Name: My Favorite Crispy Chicken Milanese
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 Pounds Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast (cut thin, halved, or pounded thin); 2 Eggs (whisked); 1 Cup Panko Breadcrumbs; 1 Cup Parmigiano Reggiano (freshly grated); 3/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour; 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder; 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt; 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper; 3 Tablespoons Avocado Oil; 4-6 Cups Arugula; 1/4 Red Onion (thinly sliced); 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil; 1/2 Lemon (zested and juiced)

How to Make The Ultimate Summertime Chicken Dish

🍗 Chicken Breast: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are the key to making the perfect Chicken Milanese!

🥚 Eggs: For the breadcrumbs to stick to the chicken breasts, you’ll first want to dredge them in an egg wash.

🍞 Panko Breadcrumbs: Panko breadcrumbs work perfectly for this recipe. You can also substitute gluten-free breadcrumbs, if desired.

🧀 Parmigiano Reggiano: Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano truly adds the most delicious flavor to this pasta dish, WAY better than your pre-shredded parmesan cheese. If there’s one ingredient that’s worth the splurge, it’s this one!

🫓 All-Purpose Flour: The flour will help the chicken get nice and crispy. You can also use a gluten-free 1:1 flour, if preferred.

🧂 Seasonings: To season the chicken, you’ll need a combination of garlic powder, sea salt, and ground black pepper. Yum!

🥑 Avocado Oil: I like to fry the chicken in a better-for-you oil, like avocado oil.

🥬 Arugula: The key to a good Chicken Milanese is the arugula salad. Don’t skip this – it’s essential!

🧅 Red Onion: Sliced red onion adds brightness and flavor to the arugula salad.

🫒 Olive Oil: Instead of a dressing, this salad is kept simple with just a dressing of olive oil.

🍋 Lemon: You’ll need both the juice and zest of one lemon for this recipe!

A skillet on a stove contains two breaded and pan-fried chicken breasts, golden brown in color. Surrounding the skillet are ingredients including a bowl of fresh arugula, red onion, lemon, breadcrumbs, a small dish of salt, and a wooden dish with black pepper.

Coat the chicken breasts in the flour mixture, then add them to the egg wash, and finally, transfer to the breadcrumb mixture and roll it around until they’re coated in the breadcrumbs. Then, add them to a pan with the avocado oil and cook until they’re nice and crispy.

How to Make This Perfectly-Crispy Chicken

To make this dish, start by preparing the chicken. Pound the chicken breasts nice and thin, until they’re 1/4-1/2 inch thick. If the chicken breasts are super thick, you can slice them in half first and then pound them thin.

Next, place the thin chicken breasts onto a plate and prepare the dredging station. Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk them to combine. Then, in a separate bowl, mix together the flour, garlic powder, kosher salt, and ground black pepper. In a third bowl, add in the panko breadcrumbs and parmigiano reggiano and mix to combine.

A bowl of fresh arugula topped with thinly sliced red onions and lemon zest. A hand is pouring dressing from a small white cup. Surrounding the bowl are a fork, a bottle of olive oil, a lemon half, a plate with lemon slices, and a dish of salt. — Prepare the arugula salad by adding the arugula to a large bowl and add in the red onions, olive oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Toss to combine.

Two white plates each containing a serving of crispy breaded chicken cutlet topped with fresh green salad, red onions, and grated cheese, garnished with lemon wedges. Nearby are a bowl of salad, a small plate of ground pepper, a glass, and silverware on a tiled surface. — Finally, plate the Chicken Milanese. Add 1-2 of the chicken cutlets to a plate, then top with a heaping spoonful of the salad. Garnish with a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkle of more grated parmesan cheese, then serve and enjoy!

Then, prepare the chicken breasts. First, coat them in the flour mixture, then add them to the egg wash, and finally, transfer to the breadcrumb mixture and roll it around until it’s coated in the breadcrumbs. Repeat until all of the chicken breasts are fully coated in the breadcrumbs. Next, heat a pan, on the stove, over medium-high heat, and add in the avocado oil. Once the oil is hot and slides across the pan evenly, add in the chicken breasts 1-2 pieces at a time.

Allow the chicken to cook, undisturbed, for 3-4 minutes, then flip to the other side and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Repeat until all of the chicken has been cooked. Once the chicken is cooked, set it aside. Then, prepare the arugula salad. Add the arugula to a large bowl and add in the red onions, olive oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Toss to combine.

Finally, plate the Chicken Milanese. Add 1-2 of the chicken cutlets to a plate, then top with a heaping spoonful of the salad. Garnish with a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkle of more grated parmesan cheese, then serve and enjoy!

If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new.

** Photography by Tanya Pilgrim

A plate with crispy breaded chicken cutlet partially sliced, accompanied by a fresh green salad with red onions and grated cheese. A lemon wedge is placed on the side. A fork and knife rest on the plate, and a drink is in the background.

Dairy Free/Nut Free/Refined Sugar Free