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    April 15, 2024

    Pork Milanese Bowls

    This bowl features skillet-fried pork cutlets on a bed of bright and lemony parmesan rice. Finish it off with crunchy arugula and juicy cherry tomatoes for a hearty meal we love for lunch or dinner.

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    pork milanese bowls made of Skillet-Fried Pork Cutlets on top of lemon parmesan rice and drizzled with creamy lemon dressing
    Photography by Gayle McLeod
    pork milanese bowls made of Skillet-Fried Pork Cutlets on top of lemon parmesan rice and drizzled with creamy lemon dressing

    What Is Pork Milanese And Why Is It Our Favorite?

    Pork Milanese is one of our favorite techniques for cooking meat because it’s quick, easy, and super tasty–our preferred description for weeknight dinners! Milanese-style entails frying meat that has been breaded. For these pork Milanese bowls we use panko bread crumbs which yield a lighter, flakier coating because they absorb less oil than regular breadcrumbs. For more pork recipe ideas, check out our round up of the Best Pork Recipes.

    ingredients in bowls for pork milanese bowls with fried chicken, lemon parmesan rice and creamy lemon dressing
    lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, garlic, minced, salt, vinegar, mayonnaise, and olive oil in a bowl for creamy lemon dressing
    creamy lemon dressing in a bowl made with lemon zest & juice, sugar, garlic, minced, salt, vinegar, mayonnaise & olive oil
    raw pounded boneless pork chops on a baking sheet seasoned with salt and pepper

    These Pork Milanese Bowls Offer A Perfect Bite Of Everything

    Making a meal in a bowl with various ingredients ensures that you’ll get a forkful of all the good stuff every time. Starting with a base of lemon parmesan rice (we recommend long grain white rice or jasmine rice), we add slices of satisfyingly crispy pork cutlet, a handful of arugula and halved cherry tomatoes, and finish it all with a drizzle of creamy lemon dressing. Extra points if like us, you need another squeeze of fresh lemon to make everything super jazzy.

    raw pounded pork chops being breaded in egg wash then panko
    raw pork chops breaded with egg wash and panko on a baking sheet ready to be pan-fried
    panko coated boneless pork chops being pan-fried in a skillet to use for pork milanese bowls
    pan-fried breaded pork chops being sliced with a knife on a cutting board to use for pork milanese bowls

    How To Build The Perfect Rice Bowl

    1. Make the rice. For extra flavorful rice, we cook ours with chicken stock and seasoning, and add butter and parmesan (and capers if you’re into a little briny bite) at the end of the cook time.

    2. Pork Milanese is a cooking technique we love because the results make us look like star chefs, when it’s a cinch to pull off. First, tenderize the pork cutlets. Then bread them and cook in a skillet over medium-high heat. Since we tenderized the pork, these cook in about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from heat and let cool before slicing.

    3. The creamy lemon dressing can be quickly prepared in a small jar. Just add all of the ingredients to the jar and tighten the lid well before shaking it up.

    4. To build the pork Milanese bowls, start with a little bit of rice, topped with the sliced pork, a tangle of crunchy arugula, halved cherry tomatoes, and a healthy drizzle of creamy lemon dressing.

    rice, chicken broth, garlic powder, lemon zest & juice & butter being added to a pot to make lemon parmesan rice
    Lemon parmesan rice made with chicken broth, garlic powder, lemon zest & juice, butter, parmesan, salt, pepper & capers

    Tools You’ll Need

    More Bountiful Bowls For Your Dining Table

    There’s so many fun ways to serve your next meal in a bowl. Here’s a few of our favorite recipes:

    pork milanese bowls made of Skillet-Fried Pork Cutlets on top of lemon parmesan rice and drizzled with creamy lemon dressing

    A Crunchy, Munchy Bowl

    Did you make these delicious pork Milanese bowls? Share a photo of your meal and maybe even a video of the beautiful people you feed it to. Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!

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    Pork Milanese Bowls

    Updated on April 15, 2024

    • Serves: 4
    • Prep Time:  25 min
    • Cook Time:  25 min
    • Calories: 714
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    Ingredients

    Lemon-Parmesan Rice

    • 1½ cups long grain white or jasmine rice, rinsed
    • 2½ cups chicken stock or water
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¾ teaspoon grated lemon zest
    • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
    • 4 tablespoons salted butter
    • ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
    • Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
    • ¼ cup capers, drained (optional)

    Pork Cutlets

    • 4 (1-inch thick) boneless pork chops (about 1½ pound total)
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1¼ cups panko breadcrumbs
    • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

    Creamy Lemon Dressing

    • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
    • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
    • 1 clove garlic, minced
    • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
    • ½ teaspoon raw apple cider vinegar
    • ¼ cup mayonnaise
    • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

    For Serving

    • Arugula
    • Cherry tomatoes, halved
    • Lemon wedges

    Method

    1. Make the rice. In a medium saucepan, combine the rice, chicken broth, garlic powder, lemon zest, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of the butter. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid has absorbed, about 18 minutes.
    2. Stir in the Parmesan, salt, pepper, capers, if using, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.
    3. While the rice is cooking, make the pork. Working with 1 pork chop at a time, place the meat between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound each pork chop to ¼-inch thickness. Season on both sides with the salt and pepper.
    4. In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs. Place the panko in a separate shallow bowl or pie plate. Dip each pork chop into the egg, allowing the excess to drip off. Press each pork chop into the panko to coat evenly.
    5. Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a large skillet, over medium-high heat. Once the oil is glistening, add 2 pork chops and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the pork chops and repeat until the other side is golden brown, another 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the pork to a cutting board. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet and repeat with the remaining pork chops. Let the cutlets rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
    6. Make the dressing. To a jar with a tight fitting lid, add the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, minced garlic, salt, vinegar, mayonnaise, and olive oil. Seal the jar and shake until emulsified, about 30 seconds.
    7. Divide the rice among 4 bowls. Top with the sliced pork cutlets, arugula, and tomatoes. Drizzle with the dressing and serve with a squeeze of lemon juice if desired.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories714
    • Protein38 g
    • Carbohydrates29 g
    • Total Fat49 g
    • Dietary Fiber1 g
    • Cholesterol198 mg
    • sodium813 mg
    • Total Sugars3 g

    Pork Milanese Bowls

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • Rebecca

      I loved this dish! So flavorful. The only issue was that my rice was very mushy. Could this be because I didn’t cook it long enough it the first step?

      Mushy would mean you overcooked the rice.

    • Stephanie

      Could I sub tahini for mayo ?

      We wouldn't recommend that in this recipe. The ration of tahini to olive oil would not be balanced.

    • Ariana

      Could you substitute boneless skinless chicken breast for the pork? I don’t eat pork but this sounds delicious!

      Sure! Hope you enjoy Ariana!

    • Danielle

      Could you sub out the pork with chicken?

      Sure!

    • Alyssa

      If I have a rice cooker would I cook the rice the same way by adding garlic, lemon, zest, and butter at the beginning?

      Yep! Hope you enjoy Alyssa!

    • Morgan

      Delicious! Easier than anticipated also. I didn't have enough lemons to make the sauce and still really enjoyed it.

      Thanks Morgan, we are so glad you loved it!

    • Jess

      Easy and tasty recipe! Very flavorful with great textures! The only adjustment I made after making per the recipe was to reduce my rice liquid to just 2-1/4 c. including 2 tbsp. of lemon juice (this fixed the mushy rice issue!).

      Thanks Jess, we are so glad you loved it!

    • Evelyn

      I can’t recommend this recipe enough! It’s SO good. Such a win. We used chicken instead and it was amazing. Like we say I’m my country, 20 points!!!

      Thanks Evelyn, so happy you loved it!

    • Holly

      I make this atleast twice a month for my family. The flavors are balanced so well and it is easy to adjust so that my toddlers love it. I cut the cutlets so that they are like chicken tenders for my kids. Serve some ketchup on the side for my kids to dip. I also save some plain rice for the kids before adding the lemon and such.

      Thanks Holly, we are so glad your family enjoys this. We love how easy bowl dinners are to customize for littles and just different taste preferences in general.

    • Michelle

      I made this using very thin pork cutlets and it was spectacular! The lemony rice was amazing.

      Thanks Michelle, so glad you loved it!