Chicken Milanese
Chicken Milanese features crispy pan-fried chicken cutlets served over a lemony arugula salad. It’s surprisingly easy and packed with flavor!
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This Chicken Milanese recipe is a perfect example of how foods cross regional borders and transform over time. Wiener schnitzel is one of the best known recipes from Austria – indeed, it’s one of Austria’s national dishes. Wiener schnitzel is a thin, breaded, pan-fried veal cutlet.
Austria is very close geographically to northern Italy, and a similar dish called Veal Milanese is common in Milan and the surrounding region of Lombardy. Veal Milanese is a thin, breaded, pan-fried veal cutlet. See the similarities?
Chicken Milanese is a variation of the classic Italian recipe, and it simply features chicken instead of veal. Chicken Milanese is – you guessed it – a thin, breaded, pan-fried chicken cutlet. It’s also delicious…and easy to prepare, too!
What is Chicken Milanese?
Chicken Milanese gets its name from Milan, Italy where it was traditionally made with veal. It features a thin piece of chicken that you dredge in eggs and breadcrumbs and then pan fry in butter or oil until golden brown.
What is a Chicken Cutlet?
A chicken cutlet is simply a thinly sliced chicken breast. Cutlets can be purchased in most grocery stores, but they can also be made at home by slicing a chicken breast in half horizontally to create two thin pieces. Each piece is then pounded into a ¼” thick piece of meat – i.e. a cutlet. When pan-frying (instead of deep frying), cutlets are preferred as they cook faster and more evenly than a full chicken breast.
Can Chicken Milanese Be Baked Instead of Fried?
Yes! For a lower-fat version of this recipe, the chicken cutlets can be baked in a very hot oven. Place the breaded cutlets on a wire rack placed over a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake the chicken at 450°F for 16-20 minutes. The wire rack will allow air to circulate below the cutlet, thus creating a crispy cutlet that mimics a pan-fried version.
Can Chicken Milanese Be Made in Advance?
Yes! The chicken cutlets can be breaded up to 8 hours in advance. Just place the breaded cutlets on a plate and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the cutlets until you’re ready to cook them. Once the cutlets have been cooked, though, they should be served as soon as possible. The breadcrumb coating tends to soften up as it sits, so you lose some of the crispiness over time.
Can Chicken Milanese Be Reheated?
Sure! Leftover chicken cutlets should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. While Chicken Milanese should be served as soon as possible after cooking, it can be reheated. Simply bake the chicken cutlets at 350°F for 13-17 minutes, or until heated through. We use our toaster oven for this – it’s an easy way to reheat leftovers for dinner!
Chicken Milanese is typically served with a simple arugula + spinach salad that is tossed in a lemony vinaigrette. The peppery arugula (rocket) combines well with the lemony dressing, and it’s a great side dish for the savory fried chicken.
Flavor Variations
Chicken Milanese is very similar to Chicken Parmesan. Both feature breaded and fried chicken cutlets. While Milanese is typically served with a lemony salad, its’ cousin is topped with cheese and marinara and served over pasta. Both are delicious!
As noted above, the chicken in this recipe can be substituted for thinly-sliced veal or pork. I’ve even heard of this recipe using fish, although I haven’t tried that myself yet. The lemony arugula salad would be fantastic with pan-fried seafood, though!
Whenever fresh tomatoes are available, we like to chop them up and mix them with fresh basil leaves, chopped garlic and salt. Then we spoon this mixture over the chicken cutlet immediately before serving. Also delicious…and a great way to feature summer flavors with the fresh tomatoes!
All together, Chicken Milanese is an easy and tasty meal – it can be made in about 30 minutes, so it’s great for weeknight cooking. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do here!
Did you make this Chicken Milanese recipe at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
Chicken Milanese
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tsp Italian seasonings
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup canola or vegetable oil
For the Salad
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 4 cups fresh arugula and/or spinach
- 2 medium Roma tomatoes sliced into wedges
- shaved Parmesan cheese
- 1 lemon sliced into wedges
Instructions
For the Chicken
- Using a sharp knife, slice each chicken breast in half horizontally.
- Working with one piece of chicken at a time, place chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using a rolling pin or meat mallet, pound chicken until it’s about ¼” thick. Repeat process with remaining pieces of chicken.
- Place flour in a shallow bowl.
- In a separate shallow bowl, whisk together eggs and milk.
- In a third shallow bowl, combine the Panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasonings and salt.
- Working with one piece of chicken at a time, dip the chicken in the flour, then in the egg mixture and then in the breadcrumb mixture. (Tip: Make sure both sides of chicken get coated with each mixture. When dipping the chicken into the eggs, hold each piece above the bowl for a few seconds to allow any excess egg to drip off.)
- Using a deep cast iron skillet or Dutch oven, add vegetable oil. Heat over medium-high heat until ~350°F. (Tip: To test oil, drop in a pinch of breadcrumbs. If they simmer immediately, oil is ready.)
- Add two of the chicken breasts to the skillet. Fry until golden brown and fully cooked, or 3-4 minutes per side.
For the Salad
- Using a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Add arugula and/or spinach; toss until well coated.
- Divide salad onto plates and top with sliced tomatoes. Place chicken on top and sprinkle shaved Parmesan cheese over salad and chicken. Serve with lemon wedges.
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Cant wait to make this soon for me can i use tofu i never had chicken milanese before perfect for my after office meals love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
Hey Ramya! That idea of using tofu could work here – just make sure to season the tofu well. Let me know how it turns out!
Beautiful. I never used to bread chicken, or anything, for that matter. Probably because my husband doesn’t want carbs. But it’s really not much, and the crunch is so worth it!
I hear ya on the carbs, Mimi – but the crunch (and flavor!) is just SO good! And at the end of the day, it doesn’t really add too much in the way of carbs. Everything in balance, right? 🙂
I think this is what we call a chicken schnitty here in Australia – aka chicken schnitzel! Great pub food!
I’ve never called it chicken schnitzel, but that’s exactly what this is! Well, the lemon-y salad is a pretty key piece here, too. I’m gonna have to start using that chicken schnitty term – lol!!
Such a delicious recipe, David! The chicken looks perfectly golden brown and crispy, and I love how you paired it with a light and fresh salad (arugula is so yummy). This would be an awesome meal to have for a cozy date night at home. Can’t wait to give it a try! 🙂 Have a great weekend!
This really is a great recipe when you want to mix things up a bit! The crispy chicken with the lemony + peppery salad is quite delicious. Thanks, Dawn!
It’s always exciting how different cuisines influence each other! For instance, Croatia, which has been historically deeply connected to Italy (and I guess through the Austria Empire, too) – particularly Zagreb – has its own recipe. That’s a stuffing of ham and cheese sandwiched between veal steaks, then breaded, and fried. OMG, that is so good – you should find and make that recipe! I am not familiar with Chicken Milanese, but the flavours sound terrific, and it looks incredible!
Woah – that recipe you described sounds amazing, Ben! Ham and cheese stuffed inside of veal steaks!? I’m gonna have to find that recipe and make it!!
What a terrific light spring/summer meal! Anything breaded and pan-fried is always a crowd pleaser!
I’m right there with ya, Michelle – this pan-fried chicken is easy and delicious! Add in the lemony salad, and this is a great meal.
You can tell by looking at it how tender and flavorful this chicken is, David! It’s exactly the kind of meal Keith and I love any time – 100% a must-try recipe!
This is definitely a 100% must-try recipe, Marissa! It’s easy, but it’s packed with flavor. I hope you and Keith enjoy it!!
Chicken Milanese is such a versatile dish, isn’t it? I’m definitely going to try your tip about serving it with fresh tomatoes and basil during the summer months – sounds like a delightful burst of flavor! Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe! 🍗🍋
This would be a fantastic meal on a hot summer day – especially when fresh tomatoes are in season. Thanks, Raymund!
One of my favorite everyday meals!
As you may know, the Milanese will tell you the Austrians copied their dish to make Wiener schnitzel during their occupation of northern Italy. And the Austrians beg to differ… I’m staying out of that one.
Haha – no need to delve into that debate, Frank! We can just sit on the sideline and enjoy our Chicken Milanese and Wiener schnitzel. 🙂
Chicken in breadcrumbs, fish in breadcrumbs, love them all. Yours looks superb, yes here we call them chicken schnitzels, chicken schnitty for short, Must confuse the tourists.
I would 100% be confused if I saw chicken schnitty on a menu. “Now what in the world is chicken schnitty??” 🙂