Prosciutto Chicken Milanese

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
• Fresh Thyme – the pop of flavor this fresh herb adds just can’t be missed, if you can’t use fresh, go with 1/3 teaspoon of dried
• Kosher Salt – because everything needs a little salt
• Black Pepper – freshly ground

The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Taleggio Cheese

Can you eat the rind on Taleggio cheese?

Yes!! It’s orange rind is edible, and contrasts the creamy interior perfectly.

What does Taleggio Cheese Taste Like?

Taleggio cheese is mildly smooth, and slightly acidic. It is the perfect cheese for the picky eaters as well as experienced palates.

Substitutes for Taleggio

If you can’t find Taleggio then Havarti, Gruyere, Fontina or even Brie would be my pick.

How to Butterfly Chicken

Put your chicken breast on a chopping board and, with your hand flat on top of it to hold it in place. Use a sharp knife to gently slice into one side of the breast, starting at the thicker end and ending at the thin point, gliding the knife through the breast of meat.

Open the breast so it resembles a butterfly and slice through that back piece. You will now have two thin pieces of chicken.

What Goes With Chicken Milanese?

This chicken milanese dish is also very versatile. You can serve it as part of a delicious home cooked meal with traditional sides of roasted potatoes and a simple salad or you can really dress this Chicken Milanese up with some asparagus and a strawberry spinach salad with brown sugar almonds.

But would you like to hear our very favorite way to serve up chicken milanese? It’s actually over mashed potatoes. I know, it may not be what you were originally thinking, but trust me on this one, it’s so, so good!! Just consider our Panko Crusted Chicken with Lemon Cream Sauce. That stuff is like a gift to eat it over mashed potatoes!!

Looking to stay with the traditional Italian? Chicken milanese is also what makes up your favorite Chicken Parmesan! Our Quick and Easy Chicken Parmesan is one of our favorite meals to not only enjoy as a family, but also to teach other’s who are wanting to learn to cook. Or if you want to go a little lighter, try our healthier chicken parm recipe!

Or if you’re not really feeling it to be that heavy, you could always serve it with a simple Katsu sauce which is made by combining ketchup, mirin, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, sugar and dijon mustard.

Our picky youngest kiddo eats it plain and believes it to be chicken nuggets. Finally, a dinnertime win for that kid!!

Can You Freeze Chicken Milanese?

We often double our batch of chicken milanese so that we can freeze half of it for later use.

Here’s how you freeze breaded chicken:

1. Start off by following the recipe for breading the chicken.
2. Pan fry the chicken until almost completely cooked through. About 5 minutes per side.
3. Make sure you review our post on how to cook chicken in a pan to better understand exactly what to do. You won’t want to finish cooking the chicken as it will be overcooked by the time you reheat it.
4. Allow the chicken to cool and place into ziploc bags and freeze for up to 2 weeks.

How to Reheat Frozen Breaded Chicken

Once you are ready to eat,  place the chicken in the fridge for a few hours to defrost.

Spray a baking pan with nonstick spray, add the chicken and bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

They say, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” but I say, “when life gives you chicken, make chicken milanese!” With that crunchy breading, creamy taleggio cheese, salty prosciutto, fresh arugula and tangy red wine vinaigrette…it’s easy chicken dinner perfection!

Chicken Milanese Recipe Video

More Tasty Chicken Recipes:

• Bourbon Chicken
• Melt in Your Mouth Ranch Chicken
• Tender Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
• Citrus Greek Chicken 
• Grilled Hawaiian Chicken  
• Easy Instant Pot Honey Chicken 
• One-Pan Creamy Lemon Chicken
• Italian Dressing Chicken
• Braised Dijon Chicken and Potatoes
• Panko Crusted Chicken with Lemon Cream Sauce
• Quick and Easy Cornflake Ranch Chicken
• Easy Teriyaki Chicken
• All our CHICKEN RECIPES!

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