Meow Recipes

Friday, April 4, 2025

Crispy Chicken Cutlets

Crispy Chicken Rules.

And that is just a fact.

These last few months I’ve been in a cooking rut, but apparently I wasn’t bored with cooking – I just needed to be making crispy chicken cutlets for dinner.

Hot, crunchy, salty, begging to be drenched with any kind of sauce (gochujang, for example?! or bang bang?!), but also – they work great plain, for the kids, dipped in ketchup?! They go with any meal? They ARE a meal in and of themselves? Gosh, amazing. These woke me back up in the best way.

When I started on this crispy chicken kick, I was doing a lot of frying. There’s something kind of therapeutic about it. But also, lazy times are real and that’s where the air fryer comes in like the hero it is. While the chicken gets legitimately golden and audibly crispy, I make a quick sauce, maybe our essential simple green salad, and attempt to put the markers and crayons away for the 100th time in a day before sitting down to dinner.

Every time I make this, I’m so glad I did.

Hope you love it. (I am almost positive your kids will sing its praises.)

For more easy dinners, you NEED this page which has all our most popular dinner recipes!

Watch How To Make This Crispy Chicken

Crispy Chicken Cutlets

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Author: Lindsay
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Description

Hot, crunchy, salty, and begging for some sauce! These Crispy Chicken Cutlets are a dinnertime winner.

Ingredients

Units

Crispy Chicken Cutlets

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon salt + freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon hot sauce like Frank’s red hot (a few shakes, optional)
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
avocado oil spray
more salt 🙂

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Instructions

Prep: Slice each chicken breast into 3 thin pieces – start by cutting the tenderloin piece off the back, then cut the remaining chicken breast in half horizontally. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Three Bowls: Use a wide, shallow bowl for each of the following: 1) flour. 2) eggs + hot sauce. 3) panko. Season the flour and panko bowls with 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Dip and Coat: Dip the chicken into the flour; shake off excess. Dip into the egg mixture; let the excess drip off. Press into the panko, turn it a few times, pressing gently, until fully coated. Transfer to a plate. Repeat for all pieces. Spray each piece with avocado oil spray so it’ll get nice and evenly golden for ya.
Cook It Up: Air fry in a single layer at 375 for 6 minutes, then 400 degrees for 2-3 minutes for extra browning. You want an internal temp of at least 165 degrees. I do it in two batches. (Alternate methods listed in the notes.)
You’re done! Hot, crunchy, salty, juicy, thin and delicious. Perfect dipped or brushed with just about any sauce. We love it.

Notes

Breadcrumb options: I’ve also done this with traditional breadcrumbs instead of panko – very similar result, but the breadcrumbs give a bit tighter / finer breading or coating on the chicken. They’re both delicious!

To fry: heat an inch of avocado oil in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add a drop of water; if it sizzles, it’s ready to add the chicken. Place the chicken in the oil and fry for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown and you get an internal temp of 160 degrees.

If you don’t have avocado oil spray for the air fryer, a little drizzle of oil oil over the top will also work! But I like a spritz best for this because you can evenly coat the panko for the most even browning.

To Bake: 400 degrees for 18 minutes (9 minutes per side).

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Category: Dinner
Method: Air Fryer
Cuisine: American

Keywords: crispy chicken, crispy chicken cutlets, chicken cutlets

Frequently Asked Questions For These Crispy Chicken Cutlets

How can I make these in the oven?

Bake at 400 degrees for 18 minutes (9 minutes per side).

Can I fry these instead?

Yep! Heat an inch of avocado oil in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add a drop of water; if it sizzles, it’s ready to add the chicken. Place the chicken in the oil and fry for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown and you get an internal temp of 160 degrees.

Can I use a different type of oil?

Are these spicy?

Not spicy! The hot sauce just adds tang and salt so it won’t make them taste spicy at all. But feel free to skip it.

Can I make this gluten-free?

GF flour and GF breadcrumbs should work just fine!

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Friday, March 21, 2025

A Coffee Date for Spring

Hi! Hello!

My vibes are a little weird this week, to be honest. Seems like a great time to write a bunch of words for the public to read!

I’m really here for two reasons:

Lately I’ve found that the little side chats in my life have been extra life-giving. Usually I don’t even know that I need it, but after I have the chance to connect with someone – even just for a quick little text exchange or driveway chat, suddenly things start clicking again and I feel more like myself.
I’ve been a little stuck lately, food wise and life wise. I’m blaming the weather – can we do that? I just kind of have the soft blahs, and one of the best ways I know to move through that is to just be real about it. It’s okay to have the blahs. I’ve been here before. The sun will shine again!

So, today let’s do the internet version of a side chat! You’re walking by my house, we stop to say hi, I’m petting your dog and asking you how your kids are and if you’re traveling anywhere for spring break and suddenly we’re talking about anxiety and Severance!

It’s a coffee date.

Sick Kids, Anxious Mom.

This week on Instagram I shared that our kids have been sick, and that it has taken a real toll on my nervous system. When they’re not doing well, I’m very anxious.

The sicknesses have been very regular. Run of the mill coughs, fevers, ear infections, and sleepless nights. But my nervous system is experiencing all these symptoms as if at any moment I might need to call the ambulance. Which, to be fair, I MIGHT! You just never know, and I mean this seriously, and this is the problem for me.

That hypervigilance, on top of being sick myself and sleeping half the night in my daughter’s tiny twin bed all week, has made me so weary lately.

And what really surprised me is that I heard from so many of you this week who said you feel this, too.

Not just the sick kids at home, but the anxiety that goes along with it. I’ve heard this from real life friends and internet friends. A summary of what I’ve heard from you:

You feel anxious because your babies are crying but they can’t explain what’s wrong.
You struggle to decide – is my kid okay? do we need to go to the clinic? ER? what to do?
You don’t have kids but who feel a high level of anxiety with your pets, who also can’t explain what’s wrong.
Your kids are grown but you still feel that same anxiety when your kids get sick in their 20s or 30s. Because once a mom, always a mom.
You are medical professionals – heard this from several people! – and your job is to see sick kids all day, but you still get anxious about your own kids being sick. (Which, honestly, is a bit of a bubble-burster because I’d prefer to keep the thought in my mind that you’re all untouchable heroes who have no fears and know the answers to everything!)

In our story, I know that some of my personal anxieties are made worse from past medical trauma – having had experiences where things were supposed to be fine and then they were not fine at all. I know many of you have had similar experiences, too.

Is this a downer? It might be a downer! Welcome to my brain in March!

Maybe I’ll report back when I figure out how to not get the nervous shakes when the thermometer reads “103.5” or fighting for my life with an adrenaline surge at every middle of the night coughing spell. Or… maybe I’ll be making my way through this for the rest of my life. If you know the secret, feel free to pass it along.

It was really sweet for my heart to hear from many of you this week and it really made me feel less alone, and just less weird. Thank you.

What I’ve Been Cooking

I’ve made these chicken bowls almost once a week since January, because I’m in love with that cilantro pesto on there.

Also, a hefty amount of berry muffins and carrot cake cupcakes (coming soon – I want them to be just just just right), cottage cheese pizzas, this sweet potato soup many times over, and a lot of buffalo chicken burgers.

But Also, Kind Of In a Cooking Rut.

Meh. This has to be a pretty normal thing, even for people who like to cook.

I’m not lacking in ideas or interest; I have so many things that sound fun to try and hundreds of recipe ideas floating around in my head.

I think I’m just lacking in the time, space, and energy to execute them well.

The normal demands of life – laundry, school, doctor appointments, work, headlines, cleaning, eat enough protein and lift weights, etc. – have just felt a little more consuming in the last 2-3 months. There isn’t a perfectly tidy and serene little space in the day for me to make a beautiful dinner just the way I want, or, maybe I’m just tired and finding it challenging to create that space.

What I genuinely love about the rut, though, and that slight feeling of stuck-ness, is that I feel a new SOS series coming to life! I’m not just saying this to be positive – I truly love when my real life leads to me try to find solutions to problems that I think we all feel from time to time. And that’s where I’m working right now.

SOS recipes are my bread and butter. My favorites. My most real-lifey. I’ve been a little stuck, but it’s pushed me in a really good direction and I’m excited for what’s coming. I’ll probably roll this new set out in April / May! Stay tuned.

The Small Joy Of TV

Guys, I love TV right now. Especially when paired with a just-two-huge-cookies cookie.

Our girls are in a season of life where bedtime is fairly consistent, we don’t have nighttime sports or activities or events. Bjork and I almost always watch an hour of TV together at the end of the night, and sitting on the couch, in my jammies, at 9pm, ready to watch a show together is truly one of my happiest places to be.

I have a personal rule that I cannot watch intense or graphic shows – see previous chat about anxiety – so my favorite shows are right on the edge of interesting, catchy, a little thrilling, but nothing overly violent or scary that’s going to keep me up at night.

Current faves, in order of award-winning to most cheesy and lovable:

Severance
White Lotus
Survivor
Amazing Race
Occasional Bachelor

Honestly, Severance might be some of the best TV I’ve ever watched. It’s smart and complex and softly-creepy and weird in a great way. And so beautiful! The cinematography! I could talk about this show for a long time.

God bless entertaining TV and those who make it. It’s been one of my small joys lately.

Solvi Says

I usually do a Sage-says in these coffee date posts, but this month I’ve got a genuinely moving little lesson from my daughter Solvi. She wants us to know:

The way you are made is the way I like it.

You feel behind? Struggle bussing? Like you could be doing better? (ME!)

Guess what – the people who love you are so glad you’re in their lives. The way you are made is the way they like it. Your pets, your kids, your parents, your partners and spouse and friends. They aren’t thinking about your areas for improvement – they’re thinking about how much they love when you laugh, how much they want to go to play at the park with you, and how good they feel when they hug you. They love you just as you are right now.

Be nice to yourself. Being a human is hard. You’re doing great.

Thanks For Being Here.

If you’re here, you’re probably getting our emails or following on Instagram or just checking in from time to time. Thank you – your real, human touch on this corner of the internet is what makes this place joyful for me.

I hope you feel loved today!

And if you’re an anxious mom when your kids are sick… ME, TOO! Xo

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Thursday, March 13, 2025

Ridiculously Good Air Fryer Broccoli

Air Fryer Broccoli on a plate with dipping sauce.

In This Post: Air Fryer Broccoli

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Why I Love This Recipe

Frequently Asked Questions
Ratings

The Only Broccoli I Make Now.

We honestly make this every night now.

The magic of this specific air fryer broccoli is the method: it gets both tender and crisp at the same time!

Air fryer broccoli can be dry and awkwardly chewy to eat. NOT ANYMORE BABY! Here are the game changers:

A quick massage! Just like you do with kale. You’ll even see the color of the broccoli change. You’re waking it up!
A bit of water into the air fryer! This water creates a lil steam chamber while the broccoli roasts so it stays tender and fluffed while also becoming crispy! And I am abnormally excited about this whole thing!

Air Fryer Broccoli in a bowl by the window.

We throw this air fryer broccoli at every single meal we can. We’ve had it with Marry Me Chicken, Date Night Rigatoni, Tomato Soup and grilled cheese, and dipped in this A+ Gochujang Sauce. And it’s the perfect side for the staple fam-faves: Air Fryer Chicken, Air Fryer Tofu, and Air Fryer Salmon.

FYI for the flavor hogs out there (it me): I tested this with so many extras. I tried a soy sauce version, fresh and granulated garlic, other dry spices, lemon, butter, and even a parmesan panko treatment. But in a rare minimalist moment, I decided that I really loved it best in its simple form: salted, tender, and crisped.

It gets such savory, deep flavor from the roasting process that I genuinely feel it doesn’t need anything else. Go ahead and finish with parm, lemon, or a sauce – but IMHO, the pre-roast doesn’t need anything extra!

I haven’t been this excited about a vegetable in a long time. It’s giving weirdo.

I hope you love it.

P.S. Do not miss this list of all my favorite, most popular easy dinners!

Frequently Asked Questions For This Air Fryer Broccoli

If I have an oven-style air fryer (not a basket), how can I make this?

Massage the water and oil into the broccoli florets in a separate bowl for a minute before placing them on the tray. I almost think of this as “marinating” the broccoli with some moisture. The broccoli will hold onto that moisture (even if it doesn’t absorb it completely) and it helps keep it tender while roasting.

How can I make something similar using the oven (without an air fryer)?

We’ll test this and update once we do! But I think you could follow the same steps as the process above regarding making it in an oven-style air fryer, but then just roast in the oven. Stay tuned!

What air fryer do you use?

My favorite air fryer is the Ninja Pro XL! (affiliate link) It works especially great for this recipe because it has a large basket size to get them in one layer.

What do you usually serve this air fryer broccoli with?

Basically any time a meal just needs a side of vegetables, this is now my go-to!

Here are a few recipe ideas that it would work well with:
– Liz’s Roasted Broccoli Salad
– Chili Garlic Pappardelle
– Cashew Chicken
– Baked Salmon with Lemon Sauce
– Red Curry Chicken Stir Fry

Ridiculously Good Air Fryer Broccoli

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Author: Lindsay
Total Time: 9 minutes
Yield: 2-4 servings

Description

This Air Fryer Broccoli is both tender and crisped at the same time. So easy and done it 10 minutes! We’ve been making it every night and my kids go wild for it.

Ingredients

one 12-ounce bag broccoli florets (or, one head of broccoli cut into about 3 cups of florets)
1–2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
2 tablespoons water

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Instructions

Prep The Broccoli: Add broccoli florets to the air fryer basket. Drizzle with oil. Break into bite-sized pieces and massage gently with the oil for 30 seconds or so, until the broccoli turns a slightly brighter green. (This helps it stay tender).
Add Water To Steam: Add a tablespoon of water to the base of the air fryer basket. (The water will fall below the grates and create steam as the broccoli is roasting.)
Cook: Air fry at 350 for 5 minutes; give it a quick shake. It should look bright green, like steamed broccoli.
Crisp It Up: Air fry at 375 for another 2 minutes to get it roasty toasty (more or less to your desired level of crispness).
Finish: You’re done! Yum! I love this with a dipping sauce or just sprinkled with a bit of Parmesan.

Notes

Every air fryer is different both in capacity and in temps. You may want to do this in smaller batches depending on the size of the air fryer you’re using. I use this air fryer.

If the broccoli overlaps in the basket a bit at first, that’s okay – it’ll reduce in size to eventually make a single layer for the last few minutes of roasting.

If you’re doing that final roast at 375 and not getting enough crisping, go up to 390!

If you don’t have a basket air fryer, that’s fine! Massage the water and oil into the broccoli florets in a separate bowl for a minute before placing them on the tray. I almost think of this as “marinating” the broccoli with some moisture. The broccoli will hold onto that moisture (even if it doesn’t absorb it completely) and it helps keep it tender while roasting.

Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Category: Side
Method: Air Fryer
Cuisine: American

Keywords: air fryer broccoli, broccoli in the air fryer, broccoli recipe, roasted broccoli

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