Chicken Milanese with Arugula Salad and Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette
Capri, my favorite Italian restaurant, made the perfect chicken Milanese. I get hungry just thinking about it. When they didn’t reopen after quarantine, I was completely devastated. Well, I didn’t let the heartbreak keep me down long—I just got to the kitchen and started experimenting. Not to toot my own horn, but I think I nailed it. I find this classic Italian recipe very easy to make. I hope you love it as much as I do!
What is chicken Milanese, anyway?
The original Chicken Milanese wasn’t even made of chicken—my recipe is a variation on a traditional Italian cotoletta alla Milanese, or a breaded and fried veal cutlet. The chicken version is more popular on this side of the pond, and for good reason.
What do you serve with chicken Milanese?
Whoever thought of topping these delicious chicken cutlets with a simple cherry tomato and arugula salad... Brilliant. A balsamic vinaigrette over peppery arugula makes for a delicious summery meal, and it all comes together in no time at all. It's my go-to meal when I am pressed for time.
Select a larger boneless, skinless chicken breast.
It will be easier to work with. If you need 4 pieces of pounded chicken, purchase two chicken breasts that weigh 9–10 ounces each.
Clean and freeze the chicken breasts before you cut them.
Clean the chicken breasts of any excess fat and membrane and place them in the freezer for 20 minutes before you start working with them. That extra chill makes cutting the breasts into filets much easier.
Take your time cutting them properly!
When you’re ready to cut each chicken breast in half, here’s how: Arrange the chicken breasts on your cutting board, then place your palm flat against the top of one. Holding the meat down with your hand, carefully slice each chicken breast in half horizontally.
Pound the chicken using waxed or parchment paper and the flat side of a meat pounder.
Pounding the chicken will ensure the filets cook evenly. You can place the chicken breasts between pieces of waxed paper or parchment paper. Sometimes I even put them in a freezer bag. Use a flat meat pounder to gently but firmly pound the chicken pieces until they are uniform in width.
Pro tip: What do you do if you don’t have a meat pounder?
If you don’t have a meat pounder, use a rolling pin or even a heavy pan or can. Avoid using a meat mallet that has “teeth,” which will tear the meat apart.
Chicken Milanese Recipe with Arugula Salad and Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- Two skinless, boneless chicken breasts (9-10 ounces each)
- Salt and pepper
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 cup multi-colored teardrop tomatoes, cut in half
- 6 cups loosely packed arugula
- 1 medium red onion, very thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Shaved Parmesan
Instructions
- Place the chicken on a cutting board. Cut each chicken breast in half horizontally. You will now have 4 pieces of chicken.
- Sandwich the chicken between two pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Use the smooth side of a meat pounder to pound the chicken pieces until they are very thin. Pro tip: Don’t use a meat pounder with teeth—it’ll tear up the tender chicken meat. Alternatively, you could use a rolling pin or even a can from your pantry!
- Discard the top piece of parchment or plastic wrap. Lightly season the chicken with salt and black pepper.
- Next, you’ll need to grab three mixing bowls. Put the flour into the first bowl. In the second bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs. In the third bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, oregano, and basil.
- Line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Thoroughly coat one piece of chicken in the flour, then the egg mixture, and finally, the breadcrumbs. Place the coated chicken on the prepared baking pan. Continue with the remaining chicken. If you don’t want to cook them right away, you can loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.
- In a large sauté pan, over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon of the butter and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. When the butter is melted, add 2 pieces of chicken. Two at a time is perfect because you don’t want to overcrowd the pan.
- Sauté on one side until nicely browned (about 2 minutes). Carefully turn the chicken over and brown the other side for approximately 2 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean platter.
- Repeat with the remaining butter, olive oil, and breaded chicken pieces.
- Keep the chicken warm by loosely covering it with aluminum foil while you prepare the salad.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, arugula, red onion, and fresh basil.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar and the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Drizzle vinaigrette over the salad, just enough to just coat the arugula.
- To serve this complete meal, arrange the chicken on individual plates. Top each piece of chicken with some arugula salad. Drizzle each plate with a little vinaigrette if you have some left over. Fancy!
- Take this dish to the next level by garnishing it with thinly shaved pieces of Parmesan. Using a vegetable peeler, shave thin pieces of cheese from a wedge of Parmesan. Pop a few of these on top of the arugula salad, and dinner is served.