Chicken Milanese is my favorite of all my dishes. The idea of warm chicken on top of a cool, crisp green salad, lightly dressed with lemon juice and olive oil and shaved pieces of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, makes me, well…CRAZY! 

All Chicken Milanese is, is a breaded chicken cutlet that’s been shallow fried in olive oil. My grandmother had her method, she would dip the chicken breasts in beaten eggs that had been seasoned, and then the chicken would be dredged in Italian bread crumbs.  I’ve updated that a bit.

To make the best-fried chicken, the chicken should be marinated in buttermilk, for a couple of hours or overnight, as a first step. It really tenderizes the chicken and then, of course, a flour or breading would follow.  I’ve decided to use a seasoned Greek yogurt as a first step then follow that up with the breading. It makes the chicken so tender and the spices really permeate the meat. Then I follow up with the breading.

I’m a really big fan of grilled chicken on top of a Caesar salad, so that gave me this idea! I’m using my favorite brand of creamy chicken Caesar dressing as a marinade for my Chicken Milanese. The spices are already in the dressing, and I love the flavor of a Caesar dressing. This will make a great marinade and tenderizer for the chicken cutlets.

This is my Chicken Milanese-Updated.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: Minimum 2 hours
Total Cook Time: 35 to 40 minutes
Yields: 4 servings
Equipment: large baking sheet pan and rack, 1 (12-inch) sauté pan, large mixing bowl, vegetable peeler

Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
1 pound of chicken cutlets (breasts)
1 (16-ounce) bottle of creamy Caesar dressing
1 tablespoon of Kosher salt
1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup of fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped , (substitute 2 tablespoons of dried)

2 packages of prewashed mixed greens
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese shaved
4 lemons
1/4 cup of *E.V.O.O.
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
In a large bowl, marinate chicken cutlets in a mixture of Creamy Caesar dressing, Kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, and 1/4 cup of finely chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley for 2 hours.

Note: Make sure each of the cutlets is coated on both sides. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the frig for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F.
Line baking sheet with foil and spray rack with non-stick cooking spray.

Remove the chicken from the frig. Pour the breadcrumbs into a large bowl with 1/4 of finely chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley, toss to combine. Dredge each cutlet, shaking off the excess Caesar dressing, into the breadcrumbs, shaking off the excess breadcrumbs. Once they’re all breaded, set them onto the baking sheet pan fitted with a rack.

Preheat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Carefully add in the olive oil, tilting the pan away from you. Make sure the bottom of the pan is covered in oil. Once the oil has come up to temperature, (you can test this by just submerging the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil. If you notice the oil bubbling, surrounding the tip of the handle, the oil is ready.) carefully add the breaded chicken to the pan. Don’t overcrowd the pan. You may have to do this shallow frying in batches and possibly add more olive oil. Pan fry about 2 to 3 minutes per side, just enough to get a golden brown color on both sides.

Transfer golden brown cutlets back onto the baking sheet fitted with the rack. Transfer the chicken to the oven and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked through. The internal temperature of 165-degrees F.

To serve:
Divide the mixed greens onto 4 salad plates. Squeeze about 1 tablespoon of lemon juice over each salad. Drizzle each with a couple of tablespoons of *E.V.O.O. Sprinkle each salad with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Using a potato peeler, add a few shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano over each salad. Top each of the cold crisp salads with 2 of the hot pieces of the Chicken Milanese. The remaining lemon juice squeezed over the chicken placing the used lemon on the plate. Serve immediately and enjoy!!!

There you have it, my Chicken Milanese-Updated.

*E.V.O.O. is the acronym for Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

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