Chicken Milanese is an easy to make, restaurant quality dish that’s ready in just 30 minutes! Warm and crispy chicken cutlets topped with a simple, fresh arugula salad!
As much as we love going out to eat, it’s not always convenient! In that case we make our favorite restaurant dishes at home like this delicious Chicken Hibachi or these super fun Chicken Chimichangas!
The Best Chicken Milanese Recipe
So what makes our Chicken Milanese the best? We knew you’d ask so here it is. It’s our Flat Chicken. Flat Chicken are basically chicken cutlets, but they’re made with our special blend of seasonings that makes them stand out from the rest.
Of course you can use a regular chicken cutlet (or turkey cutlet) here but I’m telling you, if your chicken cutlets aren’t seasoned properly this dish can go down the drain quickly.
These delicious chicken cutlets gets topped with a crisp, fresh arugula salad tossed in a homemade balsamic vinaigrette. Every bite you take will give you that perfect warm and cool sensation that is honestly one of my favorite combinations.
How Do You Make Chicken Milanese?
Start by making a batch of our chicken cutlets. You’ll only need four chicken cutlets for this recipe but you can save the rest for another meal. Also, this recipe is easily adaptable for doubling or tripling as you need.
- Bread the chicken and lightly pan fry in a skillet. Make sure the you get these cutlets cooked until they are very crispy and brown (not burnt!) so that you get the best flavor and texture.
- Once the chicken comes out of the oil, season immediately with kosher salt. Place the chicken cutlets in a warm oven until you’re ready to assemble.
- Make a batch our our Creamy Balsamic Dressing and pour it over fresh arugula. Toss and place a pile on a warm chicken cutlet and top with shaved parmesan cheese.
Can I Use Store Bought Dressing?
If you have a favorite balsamic dressing from the store, then of course go ahead and use that. But we really love this homemade balsamic dressing, so do give it a try if you can.
This salad dressing takes less than 5 minutes to put together and it lasts all week in the refrigerator. So not only can you use it in this chicken dinner, but you can drizzle it on salads all week long.
Can This Chicken Recipe Be Made Ahead Of Time?
Yes! Go ahead and prepare the chicken cutlets when you have the time. Store in the refrigerator and then warm the cutlets in a 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes. An air fryer also reheats chicken cutlets wonderfully, so if you have one that’s also a good option.
The balsamic dressing can also be made head of time and kept in the refrigerator until needed. If the dressing separates, just shake it up again before serving.
Variations
Arugula is a classic ingredient for making Chicken Milanese, but of course you can swap it out for pretty much any other lettuce or salad green. I do prefer a softer green, not like an iceberg or romaine, just for texture, but if those are what you have on hand they will work.
Other options could include green leaf or red leaf lettuce, frissee, bibb or butter (sometimes called Boston) lettuce, or even fresh spinach! Mix a few together, too for extra flavor.
We also like making our Sesame Chicken Milanese for an Asian twist on a Milanese. The dressing is super addicting, so definitely head over and check that version out as well.
Instead of our balsamic dressing, you could use a red wine vinegar or a champagne vinegar. This Creamy Maple Dressing is a knock-out recipe if you’re looking for a fall vibe, or if you like a heartier dressing, try our Homemade Caesar Dressing.
Is Chicken Milanese Healthy?
Relatively so, yes. The chicken cutlets are lightly pan-fried in oil, but other than that you’ve got a recipe with tons of protein and a good amount of leafy greens.
To make this chicken recipe healthier, you can air fry the chicken cutlets like we do in this Air Fryer Chicken Katsu recipe, or bake them in the oven.
Looking For More Chicken Dinner Recipes?
- Italian Chicken Ciabatta Sandwich (also made with our Flat Chicken!)
- Slow Cooker Taco Chicken
- Crock Pot Root Beer Chicken
- Chicken Francese
- Creamy Chicken Marsala
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Chicken Milanese
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeChicken Milanese is a year round favorite dinner! Crispy, warm chicken cutlets topped with a fresh arugula salad and nutty parmesan cheese!
Ingredients
- 4 chicken cutlets (made with our Flat Chicken Recipe)
- Creamy Balsamic Dressing
- 5 ounce package arugula or baby arugula
- 1 cup shaved parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken cutlets according to the Flat Chicken Recipe. Keep the cutlets warm in a 325 degree oven until ready.
- Whisk the ingredients for the balsamic dressing in a bowl or salad cruet. The ingredients may separate upon sitting, so shake or whisk again before using.
- Add the arugula to a bowl and toss with about 1/4 cup of the balsamic dressing, adding more to your liking.
- Place a warm chicken cutlet on a plate and top with some of the arugula salad. Finish with shaved parmesan cheese. This recipe makes enough for 4 servings, with one chicken cutlet topped with arugula salad per person.
Recipe Notes
The cooking time in the recipe card is considering that you are preparing the chicken cutlets. If the chicken cutlets are already prepared then this recipe will only take 5 minutes to put together.
Store: Store leftover chicken cutlets and arugula salad separately. We like to only toss the arugula that we’ll need for one meal, and leave the rest for tossing with the dressing as we need it.
Reheat: Reheat the chicken cutlets in a 375 degree oven until warmed through. Alternately, an air fryer does a great job in crisping the cutlets back up again.
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven / Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
