Milanese is the Italian technique of battering and frying thin cuts of meat in breadcrumbs — veal is traditional, chicken is the more practical version for a home kitchen and no less good. The result is a thin, shatteringly crisp cutlet that stays juicy inside because the crust seals fast in hot oil.
The brown butter caper sauce is the thing that elevates it. Nutty, sharp, slightly salty — it cuts through the richness of the fried chicken in a way that a plain lemon wedge doesn't. The rocket salad alongside keeps it fresh and makes this feel like a restaurant plate without much effort.
Ingredients
- Chicken
- 2 Chicken breast, butterflied and pounded thin
- 1 tsp Fine sea salt
- 1 tsp Black pepper, freshly ground
- 50 g Plain flour
- 1 Eggs
- 1 tbsp Whole milk
- 70 g Panko breadcrumbs
- 15 g Parmesan, finely grated
- 500 g Neutral deep frying oil
- Brown butter caper sauce
- 40 g Butter
- 1 tbsp (9g) Capers, rinsed and dried
- 5 g Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 20 g Fresh lemon juice
- 0.5 Lemon zest
- Black pepper, to taste
- Rocket salad
- 10 g Fresh lemon juice
- 20 g Extra virgin olive oil
- 60 g Rocket
- 20 g Parmesan, shaved
- Crispy capers (optional)
- 1 tbsp (9g) Capers, rinsed and dried
Equipment
- Wide frying pan
- Small saucepan
- Wire rack
Season the chicken breasts generously with fine sea salt on both sides. Place uncovered on a tray in the fridge overnight.
Butterfly each breast by slicing horizontally through the thickest part, stopping just before you cut all the way through, then opening it out flat. Place between two sheets of greaseproof paper and pound to an even 0.5–1cm thickness using a rolling pin or the flat base of a heavy pan. Work gradually from the centre outwards with steady, firm strokes — rushing or striking too hard will tear the meat.
Set up three shallow bowls in a line. Bowl one: plain flour seasoned with fine sea salt and black pepper. Bowl two: eggs beaten with the milk. Bowl three: panko breadcrumbs mixed with the grated Parmesan. Preheat around 1cm of neutral oil in a wide frying pan to 180°C (355°F).
Working one cutlet at a time, coat thoroughly in the seasoned plain flour, shaking off any excess. Transfer to the egg wash and coat completely, letting any excess drip off. Press firmly into the panko and Parmesan mixture, turning and pressing to ensure an even, well-adhered crust on both sides. Set aside on a tray and leave to rest for 5 minutes before frying.
While the breaded chicken rests, place the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. The butter will melt, then foam, then the foam will subside — at this point watch it closely. The milk solids will begin to turn golden and then brown, and the butter will smell distinctly nutty. Remove from the heat the moment it turns a deep amber colour and smells of toasted hazelnuts. Add the capers and let them sizzle.
Lay the breaded cutlets into the hot oil away from you, one at a time. Fry for around 3 minutes per side until deeply golden and crisp. Cook in batches if both cutlets don’t fit with space between them. Remove to a wire rack to drain — not kitchen paper, which traps steam and softens the crust. If in doubt, check with a thermometer and pull at 65°C (149°F) — rest for a minute before serving.
Off the heat, add the flat-leaf parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest, and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir to combine and taste — it should be sharp, nutty, and slightly salty from the capers.
If making crispy capers, ensure they are thoroughly dried on kitchen paper — any residual moisture will cause the oil to spit violently. Add to the hot frying oil after the chicken is done and stand back. They will sizzle aggressively. Remove when the sizzling subsides and they are crisp — around 1–2 minutes. Drain on a wire rack and use immediately.
Add the lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil to a small bowl with a pinch of salt and a grind of black pepper. Whisk until emulsified. Taste and adjust the seasoning before tossing the rocket and Parmesan shavings in the dressing to coat. Serve the chicken on warmed plates, spoon the brown butter sauce generously over and around, pile the salad alongside, and scatter the crispy capers over if using.
Notes & Substitutions
Chicken temperature: The cutlets are thin enough that 3 minutes per side in properly heated oil will cook them through. If in doubt, check with a thermometer — pull at 65°C (149°F) and rest briefly. See the chicken temperature guide for more detail.
Panko vs standard breadcrumbs: Panko gives a lighter, crispier, more open crust than standard dried breadcrumbs. It is worth seeking out — most large supermarkets stock it. Standard breadcrumbs produce a denser crust that absorbs more oil.
Parmesan in the crust: Use finely grated Parmesan rather than coarsely grated — fine Parmesan distributes evenly through the crumb and melts into the crust as it fries. Coarse Parmesan sits in clumps and can burn before the crust is done.
Veal: The traditional Milanese is made with veal escalope rather than chicken — same technique, same sauce. If you can source good veal, the method is identical.
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Chicken Milanese
COOKED
PROPERLY
Ingredients
- 2 Chicken breast (butterflied and pounded thin)
- 1 tsp Fine sea salt
- 1 tsp Black pepper (freshly ground)
- 50 g Plain flour
- 1 Eggs
- 1 tbsp Whole milk
- 70 g Panko breadcrumbs
- 15 g Parmesan (finely grated)
- 500 g Neutral deep frying oil
- 40 g Butter
- 1 tbsp Capers (rinsed and dried)
- 5 g Flat-leaf parsley (finely chopped)
- 20 g Fresh lemon juice
- 0.5 Lemon zest
- Black pepper (to taste)
- 10 g Fresh lemon juice
- 20 g Extra virgin olive oil
- 60 g Rocket
- 20 g Parmesan (shaved)
- 1 tbsp Capers (rinsed and dried)
Equipment
- Wide frying pan
- Small saucepan
- Wire rack
Method
Season the chicken
2 Chicken breast · 1 tsp Fine sea salt
Season the chicken breasts generously with fine sea salt on both sides. Place uncovered on a tray in the fridge overnight.
Butterfly and pound the chicken
Butterfly each breast by slicing horizontally through the thickest part, stopping just before you cut all the way through, then opening it out flat. Place between two sheets of greaseproof paper and pound to an even 0.5–1cm thickness using a rolling pin or the flat base of a heavy pan. Work gradually from the centre outwards with steady, firm strokes — rushing or striking too hard will tear the meat.
Patience with the pounding pays off. The greaseproof paper prevents the meat from tearing and keeps the work surface clean. If the breast splits slightly at the edges it doesn’t matter — it won’t be visible under the crust.
Set up the breading stations
1 tsp Fine sea salt · 1 tsp Black pepper · 50 g Plain flour · 1 Eggs · 1 tbsp Whole milk · 70 g Panko breadcrumbs · 15 g Parmesan
Set up three shallow bowls in a line. Bowl one: plain flour seasoned with fine sea salt and black pepper. Bowl two: eggs beaten with the milk. Bowl three: panko breadcrumbs mixed with the grated Parmesan. Preheat around 1cm of neutral oil in a wide frying pan to 180°C (355°F).
Use the wet hand dry hand technique — keep one hand for the flour and breadcrumbs, one hand for the egg. This prevents the egg from coating your fingers and clumping the flour and crumbs into wet lumps, which transfers to the chicken and creates uneven patches in the crust.
Bread the chicken
Working one cutlet at a time, coat thoroughly in the seasoned plain flour, shaking off any excess. Transfer to the egg wash and coat completely, letting any excess drip off. Press firmly into the panko and Parmesan mixture, turning and pressing to ensure an even, well-adhered crust on both sides. Set aside on a tray and leave to rest for 5 minutes before frying.
Brown the butter
40 g Butter · 1 tbsp Capers
While the breaded chicken rests, place the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. The butter will melt, then foam, then the foam will subside — at this point watch it closely. The milk solids will begin to turn golden and then brown, and the butter will smell distinctly nutty. Remove from the heat the moment it turns a deep amber colour and smells of toasted hazelnuts. Add the capers and let them sizzle.
Use a light-coloured or stainless saucepan rather than a dark one — it makes it far easier to see the colour change in the milk solids. In a dark pan you’re guessing by smell alone, which is harder to judge accurately. See the stainless saucier guide for the right pan for this job.
Fry the chicken
Lay the breaded cutlets into the hot oil away from you, one at a time. Fry for around 3 minutes per side until deeply golden and crisp. Cook in batches if both cutlets don’t fit with space between them. Remove to a wire rack to drain — not kitchen paper, which traps steam and softens the crust. If in doubt, check with a thermometer and pull at 65°C (149°F) — rest for a minute before serving.
Don’t overcrowd the pan — two large cutlets in a pan that’s too small drops the oil temperature sharply and the crust absorbs oil rather than crisping. If in doubt, fry one at a time and keep the first warm in a low oven on the wire rack while the second cooks.
Finish the brown butter sauce
5 g Flat-leaf parsley · 20 g Fresh lemon juice · 0.5 Lemon zest · Black pepper
Off the heat, add the flat-leaf parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest, and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir to combine and taste — it should be sharp, nutty, and slightly salty from the capers.
Adding the capers off the heat rather than in a hot pan prevents them from spitting aggressively and gives you more control over the final temperature of the sauce. The lemon juice will cause a brief sizzle — stir through quickly and it will settle.
Fry the crispy capers
1 tbsp Capers
If making crispy capers, ensure they are thoroughly dried on kitchen paper — any residual moisture will cause the oil to spit violently. Add to the hot frying oil after the chicken is done and stand back. They will sizzle aggressively. Remove when the sizzling subsides and they are crisp — around 1–2 minutes. Drain on a wire rack and use immediately.
Drying the capers is not optional — wet capers hitting hot oil will spit hard. Pat them dry and leave them on kitchen paper for a few minutes before frying. The drier they are, the safer and faster this step is.
Make the salad and serve
10 g Fresh lemon juice · 20 g Extra virgin olive oil · 60 g Rocket · 20 g Parmesan · 1 tbsp Capers
Add the lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil to a small bowl with a pinch of salt and a grind of black pepper. Whisk until emulsified. Taste and adjust the seasoning before tossing the rocket and Parmesan shavings in the dressing to coat. Serve the chicken on warmed plates, spoon the brown butter sauce generously over and around, pile the salad alongside, and scatter the crispy capers over if using.
Dress the salad at the last moment — rocket wilts quickly once it hits the acidity of the lemon. Toss, plate, serve immediately.
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