Chicken Milanese

Slice the chicken breasts in half, from top to bottom, to create four fillets. Place onto a chopping board, cover with cling film, and then hit with a rolling pin until they reach the same thickness all over. Aim for ¼ inch thickness.

Place the flour on a plate, with a pinch of salt. Tip the beaten egg into a shallow bowl. Then place the breadcrumbs and parmesan onto a third plate, mixing to combine.

Take each fillet, coat in the flour, then dip into the beaten egg and finally coat in the breadcrumb mixture. Take care not to let your fingers get too sticky, as this can make it harder! Once fully covered with breadcrumbs, set the fillets aside onto a clean chopping board.

Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the vegetable oil. Once hot, cook the breadcrumbed chicken fillets for 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden. You may need to do this in batches, depending on the size of your pan.

Remove from the pan and place onto a piece of kitchen roll to soak up any excess oil. Serve with a lemon wedge and a side of salad, as preferred.

Tips & tricks

Chicken Milanese is a relatively simple dish to execute, that’s sure to impress friends and family visiting. Take your time to adequately flatten the chicken prior to adding the breadcrumbs. And, when you’re adding the breadcrumbs, try and keep one hand for the dry mixtures (flour and breadcrumbs) and one hand for dipping into the beaten egg, to help stop the mixture sticking to your hands.

Variation of the recipe

Chicken Milanese is often referred to by a variety of names, from chicken escalope Milanese to chicken Cotoletta. Whatever the name, all of these dishes call for a thin piece of meat, that’s breadcrumbed and fried in a pan. Traditionally made with veal, chicken Milanese as we know it today is an adaptation of the original recipe. When Italian immigrants moved around the world at the turn of the 19th Century, chicken was introduced to the dish as a new take on the recipe. You can also swap in steak if desired, and we’d recommend our delicious take on this variation here.

For more cooking inspiration from Italy, see our round-up of Stanley Tucci’s favourite Milanese recipes from his series Searching for Italy.

How to serve it

Chicken Milanese is delicious with any combination of tomatoes and lemon; think a rich side of tomato pasta, or a fresh salad with citrus. There really are no limits to serving options for chicken Milanese, whether it’s with a salad, pasta, potatoes, or even alongside a soup, enjoy it warm (and, if you can, in the Italian countryside).