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Extra-Crispy Chicken Milanese Is an Easy Weeknight Dinner Your Whole Family Will Love

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 Feb 11, 2023
Eat

Make chicken Milanese the hero of your weeknight dinner repertoire.

Serves4 to 8

Prep20 minutes to 30 minutes

Cook30 minutes to 35 minutes

Jump to Recipe
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Chicken Milanese, on a plate with greens with shaved parmesan cheese and a lemon wedge.
Credit: Laura Rege

When it comes to fast weeknight dinners, no protein is a bigger hero than chicken. There are countless ways to prepare it, but chicken Milanese ranks high on our list of favorites. If you’re not already well-versed in this crispy breaded chicken cutlet subject, now is the time to familiarize yourself with the preparation and add it to your repertoire.

The process begins by turning chicken breasts into thin cutlets. (For the fastest ticket to dinner, buy pre-pounded chicken cutlets at the grocery store.) Then, follow the standard three-part breading procedure for a nice and crispy coating. First coat the cutlet in flour to remove excess moisture and help the egg adhere. Then coat the floured cutlet in beaten eggs, which helps the breadcrumbs stick to the cutlet. Finally coat with breadcrumbs, using your fingers to press the crumbs into the cutlets. Each step builds on the next for the perfect crunchy coating.

Shallow-fried in a pan, cutlets are much less intimidating and wasteful than deep-frying. The technique is also doable on a weeknight. Our recommendation is to fry the chicken in 1/8-inch of neutral oil; the exterior gets nice and crispy, and the thin cutlets cook up quickly while remaining perfectly tender.

What Does Milanese-Style Mean?

In the simplest terms, it means to bread and fry thin pieces of meat. The breadcrumb mixture is usually seasoned (here, with granulated garlic and onion powder).

Can You Reheat Chicken Milanese?

Although you can use a microwave, it’s best to reheat chicken Milanese in a toaster oven or oven to ensure the outside stays crisp.

What to Do with Leftover Chicken Milanese

Credit: Laura Rege

Chicken Milanese Recipe

Make chicken Milanese the hero of your weeknight dinner repertoire.

Prep time 20 minutes to 30 minutes

Cook time 30 minutes to 35 minutes

Serves 4 to 8

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 1

    medium lemon

  • 4

    boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds total)

  • 1/4 teaspoon

    kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/3 cup

    all-purpose flour

  • 3

    large eggs

  • 1 1/2 cups

    plain, fine bread crumbs

  • 1 teaspoon

    garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon

    onion powder

  • 1 3/4 cups

    canola oil or safflower oil, plus more as needed

  • Flaky salt

Instructions

  1. Cut 1 medium lemon into wedges and set aside for serving. Cut 4 chicken breasts in half crosswise. Pound one piece of chicken at a time: Place between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and 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. Repeat with remaining chicken cutlets. Season the chicken all over with kosher salt and black pepper.

  2. Place 1/3 cup all-purpose flour on a large plate. Beat 3 large eggs in wide, shallow bowl. Place 1 1/2 cups plain bread crumbs, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt in a second wide, shallow bowl and stir to combine.

  3. Working with 1 piece of chicken at a time, dredge in the flour mixture, then the eggs, and finally the bread crumb mixture, gently pressing the bread crumbs into the chicken so they stick. Place on a large plate or baking sheet.

  4. Heat 1 1/4 cups canola oil in large cast iron or other heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Fit a baking sheet with a wire rack or line with paper towels.

  5. Working in batches of 2, carefully add the chicken and fry until cooked through and lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to the prepared baking sheet, keeping them in a single layer, and sprinkle lightly with flaky salt. Repeat frying the remaining cutlets, adding more oil to the pan as needed. Serve with the lemon wedges.

Recipe Notes

Bread crumbs: You can use panko bread crumbs instead of the fine bread crumbs. Just squeeze the panko between your hands to break it up into smaller pieces for better coating before using.

Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

This post was originally published on Kitchn. Read it there: Extra-Crispy Chicken Milanese