thawed in the microwave, form the base of the coating. The chicken follows a standard dredging procedure: The cutlets are tossed in flour and dipped in eggs to help the hash browns adhere. Press the chicken right over the hash browns to coat both sides and watch the potatoes instantly cling to the cutlets. Using a large turner spatula makes transferring the cutlets to the frying pan seamless. The result is a juicy chicken cutlet with a crispy potato crust that’ll make you want to go in for another bite.

Original recipe: cooking.nytimes.com

Yield:
4 servings
Prep:
0 hr 10 min
Cook:
0 hr 50 min
Total:
1 hr 0 min
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Ingredients

  1. 1½ cups/202 grams all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
  2. 3 large eggs
  3. Salt and black pepper
  4. 2 teaspoons paprika
  5. 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  6. 6 thin-sliced chicken cutlets (about 1¾ pounds total)
  7. 7 to 8 cups frozen shredded hash browns (about 20 ounces)
  8. Neutral oil, for frying, such as sunflower, grapeseed or avocado oil
  9. ¼ cup mayonnaise
  10. ¼ cup ketchup
  11. 2 teaspoons vinegary hot sauce, such as Tabasco
  12. Salt and black pepper

Instructions

  1. Prepare the dredging station:

    To a small sheet pan or wide shallow bowl, add 1 cup of flour. To a second small sheet pan or wide shallow bowl, add the eggs, a pinch of salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Whisk until combined.
  2. Add the frozen hash browns to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 1-minute intervals, until the potatoes have reached room temperature, 2 to 3 minutes. Place the potatoes on a sheet pan or 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add ½ cup flour and toss to combine.
  3. Season the chicken cutlets on both sides with salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder (or use spice mix of choice instead of paprika and garlic).

  4. Coat all the cutlets:

    Dip the cutlets in flour on both sides. Shake off any excess flour and dip in egg on both sides. Dip in the potato mixture, pressing down the cutlet to ensure the potatoes adhere to both sides until coated (a few small bare patches are fine), then transfer to a lightly oiled baking sheet. (If needed, work with oiled hands when transferring the chicken to prevent the hash brown layer from sticking to your hands.)

  5. Cook the chicken:

    If you’d like, heat the oven to 250 degrees so that you can keep the cutlets warm after you fry them. Set a wire cooling rack on a large baking sheet. Fill a deep 12-inch skillet with 1 ½ to 2 inches of oil and place over medium heat; heat to 375 degrees. (You can test the oil by adding a sprinkle of hash brown mixture: If it simply floats on the surface, the oil is too cold. If it maintains a vigorous sizzle and turns golden in a minute or two, the oil is ready.)
  6. Using lightly oiled hands to prevent sticking, press a cutlet between your palms and press to ensure the potato layer adheres to the chicken. Working in batches, carefully lower the chicken into the oil (A large turner spatula is handy for transferring the cutlets to the frying pan.) You can fry two cutlets at once, but avoid overcrowding.
  7. Fry for about 6 minutes, until the edges and bottom turn golden brown. Carefully flip using tongs (or two sets of tongs for more control) and continue frying for about 4 minutes more, until golden brown on both sides, crispy and cooked through. Adjust the heat as needed to ensure the chicken isn’t browning too fast, maintaining a steady sizzle temperature. (Don’t hesitate to flip the cutlet again if you’d like more browning on the other side.)
  8. Carefully transfer the chicken to the wire rack and sprinkle with salt; transfer to the oven to keep warm if desired. Repeat with remaining chicken.

  9. Make the fry sauce:

    In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, ketchup, hot sauce and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Serve crispy chicken with fry sauce alongside for dipping.