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I love a good chicken cutlet. There is something so perfect about a thinly sliced, seasoned, breaded, and fried piece of chicken breast that never gets old. From chicken sandwiches and chicken parm to a la carte or sliced on a salad, there are so many ways to devour one. My favorite local spot for chicken cutlets in Philly is Cafe Carmella, a little Italian restaurant with a legendary cutlet. I also love the chicken cutlets at Wegman’s, available fresh or frozen. However, there are lots of national chains and sit-down and fast-food restaurants that also nail the dish. Here are 8 chain restaurants with the best fried chicken cutlets.
Maggiano’s Little Italy Chicken Cutlet
Maggiano’s/Instagram
Maggiano’s Little Italy serves up crisp Italian-style comfort with its chicken cutlet. One Yelper described the chicken parm as having “delicious the thin crispy cutlets, but still very tender juicy chicken,” in a review. “Tender, moist, slight crisp from the breading, just a perfect beautiful chicken cutlet,” adds another reviewer on Facebook.
The Cheesecake Factory Chicken Cutlet
The Cheesecake Factory
The Cheesecake Factory Crispy Chicken Costoletta dish is the perfect example of crispy, breaded breast of chicken done right. The cutlet is lightly breaded and sauteed to a crisp golden brown and served with lemon sauce, mashed potatoes, and fresh asparagus. “Cheesecake factory also has Chicken Costoletta, which is thin chicken cutlets with a crispy coating served with lemon sauce. It is my favorite dish at that restaurant,” one Redditor says.
Popeyes Chicken Cutlet Sandwich
Popeyes
Popeyes’ Cajun crisp chicken filet is legendary: a juicy, crispy fillet made from 100% real chicken. “When it’s fresh, it’s better than Chick-fil-A,” one Redditor said. The spicy, crunchy crust, buttery bun, and tangy mayo have built a cult following. “I like the Popeyes sandwich better when they nail it, but I don’t know if I’m gonna get fresh and delicious or soggy and cold,” another adds. “When it’s made properly and fresh it blows every other chicken sandwich away,” a third agrees.
Chick-fil-A Chicken Cutlet
Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A’s 100% whole breast meat chicken, hand-breaded and pressure-cooked in refined peanut oil, is what makes its signature sandwich, the Chick-fil-A Original Chicken Sandwich, a legend. The juicy, crunchy item contains no fillers or artificial preservatives in the chicken.
Culver’s Classic Crispy Sandwich
Culver’s
Midwestern chain Culver’s is best known for its ButterBurgers. But its chicken sandwiches, especially the Culver’s Classic Crispy Sandwich, are super delicious. “Culver’s is up there,” one person commented. It starts with a whole white-meat chicken breast, coated in Southern-style breading seasoned with garlic, onion, and a dash of cayenne. Our reviewer is a big fan, attesting that it delivers “a nice crisp” and also “juiciness,” she says.
Jollibee Original Chicken Sandwich
Courtesy of Jollibee
Jollibee is another fried-chicken place serving delicious sandwiches. The Original is a “crispy, juicy hand-breaded chicken breast fillet,” which diners are obsessed with. “I just tried Jollibee since they opened a site in Philadelphia. Chicken was tender and juicy. Not oversalted,” one writes. “It’s fantastic. No joke. I’m very glad I don’t live near one. I would gain enough weight be able to eat at Heart Attack Grill for free,” writes another.
Chunky Boss Chicken Cutlet
Chunky Boss/Instagram
With locations in New York, Chicago, and Texas, Chunky Boss is a Taiwanese fried chicken chain considered a “cutlet specialist.” One New York diner called it the “best chicken cutlet ever, so yum and juicy with hug portion,love love love!” People are also impressed with the size of it. “The cutlet is huge, bigger than my hand and feels heavy. The sweet chili flavor is delicious and saucy, and the breading is very crispy,” one New York Yelper says.
Shake Shack Chicken Shack
Shake Shack
Burgers are usually the draw at Shake Shack, but I will die on the hill that the Chicken Shack is in a league of its own. The sandwich, a crispy, super juicy white-meat chicken breast, is topped with lettuce, pickles, and buttermilk herb mayo, and served on a toasted potato bun.
Leah Groth
Leah Groth is an experienced shopping editor and journalist for Best Life and Eat This, Not That! bringing readers the best new finds, trends, and deals each week. Read more about Leah
