Chicken Milanese

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It takes just 30 minutes to crisp up restaurant-quality Chicken Milanese and toss together a bright and citrusy arugula salad. This Italian chicken recipe is a company-worthy meal you can totally ace, even on a hectic weeknight.

Chicken Milanese on a gray plate with a side of greens.


 

A simple breaded and fried chicken cutlet spans many different cultures. There’s Japanese katsu, Latin American milanesa, German schnitzel, and all of the contenders in the fast food spicy chicken sandwich wars, to name a few.

This Chicken Milanese recipe is the Italian version, and it’s so easy (30 minutes easy!) and so flavorful.

Recipe ingredients

Chicken milanese ingredients in bowls.

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

  • Chicken breast cutletsMost grocery stores stock chicken cutlets, but if you can’t find them, set the chicken breasts flat on a cutting board. Working with one breast at a time, place your palm on top of the breast and slice it in half horizontally, cutting all the way through. Repeat with remaining chicken.
  • Panko: Find these extra crispy Japanese bread flakes in boxes or canisters at most major grocery stores or Asian markets. Or, you can make your own bread crumbs.
  • Parmesan cheese: This is one case when it’s best to invest in a wedge of cheese rather than buying it pre-grated. You’ll grate some fresh for the coating; it melts marvelously without the anti-caking agents often added to pre-shredded cheeses. Then you’ll use a vegetable peeler to slice off thin strips for the arugula salad.

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup. Top with a wire rack coated with nonstick spray or olive oil. Cover a cutting board completely with a piece of plastic wrap. Arrange chicken cutlets in a single layer on the plastic wrap-covered cutting board. Cover with a second piece of plastic wrap. Pound chicken breasts to an even thickness, about 1/4-inch using a meat tenderizer or rolling pin. Remove top layer of plastic wrap and season breasts with salt and pepper. slice in half horizontally so you have two cutlets. Repeat with the second breast.
Chicken breasts butterflied and on a cutting board to pound out.
  1. In a shallow dish, add flour. In a second shallow dish, add eggs and beat lightly. In a third shallow dish, combine panko, grated Parmesan, parsley, lemon zest, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Stir to combine. Working with one cutlet at a time, dredge in flour and shake off excess. Dip in eggs and tap gently on side of dish to remove excess. Add to panko mixture and press gently until crumbs adhere. Transfer to a large plate and repeat with remaining cutlets (cutlets can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 hours).
Breading stations to bread chicken.
  1. Line rimmed baking sheet or large plate with 3 layers of paper towels. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat remaining 1 cup oil until shimmering. Add 2 cutlets and fry until deep golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Drain cutlets well on paper towel-lined plate and transfer to prepared wire rack in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining 2 cutlets.
A skillet with chicken milanese frying.
  1. To serve: In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper to taste. Gently toss arugula salad with vinaigrette and shaved Parmesan. Serve chicken with salad, passing lemon wedges separately.
Chicken Milanese on a gray plate with a side of greens.

What is the best meat tenderizer?

To get your chicken super flat and tender for cooking, I love using the Oxo Steel Meat Tenderizer! It’s my top choice in my roundup of the best meat tenderizers and the one I personally use for cooking and in my test kitchen. You can get it for $16.80 at Amazon.

Recipe tips and variations

  • Yield: This Chicken Milanese makes four (4-ounce) portions of the crispy chicken, plus four side salads.
  • Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Make ahead: The cutlets can be pounded out, breaded, and stored covered in the refrigerator one day in advance. Unfortunately, they cannot easily be frozen and then reheated in a pan or oven.
  • Pick your protein: Just as with schnitzel, you could also follow these exact same instructions to bread and pan-fry pork cutlets. Or try thinly-pounded steak for an Italian-inspired twist on another Midwestern favorite, chicken-fried steak.
  • Select your salad: I love the way peppery arugula, tart lemon juice, and zippy Dijon mustard team up to cut through the richness of the crispy Chicken Milanese. But feel free to choose any vegetable salad or side dish you prefer and have ingredients to make. My Mediterranean Chopped Salad, Panzanella, Roasted Green Beans, and Farro Salad with Peas and Feta would also be brilliant partners for this Italian entree.
Chicken Milanese on a gray plate with a side of greens.

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Chicken Milanese on a gray plate with a side of greens.

Chicken Milanese

It takes just 30 minutes to crisp up restaurant-quality Chicken Milanese and toss together a bright and citrusy arugula salad. This Italian chicken recipe is a company-worthy meal you can totally ace, even on a hectic weeknight.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Calories 531
4.99 from 119 votes

Ingredients 

For the chicken:

For serving:

Instructions 

To make the chicken:

  • Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup. Top with a wire rack coated with nonstick spray or olive oil.
  • Cover a cutting board completely with a piece of plastic wrap. Arrange chicken cutlets in a single layer on the plastic wrap-covered cutting board. Cover with a second piece of plastic wrap. Pound chicken breasts to an even thickness, about 1/4-inch. Remove top layer of plastic wrap and season breasts with salt and pepper.
  • In a shallow dish, add flour. In a second shallow dish, add eggs and beat lightly. In a third shallow dish, combine panko, grated Parmesan, parsley, lemon zest, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Stir to combine.
  • Working with one cutlet at a time, dredge in flour and shake off excess. Dip in eggs and tap gently on side of dish to remove excess. Add to panko mixture and press gently until crumbs adhere. Transfer to a large plate and repeat with remaining cutlets (cutlets can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 hours).
  • Line rimmed baking sheet or large plate with 3 layers of paper towels. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat remaining 1 cup oil until shimmering. Add 2 cutlets and fry until deep golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.
  • Drain cutlets well on paper towel-lined plate and transfer to prepared wire rack in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining 2 cutlets.

To serve:

  • In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper to taste. Gently toss arugula salad with vinaigrette and shaved Parmesan. Serve chicken with salad, passing lemon wedges separately.

Recipe Video

Notes

  1. Chicken breast cutletsMost grocery stores stock chicken cutlets, but if you can’t find them, set the chicken breasts flat on a cutting board. Working with one breast at a time, place your palm on top of the breast and slice it in half horizontally, cutting all the way through. Repeat with remaining chicken.
  2. Panko: Find these extra crispy Japanese bread flakes in boxes or canisters at most major grocery stores or Asian markets. Or you can make your own bread crumbs.
  3. Parmesan cheese: This is one case when it’s best to invest in a wedge of cheese rather than buying it pre-grated. You’ll grate some fresh for the coating; it melts marvelously without the anti-caking agents often added to pre-shredded cheeses. Then you’ll use a vegetable peeler to slice off thin strips for the arugula salad.
  4. Yield: This Chicken Milanese makes four (4-ounce) portions of the crispy chicken, plus four side salads.
  5. Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  6. Make ahead: The cutlets can be pounded out, breaded, and stored covered in the refrigerator one day in advance. Unfortunately, they cannot easily be frozen and then reheated in a pan or oven.
  7. Pick your protein: Just as with schnitzel, you could also follow these exact same instructions to bread and pan-fry pork cutlets. Or try thinly-pounded steak for an Italian-inspired twist on another Midwestern favorite, chicken-fried steak.
  8. Select your salad: I love the way peppery arugula, tart lemon juice, and zippy Dijon mustard team up to cut through the richness of the crispy Chicken Milanese. But feel free to choose any vegetable salad or side dish you prefer and have ingredients to make. My Mediterranean Chopped Salad, Panzanella, Roasted Green Beans, and Farro Salad with Peas and Feta would also be brilliant partners for this Italian entree.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cutlet with saladCalories: 531kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 36gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 133mgSodium: 570mgPotassium: 606mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1103IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 326mgIron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

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Comments

  1. I love this recipe! It was delicious, and everyone in my family loved it! I did use the avocado oil to pan fry the chicken per the comments, and keeping it warm in the oven on paper towels and parchment was a good idea as well! It came out crispy and stayed warm. I am putting this in the dinner rotation!5 stars

  2. Very good and tasty. Olive oil is probably not the best oil to use for frying as it is easy to burn. Canola or peanut oil is a better way to go.4 stars

  3. My husband often orders this dish at restaurants if available. So i had to try it..
    So great! The chicken was browned perfectly; the crust had a light, lemony flavor; and the arugula salad complemented it perfectly!
    Thanks so much for the recipe :)5 stars

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