Baked Chicken Milanese with Arugula, Tomato & Avocado

Crunchy panko breadcrumbs, nutty parmesan cheese and tender chicken combine in this easy to make Chicken Milanese that gets a unique twist by adding the salad on top of the chicken to create a fun weeknight dinner for two.

Easy weeknight dinners that seem fancy are always one of my favorite things to have in my recipe arsenal. This Chicken Milanese absolutely fits that description. It only takes a handful of ingredients to create this dish and it’s ready in less than 30 minutes. What more could you ask for in a weeknight dinner?!

Chicken Milanese is an Italian breaded chicken which is made by first butterflying or pounding the chicken breast. Then it’s dipped in a parmesan and breadcrumb mixture to create a flavorful breaded chicken.

You start this recipe by breading the chicken. Then it goes into a hot pan with a bit of oil for a quick sear which keeps the juices in the chicken while it’s baking. After you flip the chicken the entire pan goes into the hot oven so the chicken can finish cooking.

While the chicken is cooking you toss the salad together. That’s it, just a few simple steps and you have tasty dinner ready in no time!

Tips for Breading Chicken

Years ago I used to subscribe to a magazine called Cuisine at Home.   In addition to being filled with great recipes, it also includes many useful cooking strategies, one of which is probably what I’d consider the best way to make breaded chicken. It combines pan searing with baking at high heat. This results in tender, perfectly cooked chicken every time!

A couple of tips to give you the best results when making this breaded chicken:

• I always use panko breadcrumbs. They are coarser than regular breadcrumbs and help to make the breading extra crisp.
• I recommend a heavy gauge skillet such as a coated cast iron skillet for this cooking method. You can use any oven-safe pan, however the coated cast iron gives you a slightly crisper crust on the chicken.
• If you have stone countertops please be careful when pounding the chicken – you don’t want to crack your counters.

For other options for chicken dinner check out this Sticky Asian Chicken or one of the most popular recipes on the blog, Chardonnay Chicken.

things you might want for this recipe

Staub Cast Iron Skillet – As I noted above, using a coated cast iron skillet gives you a slightly crisper crust on the chicken. This is also a very versatile pan that I think is a must for anyone who does a lot of cooking.

Baked Chicken Milanese with Arugula, Tomato & Avocado

★★★★★ 5 from 9 reviews

• Author: Kathryn | Urban Foodie Kitchen
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 17 minutes
• Total Time: 27 minutes
• Yield: 2 servings 1x
• Category: Main Dishes
• Method: Stovetop + Ovenbaked
• Cuisine: Italian

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Description

Crunchy panko breadcrumbs, nutty parmesan cheese and tender chicken combine in this easy to make Chicken Milanese that gets a unique twist by adding the salad on top of the chicken to create a fun weeknight dinner for two.

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts – 4 to 6 ounces each 
• 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 2 cups baby arugula 
• 3/4 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 1/2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 1/4 cup toasted walnuts
• 1 avocado, thinly sliced 
• balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze as desired

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.  
2. Place the chicken breast between two sheets of parchment paper.  Using a meat mallet lightly pound the chicken until it’s about 3/4″ thick.  Repeat with the second chicken breast.  
3. Combine the flour, breadcrumbs and pepper in a low sided dish.  Add the egg white to a separate dish.  Dip one chicken breast in the egg white, then dip into the flour mixture, being sure to coat both sides.   You can pat some additional breading mixture onto the chicken as needed.  Repeat with the second chicken breast.  
4. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a 10″ oven-safe skillet.  Once the oil is hot add both chicken breasts to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the breading begins to turn golden brown.  Carefully flip the chicken breasts and cook for an additional two minutes.  Please the pan in the preheated oven and cook for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.  
5. While the chicken is cooking add the arugula and tomatoes to a large mixing bowl.  Add the oil and toss well.  
6. Once the chicken is done cooking place each chicken breast on a dinner plate.  Top each with half of the arugula mixture.  Sprinkle with walnuts and add the avocado slices.  If desired drizzle with balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze.  

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Notes

The cooked chicken breasts will keep for 2-3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  I recommend making the salad and slicing the avocado just before serving.  

Keywords: weeknight chicken dinner