Milanesa de Pollo
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Jun 6, 2025 
Golden, crispy and simply delicious, this Milanesa de Pollo recipe is the ultimate breaded chicken cutlet that pairs perfectly with all of your favorite sides.
This Milanesa de Pollo Is Your New Favorite Chicken Cutlet
First off, I am a big fan of fried chicken in nearly all forms. What’s not to love about biting into a piece of hot, crunchy, flavorful, and juicy chicken? Classic tavern fried chicken and country fried chicken, Nashville hot chicken, Korean fried chicken – they are all fantastic!
Chicken Milanese is an Italian variation of breaded pan-fried chicken cutlets. The term Milanese comes from Milan, Italy, and was originally a dish made with veal, pounded into a thin layer then breaded and fried. Although the origins are Italian, this dish is also very popular in Mexican cuisine. Known as Milanesa de Pollo, or Milanesa de Res, the concept and cooking steps are basically the same.
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
This easy Chicken Milanese / Milanesa de Pollo recipe features a simple blend of herbs and spices. It makes the flavor appropriate for both Italian and central American dishes! From there you can dress up the fried cutlets with whatever sides are best for your cuisine of choice.
Why You’ll Love This Milanesa de Pollo Recipe
- Weeknight hero – This delicious meal is ready in just under 30 minutes, making it perfect for any weeknight dinner!
- Amazing textures – I love that these cutlets are crispy and crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.
- Great for meal prep – Make enough of these chicken cutlets and enjoy them throughout the week either on salads, over bowls or in your favorite sandwich!
This Milanesa de Pollo is family and kid approved, and just like grandma used to make them!
Ingredients and Tips
- Chicken breasts – Use thinly cut chicken breast cutlets for super crispy edges.
- Batter – For the batter you’ll need room temperature eggs, all-purpose flour and whole or low-fat milk!
- Breadcrumbs – To get that signature crunchy coating I love to use classic breadcrumbs.
- Seasonings – You’ll need a combination of salt, dried oregano, onion powder, and garlic powder.
- Oil and butter – To fry to perfection use olive oil and softened butter without salt.
Recipe Variations and Dietary Swaps
- Panko – Swap regular breadcrumbs for Panko for an even crunchier texture.
- Gluten-free – Replace the flour and breadcrumbs with gluten-free alternatives.
- Spicy – Sprinkle a pinch of cayenne pepper into the breading mixture.
- Parmesan – Fold grated parmesan into the batter for a cheesy version of these cutlets.
- Baked-version – Instead of frying these cutlets, bake them at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes.
How to Make Pan-Fried Breaded Chicken Cutlets
Whether you plan to serve it as Mexico’s Milanesa de Pollo or Italian Chicken Milanese, the recipe steps are the same. Hooray!
Find the full Milanesa da Pollo recipe with detailed instructions and storage tips in the printable form at the bottom of the post!
Storage Notes
- Storing Leftovers – Place leftover cutlets in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezing Leftovers – Wrap cutlets in a freezer-safe zip-loc and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Reheating Leftovers – Reheat on a skillet or in an air fryer. Avoid reheating in a microwave because the cutlets get soggy.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these chicken cutlets Italian-style with pasta and a vibrant tomato sauce. For a lower-carb meal enjoy it with zucchini noodles. Or go big and serve it with Fettuccine Alfredo!
Either way, serve the chicken with a generous sprinkling of parmesan cheese, of course!
Crispy breaded chicken cutlets are delicious with rice and beans. Pair with Spanish rice or yellow rice (arroz amarillo), and refried or Mexican pinto beans (frijoles de la olla). Or serve with a simple salad, roasted potatoes, and a squeeze of lemon juice over the top. You can also make this a lower-carb dish by serving it with cauliflower rice!
Sides of guacamole, sour cream, and a fresh pico de gallo or homemade salsa are always a great idea!
The chicken can even be chopped and served as a taco filling. Or top it with a rich Molé. The options are endless!
A simple side of grilled or roasted vegetables, or fresh green salad, are also fabulous to make a complete meal for whichever version of chicken Milanese you prefer!
Frequently Asked Questions
Both are essentially breaded and pan-fried chicken cutlet recipes. However, chicken piccata does not use an egg wash or breadcrumbs to coat the chicken. Instead, the thin pieces of chicken are simply dredged in flour before pan-frying.
Traditionally chicken Milanese is served with a tomato sauce. A key feature of piccata is a rich, buttery sauce made with white wine and capers.
Yep! You can bread the chicken and refrigerate it uncooked for up to 1 day before frying.
No, you can use either or if you prefer, but the combination gives it that extra crispy goodness!
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Milanesa de Pollo (Chicken Milanese)
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breast cutlets about 8 pieces
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ cups plain breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 3 tablespoons butter divided
Instructions
- Place 2 to 3 chicken cutlets in a large freezer zip bag. Use a meat mallet to pound the chicken cutlets out and to a thin ¼-inch layer. Remove them from the bag and repeat with the remaining cutlets.
- Set out a baking dish and a medium bowl for the coatings. Pour the breadcrumbs into the bowl and set aside. In the baking dish, combine the eggs, milk, flour, salt, oregano, onion powder, and garlic powder. Whisk well until smooth.
- Place all the pounded chicken cutlets into the batter. Mix by hand until all pieces are well coated.
- Place a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil in 1 tablespoon of butter to the skillet.
- One at a time, take a chicken cutlet coated in batter, and dredge it in the breadcrumbs. Place in the hot skillet. Repeat, working in batches of 2 to 3 pieces at a time. Fry the chicken cutlets for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Move to a holding pan.
- Depending on the heat, you may need to wipe the skillet out with a paper towel in between batches. Add more olive oil and butter. Repeat in two more batches until all the chicken cutlets are fried.
This is an amazing…and it looks soo yummy & sound so delicious…i will trying to make it …Thanks for sharing….Love it!
I love this chicken recipe because it is so versitile! I can make it with a homemade sauce to go on top like mole, or I also love to use this chicken in tacos! thank you for sharing
Yay!! This recipe turned out delicious! My husband and I loved it!
I made this Chicken Milanese for dinner and the whole family loved it. I loved it because it was much easier to make than I originally expected. Thanks for a great recipe.
This was perfect for my kids. They are always so hard to please when it comes to food and are so picky but they really liked this recipe.