Chicken Milanese

Christine Gallary
Christine GallarySenior Recipe Editor at The Kitchn
I grew up in a Chinese food-loving family, eating my first restaurant meals in Oakland's vibrant Chinatown. My love of food but lack of cooking experience led to me Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, where I graduated with a Diplôme de Cuisine in French cooking. After culinary school, I learned how to test and edit recipes in test kitchens at Cook's Illustrated and CHOW, falling in love with the process of rigorously testing recipes to make sure they were foolproof for the home cook. I've worked with thousands of recipes over the past 15 years, including developing recipes for the James Beard-award winning Mister Jiu's in Chinatown cookbook. Living in the delicious diversity of San Francisco, I never get tired of finding new ingredients or cuisines to try. My favorite type is Cantonese home cooking — I'm on a quest to recreate the dishes my grandmother used to make. All the food I test at home is eagerly tasted and enjoyed by my husband, Hayden, and daughter, Sophie, while our little dog, Mochi, looks wistfully on.
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Laura Rege
Laura Rege
Laura Rege is a recipe developer and food stylist living the mid-coastal lifestyle between Dallas and Brooklyn. Formerly a senior member of the editorial teams at Food & Wine and Martha Stewart Living, Laura now creates and styles recipes for websites like ours and cooking videos! When she's not in the kitchen for work, she is off traveling in the U.S. or abroad searching out the next delicious bite.
published Sep 10, 2024
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overhead shot of a platter full of chicken milanese cutlets
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter

Always tender and juicy, never dry.

Serves4 to 8

Prep20 minutes to 30 minutes

Cook25 minutes to 30 minutes

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overhead shot of a platter full of chicken milanese cutlets
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter

When I’m looking for a dinner that is a step up from chicken nuggets but still appeals to eaters of all ages, chicken Milanese is just the ticket. Milanese (or milanesa) refers to breading and frying thin cutlets of meat, and you’ve probably heard of similar dishes like veal Milanese, or Wiener schnitzel from Austria. Chicken Milanese may sound fancy, but it’s really just thin chicken breast cutlets prepared in the same way so that it’s crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. 

It’s quite a versatile main dish, requiring nothing more than a simple green salad and some lemon to turn it into a complete dinner. You can even take it a step further and bake it with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese for a take on classic chicken Parmesan. This recipe makes eight cutlets, which means there’s plenty for dinner. Plus, leftovers are great for throwing in a salad or sandwich for a quick and hearty meal.

Why You’ll Love It

  • You’re guaranteed perfectly crunchy and juicy chicken. Starting with thinly pounded chicken means that it fries up quickly, staying juicy inside and super crispy on the outside.
  • It pairs well with other dishes. Chicken Milanese is versatile; serve it with a simple salad, next to rice pilaf, or with roasted vegetables.
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter

Key Ingredients in Chicken Milanese

  • Chicken breast. You’ll need 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Try to get ones that are all about the same size (about 8 ounces or medium size is great here).
  • Breadcrumbs. Plain dry, fine breadcrumbs fry up deliciously crispy in Milanese. Don’t use the seasoned or Italian-flavored breadcrumbs.
  • Garlic and onion powders. These two spices add a nice background flavor to the chicken.
  • Vegetable oil. Fry with regular vegetable or canola oil because they have a neutral flavor.

How to Make Chicken Milanese

  1. Prep the chicken. Butterfly the chicken breasts, then pound each piece until 1/4-inch thick before seasoning with salt and pepper. You can pound with a meat mallet or use the bottom of a small, heavy pan.
  2. Prepare for breading. Place flour on a large plate, beat eggs in a shallow bowl, and mix breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt together in a second shallow bowl.
  3. Bread the chicken. Dip each piece of chicken first in the flour, then the eggs, and finally the breadcrumbs.
  4. Fry the chicken. Fry two pieces of chicken at a time in a shallow amount of oil until golden brown and crispy.
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter

Helpful Swaps

  • Want to do less pounding? Just purchase 2 pounds chicken cutlets or thin-cut chicken breasts instead. These thinner pieces of chicken don’t require butterflying and just need a quick pound to get them to the right thickness since they’re already thinner.
  • Panko breadcrumbs can be used in place of the fine bread crumbs, but you will need to increase the amount to 2 cups. Squeeze the panko with your hands to get the crumbs a bit smaller.
  • Any neutral flavored, high smoke point oil (like safflower or grapeseed oil) can be used in place of the vegetable oil.

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips 

  • Butterfly and pound the chicken up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate in an airtight container. The breadcrumb mixture can be made up to 1 week ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
  • Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a low oven until warmed through and crisp.

What to Serve with Chicken Milanese

Comments

Chicken Milanese Recipe

Always tender and juicy, never dry.

Prep time 20 minutes to 30 minutes

Cook time 25 minutes to 30 minutes

Serves 4 to 8

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 1

    medium lemon

  • 4

    medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 to 2 1/2 pounds total)

  • 2 teaspoons

    kosher salt, divided, plus more for sprinkling

  • 1/2 teaspoon

    freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/2 cup

    all-purpose flour

  • 3

    large eggs

  • 1 1/2 cups

    plain, fine breadcrumbs

  • 1 teaspoon

    garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon

    onion powder

  • 1 3/4 cups

    canola oil or vegetable oil

Instructions

  1. Cut 1 medium lemon into 8 wedges and reserve for serving. Cut 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in half horizontally (also known as butterflying) to get 8 pieces total. Pound one piece of chicken at a time: Place between 2 sheets of plastic wrap or in a large zip-top bag. Use the flat side of a meat mallet or the bottom of a small heavy-bottomed skillet to pound until about 1/4-inch thick.

  2. Place the chicken on a baking sheet and season all over with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

  3. Place 1/2 cup all-purpose flour on a large plate. Beat 3 large eggs in a wide, shallow bowl with a fork until no streaks of egg white remain. Place 1 1/2 cups plain breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt in a second wide, shallow bowl, and stir to combine.

  4. Working with 1 piece of chicken at a time, dredge in the flour mixture, then the eggs, and finally the breadcrumb mixture, gently pressing the breadcrumbs into the chicken so they stick. Return to the baking sheet in an even layer (they can overlap slightly).

  5. Heat 1 3/4 cups canola oil in a large (12-inch) cast-iron or other heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering (a pinch of breadcrumbs dropped into the oil should sizzle immediately). Meanwhile, fit a second baking sheet with a wire rack or line with paper towels.

  6. Working in batches of 2, carefully add the chicken to the hot oil and fry until cooked through and golden-brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to the rack or paper towels and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Serve with the lemon wedges.

Recipe Notes

Breadcrumbs: You can use panko breadcrumbs instead of the fine breadcrumbs, but will need 2 cups. Squeeze the panko between your hands to break it up into smaller pieces for better coating before using.

Make ahead: Butterfly and pound the chicken up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate in an airtight container. The breadcrumb mixture can be made up to 1 week ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a low oven until warmed through and crisp.

Filed in:
Main Dish
Chicken
poultry
stovetop
children
Cooking with Kids