Milanesa de Pollo (Chicken Milanese)
Pan Fried Chicken Cutlets – Call it Mexican Milanesa de Pollo or Italian Chicken Milanese, here is an easy breaded and skillet-fried chicken recipe that pairs perfectly with all your favorite sides!
Why We Love This Chicken Cutlet Recipe
First off, I am a big fan of fried chicken in nearly all forms. What’s not to love about biting into a piece of hot, crunchy, flavorful, and juicy chicken? Classic tavern fried chicken and country fried chicken, Nashville hot chicken, Korean fried chicken – they are all fantastic!
Chicken Milanese is an Italian variation of breaded pan-fried chicken cutlets. The term Milanese comes from Milan, Italy, and was originally a dish made with veal, pounded into a thin layer then breaded and fried.
Although the origins are Italian, and you might see breaded chicken cutlets served with popular Italian vegetable or pasta dishes, this dish is also very popular in Mexican cuisine. Known as Milanesa de Pollo, the concept and cooking steps are basically the same.
This easy Chicken Milanese / Milanesa de Pollo recipe features a simple blend of herbs and spices. It makes the flavor appropriate for both Italian and central American dishes! From there you can dress up the fried cutlets with whatever sides are best for your cuisine of choice.
Shopping List of Ingredients
- Chicken breasts – cutlets
- Eggs – to bind the breading to the chicken
- Milk – whole or low fat
- All-purpose flour – can be gluten-free
- Seasonings – salt, dried oregano, onion powder, and garlic powder
- Breadcrumbs – can be gluten-free
- Olive oil -or other high-heat cooking oil, like avocado or grapeseed
- Butter – unsalted
How to Make Pan-Fried Breaded Chicken Cutlets
Whether you plan to serve it as Mexico’s Milanesa de Pollo or Italian Chicken Milanese, the recipe steps are the same. Hooray!
Place 2 to 3 chicken cutlets in a large freezer zip bag. Use a meat mallet to pound the chicken cutlets out and to a thin ¼-inch layer. Remove them from the bag and repeat with the remaining cutlets.
Set out a baking dish and a medium bowl for the coatings. Pour the breadcrumbs into the bowl and set aside. In the baking dish, combine the eggs, milk, flour, salt, oregano, onion powder, and garlic powder.
Whisk well until smooth.
Place all the pounded chicken cutlets into the batter. Mix by hand until all pieces are well coated.
Place a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil in 1 tablespoon of butter to the skillet.
One at a time, take a chicken cutlet coated in batter and dredge it in the breadcrumbs.
Place in the hot skillet. Repeat, working in batches of 2 to 3 pieces at a time. Fry the chicken cutlets for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Move to a holding pan lined with paper towels to remove excess oil.
Get the Complete (Printable) Milanesa de Pollo Recipe + Video Below. Enjoy!
Depending on the heat, you may need to wipe the skillet out with a paper towel in between batches. Add more olive oil and butter as needed. Repeat in two more batches until all the chicken cutlets are fried.
Pro Tip: Keep in a warming drawer (or low heat oven) to keep the chicken cutlets hot and crisp.
Chicken Milanese Serving Suggestions
Serve these chicken cutlets Italian-style with pasta and a vibrant tomato sauce. For a lower-carb meal enjoy it with zucchini noodles. Or go big and serve it with Fettuccine Alfredo!
Either way, serve the chicken with a generous sprinkling of parmesan cheese, of course!
What to Serve with Milanesa de Pollo
Crispy breaded chicken cutlets are delicious with rice and beans. Pair with Spanish rice or yellow rice (arroz amarillo), and refried or Mexican pinto beans (frijoles de la olla). Or serve with a simple salad, roasted potatoes, and a squeeze of lemon juice over the top. You can also make this a lower-carb dish by serving it with cauliflower rice!
Sides of guacamole, sour cream, and a fresh pico de gallo or homemade salsa are always a great idea!
The chicken can even be chopped and served as a taco filling. Or top it with a rich Molé. The options are endless!
A simple side of grilled or roasted vegetables, or fresh green salad, are also fabulous to make a complete meal for whichever version of chicken Milanese you prefer!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Chicken Milanese and Chicken Piccata?
Both are essentially breaded and pan-fried chicken cutlet recipes. However, chicken piccata does not use an egg wash or breadcrumbs to coat the chicken. Instead, the thin pieces of chicken are simply dredged in flour before pan-frying.
Traditionally chicken Milanese is served with a tomato sauce. A key feature of piccata is a rich, buttery sauce made with white wine and capers.
How do you make gluten-free pan-fried chicken?
Swap classic breadcrumbs with whatever gluten-free crumbs you like. Serve the Milanesa with GF-friendly pasta or rice.
How long do breaded chicken cutlets last in the fridge?
Store leftovers in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
The best way to reheat fried food is in an air fryer or bake briefly in the oven. You can re-fry them on the stovetop as well. However, this will make the breading a bit heavier.
Looking for More Fabulously Easy Recipes?
- Easy Chicken Kiev
- Roman Chicken with Peppers and Onions
- Guacamole and Cheese Stuffed Chicken
- Easy Chicken Cacciatore
- Garlic Lime Skillet Chicken
Milanesa de Pollo (Chicken Milanese)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breast cutlets about 8 pieces
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ cups plain breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 3 tablespoons butter divided
Instructions
- Place 2 to 3 chicken cutlets in a large freezer zip bag. Use a meat mallet to pound the chicken cutlets out and to a thin ¼-inch layer. Remove them from the bag and repeat with the remaining cutlets.
- Set out a baking dish and a medium bowl for the coatings. Pour the breadcrumbs into the bowl and set aside. In the baking dish, combine the eggs, milk, flour, salt, oregano, onion powder, and garlic powder. Whisk well until smooth.
- Place all the pounded chicken cutlets into the batter. Mix by hand until all pieces are well coated.
- Place a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil in 1 tablespoon of butter to the skillet.
- One at a time, take a chicken cutlet coated in batter, and dredge it in the breadcrumbs. Place in the hot skillet. Repeat, working in batches of 2 to 3 pieces at a time. Fry the chicken cutlets for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Move to a holding pan.
- Depending on the heat, you may need to wipe the skillet out with a paper towel in between batches. Add more olive oil and butter. Repeat in two more batches until all the chicken cutlets are fried.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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This is an amazing…and it looks soo yummy & sound so delicious…i will trying to make it …Thanks for sharing….Love it!
I love this chicken recipe because it is so versitile! I can make it with a homemade sauce to go on top like mole, or I also love to use this chicken in tacos! thank you for sharing
Yay!! This recipe turned out delicious! My husband and I loved it!
I made this Chicken Milanese for dinner and the whole family loved it. I loved it because it was much easier to make than I originally expected. Thanks for a great recipe.
This was perfect for my kids. They are always so hard to please when it comes to food and are so picky but they really liked this recipe.