This crispy chicken cutlet sandwich with black garlic aioli on a toasted Ciabatta bread is so hearty, it’s perfect for lunch or dinner for the whole family. Choose what you will top it with and dig right in.
When it comes to dinner at our house, I try to be creative and not spend as much time in the kitchen and involve my kids in helping me with dinner prep. Usually that means Franchesca is the one helping… the boys are not as interested until they get a whiff of what we are cooking up. I’ve partnered with Kroger to celebrate National Family Meals Month this month.
National Family Meals Month is a nationwide event designed to underscore the benefits of family meals and the challenge for us all to pledge to share one more meal at home per week with our families using items purchased from the grocery store. Providing easy meal ideas for you and your family is the best part of my job, because I get to create fun meals like this to feed my family too.
Here are some great benefits of sharing a meal together with your family :
- Family meals nourish the spirit, brain and health of all family members.
- Regular family meals are linked to higher grades and self-esteem.
- Study after study provides significant, measurable scientific proof about the positive, lifelong benefits of family meals.
- Children who grow up sharing family meals are more likely to exhibit prosocial behavior as adults, such as sharing, fairness and respect.
- With each additional family meal shared each week, adolescents are less likely to show symptoms of violence, depression and suicide, less likely to use or abuse drugs or run away, and less likely to engage in risky behavior or delinquent acts.
- Kids and teens who share meals with their family three or more times per week are significantly less likely to be overweight, more likely to eat healthy foods and less likely to have eating disorders.
Growing up, my parents or at least when my dad was home from work travel, we would share our meals, especially breakfast and dinner together as a family, at the dinner table. We would spend Sunday’s after church with my extended family, creating food together, sitting down at the big table and sharing food together, some of my fondest memories as a child.
To keep the tradition going for my kids, we sit down and eat dinner together every night and talk about our day, sharing interesting parts about the day. Encouraging no electronics at the table too, so they learn to have a conversation with others, no TV playing in the background. Just family meal time. Something I want them to learn and do once they go out their own and have their own families too.
I challenge you to try and share a meal at the dinner table or any table with your family at home this month.
Try it once a week if possible, try all month long or all year long, to spend more time together, sharing a meal. You will see how your relationship will differ once you invest in that time together. Would love to hear about your family dinners in comments below too. 
I picked up everything I needed at my local Fred Meyer, part of the Kroger Family of Stores for this family meal we shared together.
Here is a list of items you will need for this recipe for easy shopping list :
- Simple Truth Organic Free Range Chicken Thighs Boneless & Skinless
- Private Selection Ciabatta Rolls 6ct
- Simple Truth Organic Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- Simple Truth Cage Free Large Brown Eggs Grade AA
- Private Selection Roasted California Garlic Powder
- Spicely Smoked Paprika Seasoning
- Simple Truth Organic Baby Arugula
- Simple Truth Organic Black Garlic Aioli
- Organic – Tomatoes – Heirloom
I made the recipe for four people and then doubled it because it was so good. Make extra for a snack later or top these chicken cutlets on top of mashed potatoes and serve it with a simple salad. And if you haven’t tried the recipe for my pickled onions yet, you will want to make some and top everything with them, so good. Grab the recipe here, you won’t regret it.
Growing up, my mom would make chicken cutlets all the time and it would be on top of some sort of grain or mashed potatoes along with veggies and a salad. So I wanted to take that idea of a childhood memory and turn it into a sandwich for dinner. Easy to throw together and get extra toppings your family loves and dinner is done in less than 3o minutes. I’m all about that.
Prep for this recipe is so easy, I like to use a large ziplock bag to pound out the chicken so there is less to clean up. I love my new meat tenderizer that I also picked up on my shopping trip at Fred Meyer. It’s a pretty stylish one, don’t you think? OK, can I let you in on a secret, I use my meat tenderizer to bang in nails in the wall…because I don’t know where our hammers are and my husband always laughs at me when i do that. But I always know when my meat tenderizer is, in the kitchen. Hahahha. Ok all humor aside. Let’s get down to cooking business.
For the flour mixture, I gave you my basic spices I like to use, but you can make this your own flavors you like more. I think the basic salt, garlic powder is a must and then add in the rest to your liking. I like a little smokey flavor in the mixture personally. Some recipes will call for panko step also, but I don’t like to add in that as a step, keep it simple, my mom never did it. But you’re the boss. Try my version first.
Also, let’s talk about this DELICIOUS Simple Truth black garlic aioli I found when I was browsing the sauce aisle at Fred Meyer. I like having sauces on hand to dress up any sandwich or meal. So easy to make it upscale without spending much time. You should know my love of black garlic by now, so this was a win when I found it. It’s so yummy. Makes this sandwich elevated in flavor.
Here are some other topping ideas for this crispy chicken cutlet sandwich :
- roasted bell peppers
- pickles
- thinly slices cucumbers
- spinach
- cheese
- bbq sauce
Can’t wait to hear what you think of this yummy crispy chicken cutlet sandwich. I hope you family enjoys this delicious dinner idea. More to come this month.
Thank you for supporting the brands that I enjoy working with. This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Fred Meyer. The opinions and text are all mine.
CRISPY CHICKEN CUTLET SANDWICH
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 pinches sea salt
- 2 large eggs, whisked
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 4 chicken thighs, pounded flat, cooked
- 2-3 pinches sea salt, to season chicken
- light olive oil or other high heat oil
- 4 ciabatta rolls, cut in half and toasted
- 4 tbsp black garlic aioli or your favorite sauce
- 2 handfuls fresh arugula or spinach
- 1 large tomato, sliced
- 1 cup pickled onions
INSTRUCTIONS
- For the chicken cutlet : Pound out each chicken thigh pieces until about 1/2 inch flat with a meat mallet. Then cut in half so you get 8 smaller pieces for easier cooking. Season each side with a light sprinkle of sea salt.
- In a flat bowl, combine flour and seasonings together, set aside. In a separate flat bowl, whisk two eggs and a pinch of salt until fully combined, set a side.
- Add enough light olive oil to a pan that the bottom is covered, about 1/4 in deep. Turn stove on medium high.
- Place your flour and egg bowls right next to the stove. With a fork, grab the chicken thighs, drench in the eggs first, then transfer to the flour mixture until fully covered. Carefully place each cutlet into the heated oil in the pan. Cook for 1:30-2 minutes a side or until browned on both sides. They cook pretty fast. This will take you about 2 batches. If you double the recipe, I would recommend changing the oil for the next batch so you don't get the cooked flour, which will look burnt and will not be good. Repeat the same process if you do.
- Place cooked chicken thighs on cooling rack with a dish underneath to let any access oil to drip off.
- To Assemble the sandwiches. Cut the ciabatta rolls, toast, spread the black garlic aioli or your favorite sauce on both sides. Add 1 piece of chicken cutlet, then tomato, then the other piece of chicken, pickled onions if you have some on hand, arugula and the top piece of ciabatta. Press down and then cut in half or keep it whole. Serve with your favorite chips or a side salad. Enjoy!
xoxo,
LENA
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
If you give my CRISPY CHICKEN CUTLET SANDWICH a try? Let me know what you think, rate this recipe in comments below, share it on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Leave a comment and don’t forget to take a picture, tag it with #lenaskitchenblog on Instagram or tag me on my Facebook page! I love seeing what you come up with! Happy cooking.
Husband gave this one a 10/10 – he said it was WAY better than chick-fil-a! These are so easy to put together and seriously so good
My go to recipe.. so good👌🏼
Mouth is watering! Looks so delicious! Love all your write on this post. You really make it feel good healthy family friendly and possible with whatever you have in the house!
Great recipe. Fresh, easy and delicious.