An illustration of a milanesa fried cutlet plate: a breaded piece of chicken, pork, or beef steak pan fried golden brown, served with lemon and sides.

Milanesa

A crispy, pan-fried meat cutlet that can be served with any side for a satisfying meal.

2-4 servings

Time: 30 mins

Keith McBrayerBy Keith McBrayer
Photography by Damm Cabrera

The recipe breakdown originally appeared in The Mouthful, our weekly food newsletter for the curious home cook.

Keith McBrayer

Keith McBrayer

CREATOR

Ingredients

  • Protein

    • meat cutlets
      2
    • salt
  • Breading

    • eggs
      , beaten
      1
    • flour
      ~50 g1 part
    • breadcrumbs
      ~100 g2 parts
    • neutral oil
      for frying
    • salt

Method

Step 1: Prepare the meat cutlets

Between plastic wrap sheets, pound out the sliced meat cutlets into wide, 1/4-inch thick sheets with a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy pan. The meat should be thinned out and tenderized, but still holding together. These can be as big as you want, as long as they will fit into the frying pan.

Season each prepared cutlet with a thin layer of salt.

Step 2: Prepare the breading station

Add flour, beaten eggs, and breadcrumbs into 3 separate shallow pans or containers. It’s helpful to have a plate or parchment-lined tray ready to receive breaded cutlets nearby.

  • NOTE: Start your breading station with about 1 egg, 50 g flour, and 100 g breadcrumbs per 2 cutlets. You can always add to your breading station if you run low during the dredging process.

Step 3: Dredge the cutlets

Pass and flip each cutlet through the flour, egg, and breadcrumbs, making sure the cutlet gets even coverage before moving on between each step.

  • Tip: shake off any excess flour and egg, and then lightly press the breadcrumbs into the cutlet and flip a few times to ensure full coverage.

Set each breaded cutlet aside onto a plate or tray until frying.

Step 4: Fry & serve warm

Over low heat, start heating about a 1/4 inch of oil in a wide, shallow frying pan.

Once your oil has reached 375°F/190°C, lay one breaded cutlet into the pan at a time (away from you to avoid oil splashing). for 2 minutes per side or until golden .

  • Focus on getting a quick but even, golden brown crust. The thin meat should be cooked through by the time the exterior is set.

Rest each fried cutlet on a wire rack or tray with paper towels, and sprinkle with salt immediately as it comes out of the pan. Repeat with remaining cutlets, and serve warm with sides of choice.

LET'S COOK!

FAQ

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