Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 4
In our increasingly hectic lives, I’ve noticed my friends often resort to takeout when they’re too exhausted to cook after a long day or lack inspiration. The next time I hear someone talk about their to-go order, I plan to respond, ”Can we all agree that we have a lot to thank chicken for?” The unsung hero of versatility and deliciousness, it offers us amazingly easy and quick options like zesty chicken fajita bake, chicken salad, and the star of this meal time: crispy, juicy chicken Milanese. The breadcrumb crust has an umami packed flavor from the parmesan cheese, all pan fried to crunchy, golden perfection in under 30 minutes.
With such straightforward ingredients, the magic is in the prep work. The method to get the crispiest texture for Milanese-style chicken is double dredging. To repeat offenders, this is the only time double dipping should be allowed! This technique creates a savory shield between the chicken and the frying oil, guaranteeing extra crunch while sealing in all that juicy goodness.
While this dish is perfect as-is, If you’re feeling spicy and want to jazz up the flour and breadcrumbs, feel free to add in your favorite herbs or spices into the flour or bread crumb mixture before dredging.
Squeeze a wedge of lemon over the top for a bright, citrusy flavor. For a balanced meal, serve this with a caramelized zucchini pasta or fresh arugula salad with lemon dressing to contrast the richness of the chicken. If you love decadence, pairing this with creamy pasta is a great fit.
Recipe Tips
- Double up on the dredge—A double dredge ensures a super nice crust with tons of crispy texture.
- Add butter at the end—Frying in oil and adding butter at the end allows gives you all the crispness you could hope for without burning the butter. The butter will brown, but that’s what we want here.
- Substitute for cutlets—If you can’t find cutlets, butterfly and halve boneless skinless chicken breasts and pound them thin.
Ingredients
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1/2 cup (60 grams) all-purpose flour
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3/4 teaspoon fine salt, divided
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2 large eggs
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1 tablespoon water
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1 1/4 cups (177 grams) plain dried breadcrumbs
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1/3 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
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1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
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4 (4- to 5-ounce) chicken cutlets (1/4-inch thick)
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3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
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2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
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Lemon wedges, for serving
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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Whisk together 1/2 cup (60 grams) all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt in a shallow dish.
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Crack 2 large eggs into another shallow dish and add 1 tablespoon water. Lightly beat with a fork.
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Whisk together 1 1/4 cups (177 grams) plain dried breadcrumbs, 1/3 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt in a third shallow dish.
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Working with 1 chicken cutlet at a time, dip into flour, tapping to remove excess, then dip into eggs and turn to fully coat; let excess drip off. Transfer cutlet to breadcrumb mixture and turn to coat, pressing to adhere. Add cutlet back to egg mixture followed by breadcrumb mixture. Transfer to a large plate.
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Set a wire rack inside a baking sheet, and place next to the stove. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 cutlets and cook until golden brown and crispy on the first side, 2 to 3 minutes.
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Flip the cutlets and add 1 tablespoon unsalted butter to the pan. Continue to cook over medium heat, swirling the pan often to redistribute the butter, until the cutlets are golden brown on the second side and the thickest portion of chicken registers 155 F, about 2 more minutes. Remove the cutlets to the wire rack and season with 1/8 teaspoon fine salt. Wipe the skillet clean and repeat the process with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 chicken cutlets, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, and 1/8 teaspoon fine salt.
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Divide the cutlets among plates and serve with lemon wedges.
How To Store
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350 F oven or air fryer to refresh the crispy coating.
Feeling Adventurous? Try This:
- Use a different protein—Another very popular style of Milanese is with pounded veal. Japanese tonkotsu is very similar and made with pounded pork.
- Make it chicken parm—You could take this an extra decadent route and spoon over delicious marinara sauce and then mozzarella. Heat that under the broiler and serve with pasta for a chicken parm situation.
- Dress up leftovers—Leftovers are delicious in a sandwich (Mexican torta de milanesa is a classic!).
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 4 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 560 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 28g | 36% |
| Saturated Fat 9g | 43% |
| Cholesterol 193mg | 64% |
| Sodium 789mg | 34% |
| Total Carbohydrate 41g | 15% |
| Dietary Fiber 3g | 9% |
| Total Sugars 3g | |
| Protein 34g | |
| Vitamin C 8mg | 38% |
| Calcium 177mg | 14% |
| Iron 4mg | 21% |
| Potassium 348mg | 7% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
