Crispy Chicken Milanese Recipe

square image of crispy breaded chicken milanese with greens.

Crispy Chicken Milanese Recipe

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 30

Servings: servings

Calories: 371cal

Author: Ashley Fehr

Crispy Chicken Milanese is made with juicy chicken coated in seasoned breadcrumbs and pan-fried to golden perfection. It’s simple to prep, cooks fast, and brings a bright lemon flavor!

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Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¾ cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 lemon, zested (optional)
2 eggs
1 cup fine seasoned bread crumbs
¼ cup canola or vegetable oil (plus more if needed)
lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

Butterfly chicken breasts and slice through completely, turning each into two thin pieces. Lay flat on a large cutting board and cover with plastic wrap. Pound until very thin.
Gather 3 shallow bowls. In the first, combine flour, salt, pepper and lemon zest if using. The zest of 1 lemon zest will add subtle lemon flavor throughout -- you can skip it if you prefer!
In the second bowl, whisk the 2 eggs.
In the third bowl, place the bread crumbs.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. (You want enough oil in the pan that it will come about halfway up the sides of the chicken, and this will depend on the size of your pan. Feel free to add a bit more if needed).
Coat each piece of chicken completely in the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs, gently shaking off excess in between each step. Place on a plate until the oil is ready -- do not overlap.
Cook the chicken in the oil, about 3-4 minutes on each side depending on how thin your chicken is, until golden brown and cooked through to 165℉. Be careful not to crowd the chicken, working in multiple batches if necessary (you may need an extra splash of oil for the second batch).
**To keep chicken warm if working in multiple batches, place a wire rack on a sheet pan and keep the cooked chicken warm in a 300℉ oven. If chicken browns before it is cooked through, you can place on a wire rack in the oven at a 350℉ temperature until cooked through.
Serve with lemon wedges as desired.

Notes

Ingredients and Substitutions:

The ingredients in this recipe are simple and there's not a lot of room for customization. Feel free to leave out the lemon zest or add in some of your favorite seasonings to spice things up.
Bread crumbs: I prefer fine breadcrumbs over Panko in this recipe but you can use Panko if that's your preference.

Nutrition