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Chicken Milanese

November 25, 2024

Lighter — but no less impressive, quick and delicious — than Chicken Parmesan, our Chicken Milanese recipe is a classic Italian restaurant dish that’s so, so easy to replicate perfectly at home.

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homemade chicken milanese sliced on a plate, sprinkled with flaky salt and served with lemon wedges
Photography by Gayle McLeod

We just love quick, delicious weeknight dinners that do not compromise one bit on, well, anything. A restaurant-quality meal, with just a few ingredients, that’s ready in about 20 minutes? Uh, yes please. Chicken Milanese is a bit like Chicken Parmesan in that it’s an Italian restaurant favorite that is so easy to make at home from scratch. And — no offense to restaurants — it tastes even more delicious when we make it at home! Crispy, breaded chicken cutlets are pan-friend to succulent perfection, they’re fast to cook and kids adore them as much as grown-ups do — after all, chicken Milanese is basically a grown-up Chicken Nugget, right?

chicken breast, panko, salt, pepper, italian seasoning, eggs, vegetable oil and lemon wedges in prep bowls

Main Ingredients

  • Chicken breasts: You can sometimes buy chicken cutlets pre-cut at the store — and we think that’s great! Saves you a step, and gets dinner done that much faster.

  • Eggs: You need the egg to help the breadcrumbs stick to chicken.

  • Panko: Airy and crisp, panko gives Chicken Milanese the light, crisp, crunchy crust we crave.

  • Italian seasoning: We adore this herby blend and use it all the time. It usually has basil, oregano, rosemary, marjoram, thyme.

chicken breasts being pounded between parchment paper then seasoned with salt and pepper
chicken breasts seasoned with salt and pepper being dipped into an egg wash then coated in panko and italian seasoning

How To Make Chicken Milanese, Step By Step

  1. Slice the chicken breasts into cutlets. Carefully take your very sharp knife and slice the breasts horizontally, so they’re nice and thin. Now, you’re going to make them even thinner!

  2. Pound the chicken. Use a meat mallet (or rolling pin) to pound each chicken cutlet to ¼-inch thickness.

  3. Time to do the breading! Dip each chicken cutlet into beaten egg, then into seasoned panko so that each cutlet has a nice breading. The eggs allow the panko to cling to the chicken. Tongs make this job a lot less messy.

  4. Pan-fry the cutlets until they’re crispy. The key here is to work one-by-one or two-by-two depending on the size of your pan.

  5. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes. We like to slice it up before serving, but you don’t have to do that.

  6. Finish the dish with flaky salt and lemon wedges on the side for squeezing all over the crispy chicken Milanese and serve!

chicken breasts seasoned with salt and pepper dipped in egg and coated with panko and italian seasoning cooking in a skillet
chicken milanese breaded with panko and italian seasoning being cooked in a skillet

How To Serve Chicken Milanese

  • Serve it with a Classic Caesar Salad: Milanese is a classic restaurant dish, and we adore it with another Italian restaurant fave, a good and garlicky Caesar. Make it a Kale Caesar, if you want to add even more of a nutritional boost.

  • Over pasta! A lot of folks love to eat their homemade chicken Milanese over fresh pasta. YUM! Try it with our tender homemade pappardelle.

  • If you want to keep things super simple, a mound of simply dressed fresh arugula — we’re talking lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper — is a classic chicken Milanese side dish.
chicken milanese breaded with panko and italian seasoning being cooked in a skillet

Tips For Perfect Milanese + How To Store Leftovers

  • When you pound the chicken into thin pieces, put the chicken cutlets between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap — one to cover the counter, and one between your mallet and the meat. Note: This is a really fun job for older kids, if you want to include the whole family in dinner prep!

  • There are 2 secrets to perfectly crispy Milanese: One is to cook the cutlets just one or two at time, so that the oil you fry them in stays nicely hot. Secondly, once they’re in the pan frying, resist the temptation to move them around much other than to flip them.

  • Homemade chicken Milanese is best enjoyed fresh out of the pan and it’s a relatively light dinner so we don’t usually have a lot of leftovers. But if you do have them, leftover chicken Milanese will keep in the fridge for at least 3 days. To warm it up, pan-fry it just to crisp it up again.
chicken milanese seasoned with italian seasoning and breaded with panko being sliced on a cutting board
homemade chicken milanese sliced on a plate, sprinkled with flaky salt and served with lemon wedges

More Great Dinner Ideas This Way

For more recipe inspiration, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest or order our cookbook. We love when you share your meals. Tag us on Instagram using #themodernproper, and we’d love to hear what you think of this recipe in the comments below. Happy cooking!

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Chicken Milanese

  • Serves:  4
  • Prep Time:  15 min
  • Cook Time:  25 min
  • Calories:  417

Ingredients

  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (about 1 pound total), halved lengthwise
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 ¼ cups panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • Flaky salt, for serving
  • Lemon wedges, for serving

Method

  1. Working with 1 chicken cutlet at a time, place the meat between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound each cutlet to ¼-inch thickness. Season the chicken cutlets on both sides with salt and pepper.

    chicken breasts being pounded between parchment paper then seasoned with salt and pepper
  2. In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs. Combine the panko and Italian seasoning in a separate shallow bowl. Dip each cutlet into the egg, allowing the excess to drip off. Press each cutlet into the seasoned panko to coat evenly.

    chicken breasts seasoned with salt and pepper being dipped into an egg wash then coated in panko and italian seasoning
  3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is glistening, add 2 cutlets and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the cutlets and repeat until the other side is golden brown, another 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a paper towel lined plate.

    chicken breasts seasoned with salt and pepper dipped in egg and coated with panko and italian seasoning cooking in a skillet
  4. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet and repeat with the remaining cutlets.

    chicken milanese breaded with panko and italian seasoning being cooked in a skillet
  5. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then slice crosswise. Sprinkle with the flaky salt and serve with a wedge of lemon on the side.

    homemade chicken milanese sliced on a plate, sprinkled with flaky salt and served with lemon wedges

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories 417
  • Protein 51 g
  • Carbohydrates 12 g
  • Total Fat 18 g
  • Dietary Fiber 1 g
  • Cholesterol 233 mg
  • sodium 609 mg
  • Total Sugars 0 g

Chicken Milanese

Questions & Reviews

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  • Amelia

    Hi- my son is allergic to eggs (and dairy). Is there a decent sub for the eggs in this recipe? Thanks!

    We haven't tried it this way but you could try mixing equal parts flour and water in place of the egg.

  • Darcy

    Give me everything breaded but especially give me this. SOOOOO good I can't wait to make it again.

    Thanks Darcy, we are so glad you loved it!