Chicken Milanese with Arugula Salad

Chicken Milanese is one of those dishes that literally never gets old. That classic golden crust, the juicy chicken cutlet, paired with an arugula salad on top just hits every time.

Although this recipe is quite similar to that of a pan fried chicken cutlet, Milanese is essentially that: a breaded cutlet, oftentimes paired with a fresh spring greens salad like an arugula with parmesan. It's just such a simple yet satisfying recipe that you virtually cannot mess up.

The Ingredient List

1. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts - for this recipe I bought already thin slices of chicken breast and seasoned them with a little salt and pepper before breading. My recipe for making breaded chicken cutlets is excellent for this!
2. Egg - Egg helps to bind the breadcrumbs or panko to the chicken.
3. Bread crumbs or Panko - Either breading works great for this recipe. I didn't have panko when I made this for the photography, but have tested with panko (even a gluten free version!) and it comes out fantastic each time.
4. Arugula - Peppery greens are an excellent side dish or salad to go with the fried chicken cutlet.
5. Lemon - A little acid goes a long way to balance out the dish.
6. Parmesan Cheese - Sharp, tangy flavor to compliment the arugula and the lemony flavors.
7. Salt and Pepper - I added a touch extra salt and pepper to the salad for a little more flavor. Not necessary if you'd like to omit.
8. Olive Oil - You'll need a good amount of olive oil to fry the chicken cutlets in the pan, and use for the drizzle in the arugula salad

Simple Swaps and Substitutions

• Use a gluten free breadcrumb or even panko to bread the milanese.
• Swap out the arugula for your favorite lettuce. I recommend a green or red leaf, spinach, or even a crunchy cabbage slaw salad.
• Don't wanna do chicken? Make a pork or veal Milanese instead!

How to make chicken milanese with arugula

Step 1: Prepare two large and shallow bowls, and one large plate or baking sheet. Lay the chicken breast flat on a cutting board and wrap with plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet to tenderize the chicken, then set aside.

Continue to make the breading station by cracking and beating the eggs in a shallow bowl. Dip each chicken breast into the beaten eggs. Then, press the chicken into the breadcrumbs on both sides until well coated. Repeat for all chicken, then set aside.

Step 2: In an olive oil-coated large skillet on a medium, fry the pieces of chicken until golden brown on each side, approximately 2-3 minutes per side. Set aside on a wire rack with parchment underneath to catch any dripping oil.

Step 3: In a large bowl, add 2 cups of fresh arugula.

To the arugula, add a squeeze of lemon (or two), then toss to coat all of the lettuce.

Step 4: Drizzle a little olive oil into the arugula, then add in a few shavings of parmesan cheese and toss to combine all ingredients.

Chicken Milanese FAQs

Looking for other tasty chicken dishes like this Milanese? Here's some to try:

Easy Chicken Milanese Recipe with Arugula Salad

Morgan Peaceman

Nothing tastes better than an Italian classic chicken Milanese with a fresh lemony arugula salad. Perfect for just about any occasion!

5 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course dinner

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4 cutlets

Calories 415 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  cutting board
• ▢
  frying pan
• ▢
  vegetable peeler/grater
• ▢
  tongs
• ▢
  large mixing bowl

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the Chicken

• ▢ 1 lb chicken breast thinly sliced
• ▢ 3 whole eggs
• ▢ 1 cup breadcrumbs
• ▢ ¼ cup olive oil for frying

For the Arugula Salad

• ▢ 2 cups baby arugula
• ▢ ½ whole lemon
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt and pepper optional
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ ¼ cup shaved parmesan

Instructions

 

For the Chicken

• Prepare the chicken by cracking and whisking eggs in a large bowl, and dipping the chicken into the egg. Then, press the chicken into the breadcrumbs on both sides until well coated. Repeat for all chicken, then set aside.
• Place the chicken into the olive oil-coated pan on a medium heat and fry until golden brown on each side, approximately 2-3 minutes per side. Set aside on a cooling rack with parchment underneath to catch any dripping oil.

For the Arugula Salad

• In a large bowl, add 2 cups of arugula.
• To the arugula, squeeze a half of a lemon and sprinkling of salt and pepper.
• Drizzle olive oil into the arugula.
• Last, add in a few shavings of parmesan cheese and toss to combine all ingredients.

Notes

For best results when it comes to making the chicken tender, the chicken before dipping in the egg and breading it. Using a meat mallet or tenderizer will do the trick. Pound the chicken to loosen the muscle of the chicken.

I like using a mixture of breadcrumbs and panko breadcrumbs to give the chicken a little more texture. You could also add parmesan cheese to the breading mixture for more flavor and crispiness.

Use just enough oil to coat the pan and fry the chicken.

Keep the heat on medium to a little less than medium. The chicken will cook quickly, especially if the cutlets are thin. Keep an eye on them!

Nutrition

Calories: 415kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 30gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 1015mgPotassium: 517mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 324IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 146mgIron: 2mg

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