Chicken Cutlets with Cornichon Cream Sauce

Calling all pickle lovers! This is my first recipe for 2025, and I am so excited to share it with you all. I have had this idea in my head for months, and I finally got around to testing it now that I have a Breville Airfyrer Pro that I received for Christmas.

This meal has so much depth of flavor. Cornichons are French-style pickles, and you want to use this type of pickle because they are super tart and zingy—which is what makes the sauce so delicious. The cornichons are complemented by butter, white wine, shallots, and so many other great French-inspired flavors.

The chicken cutlets are air-fried (or baked) and are extremely moist and crunchy. Serve them with dill mashed potatoes (I’ll include a recipe for that below, too), and you’ll have a wonderful, delicious meal that will shock your tastebuds and keep you coming back for more.

Try this out, and let me know what you think! Happy cooking.

NOTE: I made an error in the measurement of the wine. Instead of 2 tbsp, it is 1/4 cup. I apologize for this! It is just an additional 2 tbsp.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

For the chicken cutlets:

• 4 chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs total)

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 egg

• 2 tbsp milk

• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

• avocado oil spray

For the cornichon cream sauce:

• 2 tbsp salted butter

• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced

• 1 medium shallot, finely minced

• 1/4 cup dry white wine

• 1/2 cup chicken stock

• 1/4 cup minced cornichons (preferably French-style)

• 2/3 cup heavy cream

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

For the Dill Mashed Potatoes

(optional, but highly recommended)

• 2 lbs russet potatoes, washed, peeled, and quartered

• 6 tbsp salted butter

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

• 1/2 cup fresh dill, finely chopped

Method:

For the chicken cutlets:

1. Place your chicken breasts in a large Ziplock bag. Using a meat mallet, pound each breast until it is 1/4 inch thick. Make sure the thickness is uniform throughout the breasts, ensuring that they cook evenly.

2. Preheat your air-fryer or oven to 400°F.

3. Place three shallow bowls on your workstation. In the first bowl, add the flour, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper and stir to combine. In the second bowl, whisk the egg and milk together. In the third bowl, add the panko breadcrumbs, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper and stir to combine.

4. Dip each chicken breast into the flour, coating both sides and shaking off the excess. Dip in the egg wash on both sides and then coat both sides with the panko breadcrumbs, ensuring both sides are well-coated.

5. Place the chicken breasts in a single layer on your air-fryer basket or sheet pan. Spray avocado oil on top of each cutlet, then air-fry or bake for 8 minutes.

6. Flip the cutlets over, spray with more avocado oil, and cook for an additional 6 minutes or until golden and crispy. Remove from the air-fryer or oven.

For the cornichon cream sauce:

1. Place the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add the garlic and shallot. Sauté for 1 minute or until fragrant and slightly translucent.

2. Add the wine into the skillet and stir everything together, cooking for one minute. Gently add the stock and cornichons. Stir, and bring the sauce to a light simmer.

3. Once the sauce is at a light simmer, whisk in the heavy cream, salt, and pepper on medium-low heat. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring the sauce the whole time, until it has thickened. Turn off the heat once it reaches your desired texture.

For the Dill Mashed Potatoes (optional):

1. Place your quartered potatoes in a large Dutch oven filled with cold water. Salt the water. Bring to a boil. Boil the potatoes until they are fork-tender. Drain the potatoes, then add them back to the warm Dutch oven.

2. Add the butter, cream, salt, and pepper to the potatoes. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher until they reach your desired consistency.

3. Gently fold in the chopped dill. Serve with extra butter.

To Plate:

1. Place your cutlet on a bed of dill mashed potatoes, and spoon the cornichon cream sauce over top. Enjoy!