This Chicken Milanese Recipe is an Italian dish with thin chicken breasts breaded with seasoned bread crumbs and pan fried in butter. Then it is topped with a simple arugula and red onion salad that has been tossed with a lemon and olive oil dressing and sprinkled with shaved Parmesan Cheese. Serve it with fresh lemon wedges for light spritzing.
This tasty dish that originated in Milan is the perfect balance of texture and flavor with crisp golden brown chicken and peppery arugula tossed with lemon juice and Parmesan Cheese. It is a quick and easy impressive weeknight meal with unsurpassed flavor.
What is in Chicken Milanese
- Breading – consisting of flour, eggs, bread crumbs, and Italian seasoning.
- Chicken Breasts – boneless skinless chicken breasts cut or pounded thin, breaded, and pan fried in butter and olive oil
- Arugula Salad – a combination of arugula, thin sliced red onion, and Parmesan cheese shavings all tossed in a simple lemon and olive oil dressing
- Lemon Wedges – for clean crisp citrus zip
How to make Chicken Milanese
Start by pounding your chicken about 1/2 inch thick using a meat mallet. Then set up your breading station with three shallow wide bowls. In the first bowl add your flour, salt, and pepper. In the second bowl add the eggs and milk. And in the third bowl add the Italian bread crumbs, Panko bread crumbs, and Italian seasoning.
In a medium bowl combine the arugula, red onion, and shaved parmesan cheese. In a small bowl add the lemon juice and slowly whisk in the olive oil. Whisk until well combined and drizzle over the salad tossing to coat. Set the salad aside for the few minutes.
Dredge each chicken cutlet in the flour mixture, then dip in the egg mixture, then in the bread crumb mixture coating both sides well. Now melt the butter and heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the breaded chicken and fry until both sides are golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Top the fried cutlets with the arugula salad and serve with fresh lemon wedges.
Recipe tips for Chicken Milanese
- Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise and use a meat mallet to pound the chicken to about 1/2 inch thick.
- The butter olive oil combo works well for browning the chicken with great flavor without burning the butter.
- To make parmesan shavings simply use a vegetable peeler to shave long thin pieces from a block of Parmesan Cheese
- Serve with fresh lemon wedges for a spritz of fresh citrus flavor and lemon zip.
- Feel free to use all panko breadcrumbs or even fresh bread crumbs. I personally like the added crispiness that panko lends to this recipe.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Keep the arugula salad separate from the chicken. For best results reheat the chicken in an air fryer at 375 degrees for 2-3 minutes.
More chicken recipes for you to try!
Chicken Florentine- Jamaican Jerk Chicken
- Spinach Stuffed Chicken
- Parmesan Encrusted Chicken
- Lemon Chicken Pasta
Chicken Milanese
Ingredients
- Chicken
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise to make 4 thinner breasts
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoons milk
- ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
- ½ cup panko breadcrumb
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salad
- 4 cups arugula
- ¼ cup red onion thin sliced
- ⅓ cup shaved Parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, salt, and pepper in a wide shallow bowl. Whisk together the eggs and milk in another wide shallow bowl. Whisk together the Italian bread crumbs, panko bread crumbs, and Italian seasoning in the last wide shallow bowl.
- In a medium bowl combine the arugula, red onion, and shaved parmesan cheese. In a small bowl add the lemon juice and slowly whisk in the olive oil. Whisk until well combined and drizzle over the salad tossing to coat. Set the salad aside for the few minutes.
- Dredge each breast piece in the flour mixture shaking off any excess, then dunk in the egg mixture, then in the bread crumb mixture coating both sides well. Melt the butter and heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the breaded chicken and fry until the bottom is browned. Flip and cook until the other side is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Top the fried cutlets with the arugula salad and serve with fresh lemon wedges.
Notes
- Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise and use a meat mallet to pound the chicken to about 1/2 inch thick.
- The butter olive oil combo works well for browning the chicken with great flavor without burning the butter.
- To make parmesan shavings simply use a vegetable peeler to shave long thin pieces from a block of Parmesan Cheese
- Serve with fresh lemon wedges for a spritz of fresh citrus flavor and lemon zip.
- Feel free to use all panko breadcrumbs or even fresh bread crumbs. I personally like the added crispiness that panko lends to this recipe.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Keep the arugula salad separate from the chicken. For best results reheat the chicken in an air fryer at 375 degrees for 2-3 minutes.
Nutrition
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Clarice
Wow! This looks really delicious. This is something that my husband would enjoy. Seems easy to follow and would love to try. Thank you for sharing this recipe. 🙂
Beth Pierce
Thanks Clarice! Enjoy!
Rosey
I love this Chicken Milanese. I added a little onion powder and garlic powder to the breading and I served it with grilled asparagus.
Melanie Edjourian
We loved this dish. The arugula salad is so refreshing with the crisp chicken. I will make this recipe again!
Irena
With a bit of ruccola and red onions like in the picture, this is the perfect dinner!
Sam
Love the taste and texture! Definitely making this again soon
Amanda
I can’t believe how delicious this was! It was so simple but seems so fancy.
Erin
Omg, this is beyond delicious! Such an amazing dish!
April
So tasty and still light! Can’t wait to make it again. thank you for sharing!
Beth Pierce
My pleasure April!
Sara
Enjoyed this for dinner last night and it turned out perfectly crispy and delicious! Such a great blend of flavors and textures; easily, a new favorite recipe!
Gina
After a busy day this was a quick and delicious dinner to make. It really hit the spot. I will be keeping this in my dinner rotation!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Gina! So glad that you liked it.
Sandra
I love how tasty this is!! So good and it’s so easy!
Claudia Lamascolo
Delicious chicken recipe and so flavorful everyone loves this and will make it again soon!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Claudia! So happy that you liked it!
Suja md
Truly amazing in taste and flavors in this recipe. Will definitely make again, very good recipe!
Juliane
This Chicken Milanese is remarkably good. The flavors of the crispy chicken and the arugula salad really work well.
Beti
This is such a fantastic dish! I love the flavors!!
katerina
Oh my, this was incredibly delicious! My family loved it. Thanks for the great recipe.