Milanese is a traditional Italian recipe in which a thinly pounded slice of pork, veal, sirloin or chicken is coated in seasoned breadcrumbs and pan fried in butter. It has been a popular preparation for many generations and its simple preparation, quick completion and delicious result make it easy to understand why.
Today, I am using thinly sliced chicken breasts, but this recipe will remain the same regardless of what protein you chose. As long as your meat is thinly sliced, you are good to go!
Occasionally you can find thinly sliced chicken available at the market, but if you cannot, you have several other options. You can horizontally slice a boneless skinless chicken breast into three portions or if you are not confident doing this, you can always ask your butcher to do it for you! Most butchers are happy to slice meats thinner for you, all you have to do is ask! Chicken cut into “tenders” are also a great option. They spread out easily when pounded and are super easily to work with.
Whichever route you end up taking, pound your chicken out thinly between two sheets of parchment paper and season with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper.
Once your chicken is thin and seasoned, prepare your breading by placing 1/3 cup of all purpose flour into a shallow dish and season with a pinch of salt and black pepper.
In a second shallow dish, whisk together 1 large egg with a tablespoon of milk and season with a pinch of salt and black pepper.
In a third shallow dish, add 1/2 cup of seasoned breadcrumbs, 1/3 cup of grated parmesan, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper.
Dip each portion of chicken into the seasoned flour and make sure that the entire surface is lightly coated.
Now dip the flour coated chicken into the egg and milk mixture. Make sure that the entire surface of the chicken is lightly coated in egg before transferring it into the breadcrumbs.
Coat both sides of the chicken generously in the breadcrumb and parmesan and then transfer the coated chicken onto a plate and repeat with the second portion.
Add 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a large skillet and place it over medium heat. Once the butter has melted and the skillet is very warm, add the chicken and cook on the first side for 3-4 minutes or until the underside is golden brown and crisp.
Carefully flip the chicken and season the crispy top with a pinch of salt. Cook on the other side until both sides are golden brown and the chicken is cooked through with an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Transfer your beautiful chicken milanese onto a cutting board and let it sit for a minute or two before slicing. I know it looks and smells incredible and nothing terrible would happen if you were to dig right in, but letting the chicken sit before slicing will allow the juices to balance out in the chicken and it will give the breading a chance to set up a bit before you start slicing into it.
Classically, milanese is served with greens, some fresh parmesan and lemon wedges and although I love to mix things up, I think that this combination was developed for a reason. Everything works so perfectly together…
The chicken is seasoned beautifully and the crispy breading is buttery and salty, which is complimented so nicely by the peppery arugula and the tangy lemon.
The preparation for this chicken milanese results in some really fabulous chicken and if you use a meat thermometer to tell when the chicken is cooked through (and I highly recommend that you do!), it will come out juicy every time!
Whether you are in need of a quick lunch, a classic dinner or something simple to make for friends, this chicken milanese is exactly what you should be making…
Chicken Milanese
Ingredients
- 1 boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced and pounded
- a pinch of garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper
- 1/2 cup of Italian breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup of parmesan, grated
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon of milk
- 1/3 cup of all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 5 ounces fresh arugula
- lemon wedges (optional garnish)
- balsamic glaze (optional garnish)
- parmesan, shaved or shredded
Instructions
- Slice a boneless skinless chicken breast in half horizontally and pound it out thin between two sheets of parchment paper
- Season the chicken with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper
- Gather 3 shallow dishes
- Place 1/3 cup of all purpose flour in one of the shallow bowls
- Whisk 1 large egg with 1 tablespoon of milk and season with a pinch of salt and black pepper in the second shallow bowl
- Add 1/2 cup of seasoned breadcrumbs, 1/3 cup of grated parmesan, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper into the third shallow dish
- Coat each piece of chicken lightly with flour, then dip into the egg and then coat with breadcrumbs and place the coated chicken onto a plate
- Place 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a large skillet and place it over medium heat
- Once the pan is hot and the butter has melted, arrange chicken in a single layer in the skillet
- Allow the chicken to brown for 3 minutes on the first side
- Once the underside is brown and crispy, flip the chicken and season the crispy coating with a pinch of salt
- Cook the other side for 3-4 minutes or until both sides are golden brown, crisp and the chicken is cooked through with an internal temperature of 165 degrees
- Once the chicken is done, transfer it onto a cutting board and let the chicken sit for 2 minutes before slicing
- To plate the chicken milanese, top with arugula, drizzle with olive oil and add shaved parmesan, salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon or balsamic vinegar (optional)
