The Chip Dip You Should Be Using On Crispy Chicken Cutlets

To get perfectly golden, crispy chicken cutlets, you could drag your poultry through bowls of eggs and breadcrumbs. But to amp up the flavor with minimal and less messy steps, try dredging your cutlets through your favorite sour cream and onion dip. Not only does the creaminess perfectly bind your chicken to your breadcrumbs, but you'll get a boost of tangy flavor from the sour cream, onion, and garlic involved. And as a bonus, the sour cream's acidic quality will keep the cutlets nice and juicy while they marinate and cook.

All you need to do is thoroughly coat your chicken in a bowl with the sour cream and onion dip right out of the container. Cover everything with plastic wrap and let it marinate in the fridge overnight, then dip each cutlet in a mixture of panko breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and onion powder. When you're done, fry your chicken for up to five minutes on each side until golden and crispy — although the time it takes to cook will ultimately depend on the thickness of each cutlet.

If you don't have a dip you prefer, you can make your sour cream and onion coating from scratch. A typical recipe includes sour cream, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and chives, although some may include mayo or Dijon mustard as well. To lighten this up a little, you could even use Greek yogurt in place of sour cream. 

The easiest and potentially most cost-effective method, however, is to buy a pre-made dip to eliminate all the extra steps. And instead of panko breadcrumbs, try crushing fried green onions for an elevated kick of flavor and texture. Before you slather your cutlets with dip, it's a good idea to make sure they're an even thickness so that they cook evenly. If not, pound them with a meat mallet or a large skillet. Once they've marinated, let them come to room temperature before throwing them in a pan since cold chicken tends to turn out dry once cooked. 

And while you could fry them on the stove, you can also bake them in the oven. Simply layer your dip in a glass baking pan, followed by the cutlets, another layer of dip, and a breadcrumb topping just a few minutes before they're done. Both methods will give you juicy meat, a crunchy crust, and a little tang.