This Chicken Milanesa is a satisfying, crispy go-to lunch and dinner recipe. The crumbing (because bread) in Milanesa is always a tasty addition to chicken. It’s comforting and still nourishing! This main has sides like rice, salad, beans, pasta, or is the core to a tasty sandwich.
Make this with confidence by using simple steps to make this fried favorite at home. You’ll keep coming back to the kitchen for more.
What is So Good about Chicken Milanesa
Just-About-EVERYTHING!
Breaded Chicken is a main entree known and cooked by many cultures. There are slight changes but it is generally still put through a similar base process with modifications to seasonings used.
Some of the best milanesa, I’ve had is tenderized thin, hand breaded, has fried crispy edges, and doesn’t need anything on the side. All the extras like salsa macha are a bonus.
You could hold it, and stay unbothered for the duration of its existence. Just me and my pollo empanizado business for real.
Erika’s Food Story:
When I was a wee sprocket, burgers weren’t a thing in Mexico when visiting, but they usually had a version. A piece of chicken milanesa or beef milanesa was used as the hamburguesa patty substitute.
It was sooo good and layered with all things in a torta (i.e. Mexican sandwich) but on a “bun.” Well, I thought it was a bun, but it was a pan de telera. Young thing I was, I tell you.
Ingredients
Grocery Quick List: milanesa, eggs, bread crumbs, flour, seasonings, oil, salt.
Ingredient Notes / Variations
- Chicken – use chicken breast, cut milanesa style (thin). It’s available this way at local meat markets or grocers.
From my experience, I find that a milanesa cut works better than large piece boneless thigh meat for cooking.
Why?
- It coats evenly
- It cooks evenly
- and in Less Time.
It also saves the bread crumbing from burning. If it’s a thick piece of chicken, it will require more cook time on each side. This additional time can lead to burned breading and I don’t want that for you.
If you thinly slice it or cut a thick piece into chicken tenders, that’ll work as well.
Tenderizing the meat to a flat milanesa is always an option.
It’s very important to cook chicken all the way through and avoid consuming any bits of uncooked chicken.
- Bread crumbs – Classic Italian style is the go to pick when selecting a store bought breadcrumb. It’s good as is or you can spruce it up.
- Many of the seasonings in the Italian style are closest to house flavors frequented for frying and cooking.
- Plain dried crumbs also work, as well as flaky japanese panko.
- Since these bread crumbs are plain, you’ll need to season and salt with favorite spices.
- Eggs – Four eggs is the just right amount for 2.5 lbs of chicken. A tiny bit, maybe the amount of a 1/2 tablespoon will be left after breading all the chicken.
Egg rationing Tip:
For more than 2.5 pounds of chicken, confidently add 1 more egg to the bowl until all the chicken is gone. To avoid food waste, please use this helpful tip.
- Oil – half of the oil is used for the first round of frying, and the second half uses remaining oil. The choice of oil used is yours. Use what you have and makes you happy about food.
- Salt – I understand the need for salted chicken. However, milanesa is thin and doesn’t require anything extensive. To ensure salt, sprinkle with salt after patting it dry. Finishing salt is also suggested.
Step-By-Step Instructions
To Make Chicken Milanesa
Prep: Clean meat, and pat dry, set to side. Set up small dredging station (it’s helpful nearby stove and frying pan).
Dredge in flour first.
Dip into egg then onto bread crumbs to coat evenly. (not pictured, it’s quick!)
A printer-friendly recipe card with instructions is available at the bottom of this post.
Using the same hand (or tongs), carefully place breaded chicken piece into frying pan and fry on each side.
COOKING PSA: Never leave a frying pan on a hot stove unsupervised.
Once completely fried and cooked, carefully transfer to cooling rack.
Only need half? This means half the time. You’ll have dinner ready to eat in 30-minutes so long as ingredients are on hand.
Ways To Spice Up Milanesas Flavor
Add 1 teaspoon of your favorite ground spicy spices to the bread crumbs and mix well.
Fried Milanesa Meals
Here’s a few meals I can think of with some renditions of Chicken Milanesa:
- Peruvian style pollo and tallarines
- Chicken parmesana
- Torta de milanesa made from chicken or beef
- Chicken milanesa with veggies and rice bowl
- Fried Milanesa and Baked mac and cheese
- Green salad, crispy chicken milanese, and arroz blanco
- Milanesa, mashed potato, and green beans
Keep going, wait until you see it cooked!
Pro Tips / Receta Notes
Recipe yield: 2.5 pounds of fried goodness. Enough for 6 generous portions, or up to 8 persons.
Storage: Place any leftovers in food safe storage with lid and consume within 7 days. Leftovers must be kept in refrigeration.
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Crispy Chicken Milanesa
DESCRIPTION
Equipment
- Parchment paper
- Fork
- Bowl
- Large frying pan
- Pan safe tongs
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs Chicken breast milanesa or labeled as chicken breast cutlets (depending on how they are labeled near you).
- 1.25 cups Bread crumb milanesa style thinly cut
- 4 Large eggs, whisked in bowl
- 1/4 cup Flour all purpose
- 1/2 cup Oil see all oil options in ingredients notes.
- 1/2 tsp Sea salt optional
Optional add-ins to bread crumbs
- Seasonings of your choice we add: ground cumin, garlic powder, parsley flakes, and turmeric root powder to the bread crumbs.
Instructions
To prep and properly coat the chicken
- Clean chicken, pat dry, sprinkle with salt, and set to side on plate, (optional: season with salt).
- Prepare large enough surface area to prep ingredients: beat eggs in bowl, surface for flouring and large plate for breading.
- Heat pan on medium heat and add 1/2 cup oil
- Have a paper towel set to the side, and pick a hand that’s going to be dredging the chicken (and placing into the pan right after breading).
- Dredge in flour, dip in egg wash, and coat with bread crumbs.
- Lay chicken (for dredging) in flour and coat on both sides, then dip in egg wash, and coat with bread crumbs last. (flipping over into bread crumbs a few times is ok to ensure all sides are completely coated.)
- Once completely coated in bread crumbs, place chicken in oil. Repeat steps until pan is full (but not overcrowded, see photos in post).
To fry the milanesa
- Cook on each side for 5-7 minutes on medium/high heat.
- Once fried on each side, use tongs to few a firm grip on fried delicious chicken, and transfer onto a cooling rack. Let cool for 10 minutes.
Notes
- Recipe yield: 6 – 8 chicken breast milanesa, generous portion for 6 or up to 8.(Note: This is the amount for 2.5 lbs of chicken. It will be more pieces if very thinly cut.)
- Storage: Place any leftovers in food safe storage with lid.
- Reheating: Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees, and warm chicken for 10 minutes.
- Important note about the good stuff: If you move the milanesa too frequently without letting it cool you run the risk of having the breading fall completely off of the chicken. You’ve worked hard, so just give it 5-10 and food will be golden.
For the full post with all tips, recommendations and recipe photos, search Chicken Milanesa at LatinasQueComen.com! We thank you kindly for your support. <3
Nutrition
Equipment
- Parchment paper
- Fork
- Bowl
- Large frying pan
- Pan safe tongs
- Cooling rack
- Reusable kitchen napkin or,
- Paper towel
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