Crispy Chicken Milanese
Golden crispy chicken that is light, crunchy, tender, and juicy – what more could you want in a bite of chicken?
you're making mealtime meaningful.
Chicken is often the go-to in the kitchen for quick and easy meals. Chicken has all kinds of potential for deliciousness, particularly as found in this Crispy Chicken Milanese. It’s time to consider breaded and fried chicken light, juicy, tender, and delicious. A dish like this is ideal for a weeknight dinner or a dinner party with friends, it’s that good!
The process involves two key steps. The first is to tenderize the chicken. Chicken breasts are typically thicker on one end and thinner on the other. I like to butterfly the chicken by slicing the chicken in half horizontally. This will create two pieces of meat of approximately even thickness. To soften the meat, I lightly pound the chicken; tenderizing helps to make the meat even juicer!
To create the crispy exterior, the second step in the process is the breading mixture, and the key ingredient here is Panko. Panko breadcrumbs are lighter due to a dryer texture and flakier consistency, making it an ideal coating for a light and crunchy fry.
Now that the chicken has been butterflied, tenderized, and breaded, it can take a dip into a pan of hot oil to fry. A few minutes on either side and then the chicken is transferred to a cooling rack and garnished immediately with finishing salt. This style is both Italian and French in origin and cooking technique. In Italian cooking, a cotoletta is a piece of meat (typically veal) that is pounded thin, coated in breading and fried in oil. Veal isn’t a meat that most of us typically keep on hand, so chicken is a natural alternative.
The chicken is ready to eat! I like to serve the chicken with slices of lemon and over a bed of arugula. That bright flash of citrus and peppery arugula makes the chicken taste so light and fresh. How good does this look?! Golden crispy chicken that is light, crunchy, tender, and juicy – what more could we want in a bite of chicken? From our table to yours, we hope you enjoy!
Crispy Chicken Milanese is from An Evening in Milan at Table for 12. It is served with Kale Caesar Salad, Paccheri Alla Vittorio, and Fresh Pistachio-Filled Cannoli.
Crispy Chicken Milanese
Yield(s): Serves 6-8
15m prep time
15m cook time
you're making mealtime meaningful.
Ingredients
- 3 - 4 chicken breasts, butterflied and pounded thin
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 3 eggs
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 1/2 cups Panko breadcrumb
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 4 cups vegetable oil
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- 1 cup baby arugula
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 325° F and prepare a parchment-lined sheet tray.
- Prepare three bowls for breading chicken. One bowl with flour, one bowl with eggs and dijon, and one bowl with Panko breadcrumbs and parmesan.
- Heat a wide rondeau pan with vegetable oil over medium heat.
- Season pounded chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
- Dredge the chicken in the flour, eggs, and breadcrumb then place breaded chicken onto a prepared tray.
- Fry chicken in batches for 2 - 3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Place onto a wire rack over a sheet tray, season cooked chicken with a sprinkle of salt, and keep warm in the oven while you cook the remaining chicken cutlets.
- Serving suggestion: Arrange chicken on a platter with fresh arugula and lemon wedges. Enjoy!
This recipe is from An Evening in Milan at Table for 12.