Crispy, juicy Chicken Milanese is pan-fried to perfection and makes a lovely meal with a salad in just 25 minutes.
This delicious breaded chicken dish is juicy and crunchy and fairly simple to prepare. I turn chicken breasts in thinner cutlet pieces, bread them, and quickly pan fry them. It’s delicious on its own with a salad or simple veggie side dish, or use it as the base for chicken Parmesan or make it into a tasty chicken sandwich.
Scroll down to read more about how it all comes together or click here to jump straight down to the recipe.
What Is Chicken Milanese?
Milanesa (or milanese) translates to breaded. Typically, it refers to thin slices of meat that are dredged in flour and breadcrumbs, and then fried. Chicken Milanese, a breaded chicken cutlet, is Italy’s version of a schnitzel. As a matter of fact it has several cousins like Japanese chicken katsu, American chicken fried chicken, and Filipino carne frita.
Traditionally, Milanese is made with veal in Italy and beef in Argentina. Substituting chicken cutlets results in a dish that’s not only tender and juicy but much more economical.
Making Chicken Milanese
The chicken breasts are sliced in half and pounded thin like chicken cutlets like we do for this Easy Garlic Butter Chicken recipe. Then they are seasoned with salt and pepper, dredged in flour, eggs, and garlic-seasoned breadcrumbs.
The cutlets get pan fried for about 7 minutes total, getting flipped halfway through. If you have a skillet large enough to hold all 4 cutlets without overlapping, you can easily have this meal on the table in about 20 minutes.
How To Serve Chicken Milanese
A simple salad on the side is the perfect compliment to the dish. I like a little arugula salad with Parmesan cheese and cherry tomatoes. And the lemon wedges are a must in my opinion. A nice squeeze over the chicken adds a nice, bright flavor that works well with the seasoned, crispy breading.
You can dress it up with a fried egg or a simple squeeze of lemon juice. You can add tomato sauce and mozzarella to turn it into chicken Parmesan.
The recipe serves 4, but I generally make a double batch and use the leftovers to make my version of a milanesa sandwich for dinner the next night. I start with a baguette sliced in half, then place the chicken Milanese on the bottom half of the baguette, top it with a slice of ham and sprinkle grated Cheddar cheese over the ham. I broil the sandwiches until the cheese is nicely melted and serve with French fries. It’s a family favorite.
More Chicken Breast Recipes
You can browse our entire collection of chicken recipes or make one of these delicious chicken breast recipes next.
- Oven-Baked Stuffed Chicken Breasts
- Chicken Parmesan from Frozen
- Panko Fried Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
- Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu
Chicken Milanese Recipe
Crispy, juicy Chicken Milanese is pan-fried to perfection and makes a lovely meal with a salad in just 25 minutes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup parsley, for serving
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts on a work surface. Slice them in half horizontally and pound to create 4 cutlets.
- Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Line up three shallow bowls, cake or pie pans are perfect.
- In the first, place the flour.
- In the second, whisk together the eggs.
- In the third, combine the breadcrumbs and garlic powder.
- Start by coating both sides of a chicken breast in the flour, then dip both sides into the eggs, and then into the breadcrumb mixture. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add chicken cutlets, without crowding the pan, to the heated oil. You may need to cook in two batches. Cook for 3 -4 minutes on the first side. Flip and continue cooking on the second side for 2 – 3 minutes more minutes until golden brown. Repeat until all chicken is cooked.
- Garnish with parsley and lemon.
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