Crunchy panko bread crumbs, creamy taleggio cheese, salty prosciutto, fresh arugula and juicy chicken breast…chicken milanese… It’s what’s for dinner!
Soooo we don’t watch TV. Like, ever. It was a decision long ago to have more productive and restful evenings instead of glued to a TV and it’s been life-changing. Until Cade was on a business trip and saw Bobby Flay’s new show. It’s been so much fun to catch an episode here or there and one day we saw a little ad for a reel he’d made about chicken milanese.
Well, I’ve been trying to sell Cade on Chicken Milanese for years but every time we’ve had it there’s been capers (Cade’s nightmare) involved. I could not wait to try this prosciutto and taleggio cheese version. I will confess, I’m making this up entirely on my own, but inspired by what he did so please don’t kill the messenger if you find his recipe and it’s different.
But more importantly!!! This is our new favorite chicken!!! It’s light and crunchy, with a perfectly juicy inside. Then there’s this beautifully mild and almost a hint of tang from the creamy, melt in your mouth cheese. All topped off with perfect balance (remember in my cookbook how I talk about salt, fat, acid, heat?) of peppery arugula and bright, acidic red wine vinaigrette. It is amazing!!!
What is Chicken Milanese?
Chicken Milanese is one of the best recipes to learn when you’re starting to cook as it’s a great base which you can later experiment with sauces, toppings etc. So what is chicken milanese?
Chicken Milanese is an Italian breaded chicken which is made by first butterflying the chicken so it’s nice and thin, then dipping it in a breadcrumb and seasoning mixture to created the best breading for breaded chicken.
What Do I Need to Make Chicken Milanese?
This easy chicken dinner looks super fancy but the ingredients are actually really simple. Here is what you will need:
- Chicken Breasts – see section below for how to butterfly a chicken breast
- Flour – just regular all purpose
- Kosher Salt – adds flavor to the breading
- Black Pepper – freshly ground
- Eggs – helps the Panko stick to the chicken
- Water – blends with the egg to create an egg wash to help the breading stick
- Panko Bread Crumbs – a Japanese bread crumb that is extra crunchy
- Canola Oil – used to fry the chicken
- Prosciutto – an Italian dry-cured ham that is uncooked and unsmoked and oh so delicious
- Baby Arugula – gives a bright peppery pop of flavor
- Taleggio Cheese – semi soft cheese with a creamy texture and mild/earthy flavor, see section below for possible substitutes
Red Wine Vinaigrette
- Dijon Mustard – rounds out the flavor of this dressing so perfectly
- Red Wine Vinegar – gives the dressing that signature acid and tang
- Lemon Juice – freshly squeezed is best of course!
- Olive Oil – the base of the dressing, a good quality olive oil will make all the difference
- Honey – adds a natural sweetness to the dressing