Description
Milanesa de pollo is Latin America’s answer to chicken schnitzel — pounded thin, breaded, and fried until shattering-crisp. Across Mexico and South America, it shows up on dinner tables several times a week, sometimes in a torta, sometimes with rice and beans, always with a squeeze of lime. It is fast, cheap, universally loved, and better than any chicken tender from a box.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 2 cups plain breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying
- Lime wedges
- Salsa verde or hot sauce
Instructions
- Set up a breading station: flour in one dish, beaten eggs in another, breadcrumbs mixed with garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a third.
- Dredge each chicken cutlet in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs, pressing firmly to adhere.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Fry the cutlets 3 minutes per side until deep golden and crispy. Drain on a wire rack.
- Serve immediately with lime wedges and salsa verde.
Notes
- Pounding the chicken thin and even is the most important step — uneven thickness means uneven cooking.
- Frying in a skillet with about 1/4 inch of oil rather than deep-frying gives a crispier result with less oil.
- Milanesa is best eaten within minutes of frying. The crust loses its shatter quickly.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Latin American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 1
- Sodium: 680
- Fat: 18
- Carbohydrates: 24
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 42
- Cholesterol: 190