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    Home » Recipes » Chicken Recipes

    Chicken Milanese

    Published: Feb 1, 2023 by Chef Dennis Littley

    197 shares
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    • Yummly
    5 from 33 votes
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    Pinterest image for chicken milanese

    Chicken Milanese is an Italian Classic that’s easy to make and can be on your dinner table in less than 30 minutes. Add a side salad to this restaurant-quality dish, and you’ve got the perfect weeknight meal.

    My Chicken Milanese recipe is guaranteed to be better than your favorite Italian restaurant.

    Chicken Milanese with salad on a white plate

    This crispy chicken cutlet is an Italian version of a dish that can be found around the world. In Germany, it’s Chicken Schnitzel; in the United States, it’s a fried chicken cutlet that makes its appearance on sandwiches and countless other delicious dishes.

    two chicken milanese on a white plate

    Coated with panko breadcrumbs, then pan-fried until crispy and golden brown, these chicken cutlets are sure to become a family favorite.

    I’ll let you in on a little secret. Add your favorite marinara sauce and some shredded mozzarella cheese to my Chicken Milanese, and you’ve got a delicious Chicken Parmesan.

    Make up a batch of these flavorful chicken cutlets and freeze them for days you don’t feel like cooking. It makes dinner time easy and delicious!

    Ingredients to make Chicken Milanese

    Ingredients to make the recipe

    Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Chicken Milanese recipe. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”

    Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

    Simple Ingredients

    • chicken breasts
    • panko breadcrumbs
    • grated romano or parmesan cheese
    • Italian parsley
    • onion powder
    • garlic powder
    • black pepper
    • salt
    • all-purpose flour
    • eggs

    How to make Chicken Milanese

    The key to making the perfect Chicken Milanese is in flattening the skinless breasts (which also tenderizes them) with a meat mallet. This makes the chicken breast tender and helps in the cooking process, keeping the breast moist and flavorful.

    The chicken breasts should weigh between 4-5 ounces each.

    flattening out chicken breast covered in plastic with a meat hammer

    Place the boneless skinless chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound the chicken until the cutlets are about ¼ inch thick.

    *If any of the chicken breasts are thicker than half an inch, use a sharp knife to split the chicken breast in half. Think of it as butterflying the breast. You’re just going to cut all the way through to make two cutlets out of one large breast.

    Set up the breading station

    breading station
    • Mix the flour, salt, and pepper together.
    • Lightly beat the two eggs with ¼ cup of milk or water for the egg wash.
    • Mix panko breadcrumbs, romano cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, parsley, and lemon zest together until well blended. *Replace the breadcrumb mixture with Italian breadcrumbs if you want to make this dish even easier.
    collage showing how to make recipe
    • Coat the chicken breasts with the seasoned flour. Then place the piece of chicken in the egg mixture and finally in the breadcrumb mixture. Make sure you get a good coating of each ingredient on the chicken breasts, completely coating them with the bread crumbs.
    • Add ½ cup of vegetable oil (or olive oil) to a large skillet, then place it over medium-high heat.
    • When the oil is hot, carefully place the breaded cutlets into the pan and saute until golden brown (about 3 minutes per side). *The chicken is cooked when the internal temperature has reached 165°F.
    chicken milanese on a wire rack

    Remove the cooked chicken breasts from the pan and place them on a wire rack to drain for one minute. *If you are cooking in batches and need to keep them warm, set your oven at 225 degrees and keep them on the wire rack over a baking sheet in the oven until ready to serve.

    Chicken Milanese with salad on a white plate

    Serve the Chicken Milanese with your favorite green salad and any side dishes you enjoy eating.

    Store any leftover chicken in an airtight container.

    Recipe FAQ’s

    What is chicken Milanese?

    Chicken Milanese finds its origins in Milan, Italy. It was traditionally made with veal, but chicken soon became the more popular version of this classic Italian dish. Thin chicken cutlets are coated with seasoned flour, egg wash, and seasoned bread crumbs, then quick fried till crispy and golden brown.

    What is Milanese style?

    Milanese (or Milanesa) style means dredging thin slices of floured meat into an egg mixture and seasoned breadcrumbs. The meat is then quickly pan-fried until golden brown and crispy,

    Can I freeze chicken Milanese?

    Milanese-style cutlets can easily be frozen. Allow the fried cutlets to cool completely, then separate the pieces with parchment paper and place them in a ziplock bag or an airtight container. The cuts can be kept frozen for up to two months.

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    Chicken Milanese with salad on a white plate
    Print Recipe Save Saved!
    5 from 33 votes

    Chicken Milanese

    Chicken Milanese is an Italian Classic that's easy to make and can be on your dinner table in less than 30 minutes. Add a side salad to this restaurant-quality dish, and you've got the perfect weeknight meal.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time6 mins
    Total Time21 mins
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: Italian
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 430kcal
    Author: Chef Dennis Littley

    Equipment

    • large frying pan

    Ingredients

    Chicken

    • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast four – 4-ounce chicken cutlets

    Breading Station

    • ½ cup all-purpose flour
    • ½ tsp salt
    • ¼ tsp black pepper
    • 2 large eggs lightly beaten with ¼ cup milk or water
    • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
    • ¼ cup Romano or Parmesan cheese grated
    • ½ tsp garlic powder
    • ½ tsp onion powder
    • ⅛ tsp black pepper
    • 2 tablespoons Italian parsley chopped
    • 1 teaspoon lemon zest one lemon

    Cooking

    • ½ cup vegetable oil
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    Chicken

    • Place the chicken cutlets between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound the chicken until the cutlets are about ¼ inch thick.
      If any of the chicken breasts are thicker than half an inch, use a sharp knife to split the chicken breast in half. Think of it as butterflying the breast. You're just going to cut all the way through to make two cutlets out of one large breast.

    Breading Station

    • Mix the flour, salt, and pepper together.
    • Lightly beat the two eggs with ¼ cup of milk or water for the eggwash.
    • Mix panko bread crumbs, romano cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, parsley, and lemon zest together until well blended.
    • Coat the chicken breasts with the seasoned flour. Then place them in the egg wash, and finally in the bread crumb mixture.
      Make sure you get a good coating of each ingredient on the chicken breasts, completely coating them.

    Cooking

    • Add ½ cup of vegetable oil to a large frying pan, then place it over medium-high heat.
    • When the oil is hot, carefully place the breaded chicken cutlets into the pan and saute until golden brown (about 3 minutes per side)
      *The chicken is cooked when the internal temperature has reached 165°F.
    • Remove the cooked chicken breasts from the pan and place them on a wire rack to drain for one minute.
      If you are cooking in batches and need to keep them warm, set your oven at 225 degrees and keep them on the wire rack in the oven until ready serve.

    Notes

    *If you’re starting with full-sized boneless skinless chicken breasts rather than the thinner chicken cutlets,  split the chicken breast in the middle.  This will make two thinner breast portions that are the same size.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 430kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 170mg | Sodium: 670mg | Potassium: 527mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 388IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 129mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askChefDennis or tag #askChefDennis!

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    About Chef Dennis

    Picture of Chef Dennis

    Chef Dennis Littley is a classically trained chef with over 40 years of experience working in the food service industry. In his second career as a food blogger he has made it his mission to demistify cooking by sharing his time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen. Let Chef Dennis help you bring the joy of cooking into your home. For more details, check out his About page.

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    1. Twyla Laakso

      February 04, 2023 at 12:38 pm

      Good day Chef! I am looking forward to trying this recipe soon, and intent to freeze some for later use as you suggest.
      Can you please advise the best way to reheat the frozen cooked cutlets so they stay tender inside and crispy outside?
      Thank you so much!
      Twyla

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis Littley

        February 04, 2023 at 8:34 pm

        Defrost the cutlets, then let them come to room temperature. Place the chicken on a wire rack in a 400°F preheated oven and bake the chicken for 12 to 15 minutes.

        Reply

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