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Crispy on the outside and juicy in the middle, this Grain-Free Chicken Milanese is every bit as delicious as the OG versions you know and love. Served with a super quick and easy Arugula and Artichoke Salad, you’ll never guess it’s gluten-free and Paleo-friendly.
Ingredients You Need for Grain-Free Chicken Milanese
- Chicken: This recipe calls for boneless and skinless chicken breast. The key is to first butterfly each breast and then place it between sheets of parchment paper before pounding it thin. You can use a meat mallet, rolling pin or even a frying pan.
- Arrowroot Starch: After the chicken breast gets pounded thin, it needs to be dredged in a very light coating of arrowroot starch. This naturally grain-free and gluten-free flour works as an alternative to regular wheat flour and will help the egg wash to stick to the chicken.
- Eggs: To help loosen the eggs and make sure they evenly coat the chicken, try beating them in a bowl with a small splash of water.
- Simple Mills Crackers: The real secret to the crispiest Chicken Milanese is to use Simple Mills Almond Sea Salt Crackers as the final layer in the breading process. They’re made from clean ingredients, are gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and delicious. Just add them to a food processor and pulse them until they’re finely ground to the texture of bread crumbs. I usually buy the big boxes from my local Costco.
- Italian Seasoning: For more flavour, I like to add a spoonful of Italian seasoning blend to the cracker crumbs.
- Avocado Oil: I like to fry the chicken Milanese in avocado oil because it’s heart-healthy, has a neutral flavour and high smoke point.
Ingredients You Need for the Arugula and Artichoke Salad
- Arugula: The bitterness and peppery notes of the arugula are the perfect way to balance the richness of the fried chicken Milanese. You can also substitute any bitter green or lettuce you like instead, such as radicchio, endive, watercress or mache.
- Artichokes: I like to use canned artichokes packed in water in this salad. They’re juicy, affordable and made with clean ingredients. If you can find jarred, marinated artichokes that are not made with seed oils, then go for it.
- Red Onion: When sliced super thin and tossed with fresh lemon juice, the onion gets very lightly pickled and also helps cut through the richness of the fried chicken.
- EVOO: Use a good quality olive oil here. Preferably one with some peppery notes.
- Lemon Juice: For the best flavour, use freshly-squeezed lemons in the salad. It makes a world of difference.
- Salt and Pepper: Season the salad to taste with some flakey sea salt, such as Maldon or Jacobsen and a couple cracks of black pepper.
What Is Chicken Milanese Made Of?
Chicken Milanese is a popular Italian dish that consists of a breaded and fried chicken cutlet. The chicken breast is typically pounded thin to ensure even cooking and then coated with breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and sometimes herbs or spices. It’s usually pan-fried until golden brown and crispy. Often served with a salad on top, such as an arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette, it’s both comforting and satisfying without leaving you feeling weighed down.
Can You Prepare the Chicken In Advance?
Ideally, you’ll want to serve this grain-free chicken Milanese immediately after it has been fried, while it’s still hot and crispy. However, if you absolutely have to prepare it in advance, here’s how to do it:
- Breading: You can bread the chicken cutlets ahead of time. After breading, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and refrigerate them. Make sure they are not stacked on top of each other to prevent the breading from becoming soggy or sticking together.
- Freezing: If you want to prepare Chicken Milanese further in advance, you can freeze the breaded chicken cutlets. Place them on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze until solid. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag or airtight container with parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking. They can be kept frozen for up to a month.
- Cooking: When you’re ready to cook, you can fry the chicken cutlets straight from the refrigerator or freezer. If frying from frozen, allow a few extra minutes of cooking time, but make sure they are fully cooked through.
- Reheating: If you’ve previously cooked Chicken Milanese and want to reheat it, you can do so in the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and place the chicken cutlets on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until heated through and crispy.
Grain-Free Chicken Milanese with Arugula and Artichoke Salad
Crispy on the outside and juicy in the middle, this Grain-Free Chicken Milanese is every bit as delicious as the OG versions you know and love.
Ingredients
For the Chicken Milanese:
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup arrowroot starch
- 10 ounces Simple Mills Almond Flour Sea Salt crackers
- Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
- 1/4 cup avocado oil, plus extra as needed
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning blend
- Flakey sea salt, for finishing
For the Arugula Salad:
- 5 ounces arugula
- 8.5 ounces artichoke hearts packed in brine, drained and sliced in half
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
Instructions
For the Chicken Milanese:
- Add the arrowroot starch to a bowl and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Stir to incorporate.
- In a separate bowl, combine the eggs with 1 tablespoon cold water and whisk until smooth and no longer clumpy.
- Add the crackers to a food processor and pulse on high speed until finely ground to the texture of bread crumbs. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Using a sharp knife, butterfly the chicken breasts lengthwise, making sure to stop just before slicing through the opposite side. Open the chicken breast like a book and place it between two pieces of parchment paper. Pound the chicken breast until it is roughly 1/4” thin using a meat mallet, rolling pin or frying pan. Lightly season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Dredge each piece of chicken in the arrowroot starch to coat both sides and dust off any excess. Transfer the dredged chicken to the egg wash and coat both sides. Finally, add the coated chicken to the cracker crumbs and coat both sides, pressing lightly so the crumbs fully adhere and coat all of the nooks and crannies.
- Add the avocado oil to 10” frying pan and heat over medium heat until the oil reaches 360F. Carefully add the chicken, frying one at a time, and cook until golden and crispy, around 3 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until golden and crispy and the thickest part of the breast reaches 165F, around 2 more minutes. Transfer the chicken milanese to a sheet pan lined with a wire rack to allow excess oil to drip off and lightly season with flakey salt. Serve immediately with the arugula salad and a lemon wedge.
For the Arugula Salad:
- In a bowl, combine the arugula, artichokes, onion, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and toss well to coat. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt, pepper or lemon juice as desired.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 1230kcal, Carbohydrates: 139g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 67g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 31g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 164mg, Sodium: 2143mg, Potassium: 402mg, Fiber: 10g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1963IU, Vitamin C: 13mg, Calcium: 194mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe? Leave a comment below!
About the Author
Hi, i’m Ronny! In 2013, after a lifetime of struggling with my weight and body issues, I rehabilitated my relationship with food, lost over 40 pounds and completely changed my life.
Thank you 😊! I’m looking forward to preparing the Chicken Milanese this for dinner.