Why You’ll Love It
- You’re guaranteed perfectly crunchy and juicy chicken. Starting with thinly pounded chicken means that it fries up quickly, staying juicy inside and super crispy on the outside.
- It pairs well with other dishes. Chicken Milanese is versatile; serve it with a simple salad, next to rice pilaf, or with roasted vegetables.
Key Ingredients in Chicken Milanese
- Chicken breast. You’ll need four boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Try to get ones that are all about the same size (about 8 ounces or medium size is great here).
- Breadcrumbs. Plain dry, fine breadcrumbs fry up deliciously crispy in Milanese. Don’t use the seasoned or Italian-flavored breadcrumbs.
- Garlic and onion powders. These two spices add a nice background flavor to the chicken.
- Vegetable oil. Fry with regular vegetable or canola oil because they have a neutral flavor.
Helpful Swaps
- Want to do less pounding? Just purchase 2 pounds chicken cutlets or thin-cut chicken breasts instead. These thinner pieces of chicken don’t require butterflying and just need a quick pound to get them to the right thickness since they’re already thinner.
- Panko breadcrumbs can be used in place of the fine bread crumbs, but you will need to increase the amount to 2 cups. Squeeze the panko with your hands to get the crumbs a bit smaller.
- Any neutral flavored, high smoke point oil (like safflower or grapeseed oil) can be used in place of the vegetable oil.
Chicken Milanese
Serves 4 to 8- 1 medium lemon
- 4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 to 2 1/2 pounds total)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more for sprinkling
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups plain, fine breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 3/4 cups canola oil or vegetable oil
2. Cut four boneless, skinless chicken breasts in half horizontally (also known as butterflying) to get eight pieces total. Pound one piece of chicken at a time: Place between two sheets of plastic wrap or in a large zip-top bag. 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.
3. Place the chicken on a baking sheet and season all over with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
4. Place 1/2 cup all-purpose flour on a large plate. Beat three large eggs in a wide, shallow bowl with a fork until no streaks of egg white remain. Place 1 1/2 cups plain breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt in a second wide, shallow bowl, and stir to combine.
5. Working with one piece of chicken at a time, dredge in the flour mixture, then the eggs, and finally the breadcrumb mixture, gently pressing the breadcrumbs into the chicken so they stick. Return to the baking sheet in an even layer (they can overlap slightly).
6. Heat 1 3/4 cups canola oil in a large (12-inch) cast-iron or other heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering (a pinch of breadcrumbs dropped into the oil should sizzle immediately). Meanwhile, fit a second baking sheet with a wire rack or line with paper towels.
Recipe Notes
Make ahead: Butterfly and pound the chicken up to two days ahead and refrigerate in an airtight container. The breadcrumb mixture can be made up to one week ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to three days. Reheat in a low oven until warmed through and crisp.
