The classic Italian recipe! Chicken Milanese is crispy but juicy, pan-fried to perfection. It makes an elegant meal with a salad in just 25 minutes.
This delicious breaded chicken dish is tender inside, crunchy outside, and fairly simple to prepare. I turn chicken breasts into 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 “in the style of Milan.” 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 in the United States.
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’re 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 total.
If your skillet is smaller, it’s best to cook two cutlets at a time. Preheat your oven to 250°F and set a wire rack over a baking sheet. Cook the first two cutlets and then set them on the rack and put the pan with rack and chicken into the oven to stay warm while you cook the second batch.
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 bright flavor that cuts the richness of the pan-fried 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 shredded mozzarella cheese over the ham. I broil the sandwiches until the cheese is nicely melted. 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
- Chicken Fried Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
- Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu
Podcast Episode: Making Chicken Milanese
Listen to me explain briefly about how to make this recipe, with some great tips along the way, by clicking the play button below:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
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Chicken Milanese Recipe
This classic Italian recipe is chicken with a crispy crust that’s juicy inside. It makes an elegant meal with a salad in just 25 minutes. My favorite is to serve it with arugula dressed with a lemon vinaigrette, topped with Parmesan cheese.
- 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 cutlet in the flour, then dip both sides into the eggs, and then into the breadcrumb mixture. Repeat with the remaining chicken cutlets.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add chicken to the heated oil, without crowding the pan. 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 outside and no longer pink inside. Transfer chicken to a plate lined with paper towel to blot off extra oil. Repeat until all chicken is cooked (you can transfer cooked chicken to wire rack set over a pan and place in a 250°F oven to stay warm while the second batch cooks).
- Garnish with parsley and lemon wedges.
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