These Crispy Chicken Cutlets are everything I want from a fast, satisfying dinner – golden and crunchy on the outside, juicy inside, and finished with a sticky, spicy-sweet gochujang sauce that clings beautifully to every bite. It’s the kind of meal that feels a bit special, but still totally doable on a busy evening.
Flattening the chicken gives you those big, satisfying “chicken steaks” that cook quickly and evenly, and that crisp panko coating delivers serious crunch without feeling heavy.
Nicky’s Notes
This is one of those recipes where contrast really shines. You’ve got crispy coated chicken, a glossy sauce that’s sweet, savoury and a little bit fiery, and then a fresh, garlicky veg side to bring it all together.
The gochujang sauce isn’t overpowering – it’s balanced and family-friendly, with warmth rather than heat. I’ve tested it a few ways, and this version coats the chicken without drowning it, so you still get that crunch you worked hard for.
And yes, the garlic green beans are technically a “side”… but they often steal the show. They’re so good I included them as a bonus recipe.
What makes this so good:
- Flattened chicken cooks evenly and stays juicy
- Panko breadcrumbs give a light, ultra-crispy coating
- Gochujang sauce adds depth, sweetness and gentle heat
- Quick multitasking-friendly recipe – everything comes together in 30 minutes
- Versatile serving options – rice, potatoes or salad all work brilliantly
📋 What do we need?
***Full recipe with detailed quantities in the recipe card below***
Note on the Gochujang
Gochujang is a Korean fermented red chilli sauce or paste with a smoky-sweet and slightly spicy flavour.
Some brands are spicier than others. I’ve prefer this gochujang paste (affiliate link), rather than the sauce for a stronger flavour. It’s a fantastic addition to sauces and marinades, as it adds heat, richness, tang and a little sweetness. I use it in lots of recipes (beef bulgogi, Pork ramen, Korean steak grilled cheese, sticky Asian ribs to name a few).
Abbreviated Recipe
***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card below***
Flatten chicken breasts, coat in flour, egg and panko, then fry until golden and crisp.
Simmer gochujang, honey, brown sugar, soy, garlic and stock into a glossy sauce.
Serve the crispy chicken drizzled with sauce and a generous pile of garlicky green beans.
Recipe Tips
- This recipe requires a bit of multi-tasking – making the sauce and green beans whilst frying the chicken.
- If you want to make it simpler, cook the chicken first, then keep warm in a low oven. Then you can make the sauce, followed by the green beans.
Crunchy, juicy chicken with a crisp panko shell, finished with a sticky gochujang sauce that’s sweet, savoury and gently spicy, balanced by fresh, garlicky green beans.
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What to serve with crispy chicken cutlets
These Crispy Chicken Cutlets are wonderfully flexible:
- Steamed sticky rice to soak up that gochujang sauce
- Crispy smashed potatoes for a comfort-food-style plate
- A giant pile of garlicky green beans (my personal favourite – see the bonus recipe below)
🙌 BONUS RECIPE: Garlic Green Beans
These crispy chicken cutlets drizzled with that sweet spicy gochujang sauce go so well with these garlic green beans. They’re totally optional but I love them and i’ve included the recipe for them here. For the Garlic Green beans you need:
How to make the garlic green beans
- Boil green beans briefly until just tender but still bright green, then drain well.
- Fry with butter, olive oil and garlic until glossy and fragrant.
- Season, finish with a squeeze of lemon, and serve straight away alongside those crispy chicken cutlets and good drizzle of that gochujang sauce.
Storage & Reheating Advice
- Store leftover chicken and sauce separately in an airtight container the fridge for up to 2 days
- Reheat chicken in the oven or air fryer to bring back the crunch until piping hot throughout.
- Gently reheat the sauce in a small pan or microwave, stirring often until it’s hot and loosened up.
📺 Watch how to make it
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Place a baking tray in the oven and preheat the oven to a low heat (to keep the chicken warm, once cooked).
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Place the chicken breasts between pieces of clingfilm and bash with a meat tenderiser or rolling pin to flatten, so the chicken breasts are half as thick.
4 chicken breasts
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Place the eggs in a shallow bowl, the flour, salt and pepper in a second bowl (mix it together) and the panko breadcrumbs and paprika in a third bowl.
2 eggs, 4 tablespoons plain flour (all-purpose flour), ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 75 g (1 ½ cups) panko breadcrumbs, ½ teaspoon paprika
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Coat one of the chicken steaks in the flour, then dip in the egg and finally coat in the breadcrumbs. Place on a plate and repeat with the other chicken steaks.
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Working in two batches, heat half of the oil (3 tablespoons) in a large frying pan (skillet) and fry two of the chicken steaks on a medium heat for 5 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked throughout (you can check this by slicing into one of the chicken steaks and making sure it’s piping hot and no longer pink). Place the first batch on the tray in the preheated oven, to keep warm. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil to the pan and cook the remaining two chicken steaks.
6 tablespoons oil
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While the chicken is cooking make the Korean-inspired sauce and garlic green beans.
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Place the gochujang, honey, sugar, soy sauce, garlic and cornflour in a small saucepan and stir together until the cornflour is absorbed.
1 tablespoon gochujang paste, 2 tablespoons honey, 4 tablespoons light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce, 1 clove garlic, 1 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch)
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Add the chicken stock, stir again. Place over a medium heat and heat through for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then turn the heat to very low, to keep warm while you make the green beans.
180 ml (3/4 cup) chicken stock
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Place the green beans in a large pan of boiling water and boil for 3 minutes (this partially cooks the green beans, whilst retaining their vibrant colour). Drain the green beans in a colander.
450 g (16oz) fresh green beans
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Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat, until the butter melts, then add the green beans, garlic, salt and pepper.
½ tablespoon olive oil, ½ tablespoon unsalted butter, 2 cloves garlic – minced, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
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Cook the green beans, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes until just tender. Then drizzle over the lemon juice. Turn off the heat.
1 teaspoon lemon juice
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Serve the crispy chicken steaks with the garlic green beans. Drizzle with the Korean-inspired sauce before serving.
Nutritional information is estimated per serving including the gochujang sauce and garlic green beans.
Calories: 652kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 182mg | Sodium: 1160mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 26g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
🇰🇷 More Korean Inspired Recipes
If you love those Korean inspired flavours of the Gochujang sauce with this crispy chicken then you need to try one of these next.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.
