Crispy Chicken Milanese
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Chicken Milanese is a specific preparation of chicken cutlet where the chicken breast is pounded out, thinly breaded, and pan-fried in a bit of oil. I love pairing this crispy preparation of chicken topped with a light salad for a balanced dinner perfect for any season. If you are not a big fan of the mess deep frying makes, this recipe makes for much easier cleanup but with the same deliciously crispy result! I like to make a big batch and freeze half for reheating for quick and easy weeknight dinners. Top with a simple arugula salad and a squeeze of lemon, or one of your other favorite simple green salads.
Key Ingredients to Make Chicken Milanese
- Chicken breast – One of the only ways I will eat a chicken breast is if they’re pounded thin, ensuring they cook quickly and stay juicy. For this recipe, the breasts are halved lengthwise and pounded to an even, thin thickness for fast, even cooking.
- Flour – First dredging the chicken in flour creates a base layer that locks in moisture and helps the rest of the ingredients to adhere.
- Eggs – Beaten eggs help the breadcrumbs to adhere to the chicken.
- Breadcrumbs – To cut down the ingredient list, I use Italian seasoned breadcrumbs for coating the chicken. Italian breadcrumbs just have some herbs like parsley, oregano, basil, onion powder and garlic powder.
- Oil – It’s best to fry chicken Milanese in a neutral oil with a high smoke point like vegetable oil, canola oil or grapeseed oil.
How to Make Crispy Chicken Milanese
Step 1: Pound out chicken.
Cut each chicken breast in half lengthwise and sandwich between two pieces of parchment paper. Use a mallet to gently pound them so they are even and about ½” (12.7mm) thick. Be careful that the meat does not break.
Step 2: Set up dredge.
To bread the chicken, set up three separate bowls. Place the flour in the first bowl and season with salt and pepper. In the second bowl beat the eggs. In the third bowl add the breadcrumbs. Take a piece of chicken and dredge through the flour, then the egg mixture, and then the breadcrumbs. Press the chicken into the breadcrumb mixture so that it is lightly coated on both sides.
Step 3: Chill chicken.
Arrange the breaded chicken on a baking sheet and chill for 15 minutes to help the breading adhere to the chicken (optional).
Step 4: Fry chicken.
Add enough vegetable oil to a large frying pan so that it is ¼” (6.4mm) deep. Heat until the surface of the oil is shiny. Add one of the breaded chicken pieces to the hot oil and pan-fry until golden brown, 3 minutes. Use tongs to flip the chicken and continue to cook until golden brown and cooked through, about an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken.
Step 5: Assemble and serve.
Toss the arugula in olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Add the arugula salad over the chicken Milanese and garnish with Parmesan and serve with lemon wedges. Serve immediately.
Swaps and Substitutions
- The Italian seasoned breadcrumbs can be swapped for plain breadcrumbs by adding seasonings like onion powder and garlic powder, or use half or all panko breadcrumbs, or try adding a bit of grated Parmesan cheese.
How to Store and Reheat Chicken Milanese
Store any leftover chicken cutlets in a resealable plastic bag until ready to reheat and serve, up to 3 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer. To reheat, use the air fryer method below, adding a few additional minutes to cook from frozen if needed. To reheat in the oven, bake at 400ºF (200ºC) until crispy and heated through, about 18 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
How to Make Chicken Milanese in an Air Fryer
While I prefer frying the chicken cutlets in a bit of neutral oil and using an air fryer to reheat it quickly, the cutlets can also be made in an air fryer. Set the temperature to 400ºF (200ºC). Working in batches, only add enough cutlets to fit in an even single layer in the air fryer basket. Air fry until golden brown on both sides, flipping half way through cooking, about 8 minutes total.
Other Salad Toppings
One of my favorite ways to serve chicken Milanese is topped with my favorite shredded kale salad. You can also try topping with variations like caesar salad, arugula salad or simply a squeeze of lemon juice.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this crispy chicken Milanese with arugula salad give these recipes a try and follow me on Instagram:
Crispy Chicken Milanese
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Ingredients:
- 2 large chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- Kosher salt, as needed
- Freshly ground pepper, as needed
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- Vegetable oil, as needed, for frying
- 4 cups wild arugula
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ cup shaved Parmesan cheese
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions:
- Cut each chicken breast in half lengthwise and sandwich between two pieces of parchment paper. Use a mallet to gently pound them so they are even and about ½” (12.7mm) thick. Be careful that the meat does not break.
- To bread the chicken, set up three separate bowls. Place the flour in the first bowl and season with salt and pepper. In the second bowl beat the eggs. In the third bowl add the breadcrumbs.
- Take a piece of chicken and dredge through the flour, then the egg mixture, and then the breadcrumbs. Press the chicken into the breadcrumb mixture so that it is lightly coated on both sides.
- Arrange the breaded chicken on a baking sheet and chill for 15 minutes to help the breading adhere to the chicken (optional).
- Add enough vegetable oil to a large frying pan so that it is ¼” (6.4mm) deep. Heat until the surface of the oil is shiny. Add one of the breaded chicken pieces to the hot oil and pan-fry until golden brown, 3 minutes. Use tongs to flip the chicken and continue to cook until golden brown and cooked through, about an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Toss the arugula in olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
- Add the arugula salad over the chicken Milanese and garnish with Parmesan and serve with lemon wedges. Serve immediately.
Nutrition:
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The texture on this chicken came out FABULOUS! Also, your recipe photos are always so beautiful 🙂
Thank you so much for the kind words Sarah!! That makes me so happy!
This chicken Milanese was so easy to make and turned out perfectly golden and crunchy! The fresh arugula salad on top and a squeeze of lemon made it so refreshing. It felt like a restaurant-quality meal at home. Definitely making this again!
Great chicken dish! Everyone LOVES it!!