Milanesa de Pollo (Fried Chicken Cutlets)
Milanesa de Pollo is a Mexican version of fried chicken cutlets. This recipe uses blended crackers as the coating and delivers a flavorful, crispy chicken.
My family always requests Milanesa de Pollo for special dinners from my Mother in law, and we love it along side Espagueti Blanco. It’s just a cozy comforting meal.
If you want a heathier version, I have my Baked Chicken Milanesa recipe, which is also gluten free.
Ingredients
The ingredients to make Milanesa de Pollo are simple:
- Chicken Breast (Butterflied)
- Crackers
- Eggs
- Garlic Seasoning
Each chicken breast needs to be butterflied then pounded to create a thin even piece of chicken. This also ensures the chicken cooks evenly.
I like to place each sliced chicken breast into a zip top bag and use a meat mallet or a heavy rolling pin to pound it thin.
For the crackers, I used club crackers, but my mother in law uses saltine crackers. Either option works!
The garlic seasoning I used also had black pepper, if you are using just garlic salt then add some black pepper as well.
How to Bread the Chicken
I learned this method from my Mother in law and I love how easy it is to bread the chicken this way.
Start by placing one full sleeve of crackers into a blender and blend until a smooth powder forms. Pour the blended crackers onto a large plate.
Next beat 2 eggs and pour over the pounded chicken cutlets in a large dish. Add the garlic seasoning and with your hands, you can wear gloves, mix to coat each piece of chicken.
Have a clean baking tray next to you. Take one piece of chicken, allow the egg to drip off a little, then place it into the blended cracker crumbs.
Coat each side of the chicken and shake off the excess crumbs. Continue with each piece of chicken and place on the baking sheet until they are all coated.
How to Fry the Chicken
Add oil to a large skillet, I prefer using a cast iron skillet. The oil needs to completely cover the bottom of the pan, and heat until it reaches 350°F.
Using tongs, carefully place a breaded cutlet into the oil. Allow the chicken to fry on easy side until golden and the temperature reaches 165°F, with a instant thermometer.
Place the cooked milanesa de pollo on a clean baking rack while you continue frying the remainder of the chicken.
To keep the cooked chicken warm, place in a 200°F oven while you continue frying.
How to Serve and Store
My family enjoys eating Milanesa de Pollo with Espagueti Blanco. I also like to add a simple side salad.
It also goes well with Mexican Rice, Beans, and Nopales. For an extra kick, serve with some chile de arbol salsa. This salsa is spicy!
Another option is to use it in a sandwich for a Milanesa torta.
Leftover chicken milanesa can be stored in an air tight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Reheat either in the over, air fry, or a skillet with a little bit of oil to maintain the crispy crust.
Check out these Recipes:
Milanesa de Pollo Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Canola Oil or any high heat frying oil
- 2 Chicken Breasts butterflied and pounded thin
- 2 Eggs beaten
- 2 teaspoon Garlic Salt and Pepper
- 1 sleeve Club Crackers or Saltine Crackers
Instructions
- Place one whole sleeve of crackers into a blender and pulse until all the crackers are blended. Pour into a large rimmed plate and set aside.
- Butterfly each chicken breast by placing your hand on top of the chicken and your knife on the side. Start slicing and remove the top part to see that you are still even. Once flat, cut down the middle to create 2 pieces. You will have 4 pieces from 2 chicken breasts.
- Place one chicken piece in a zip-top bag and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound it. Pound until even on all sides.
- Place the pounded chicken in a large dish, add beaten eggs, garlic salt, and pepper. Use gloves, and mix with your hands to coat each piece of chicken.
- Setup your breading station with the chicken, blended crackers and a large baking sheet.
- Remove one piece of chicken and allow some of the egg to drip off before placing it in the cracker crumbs. Coat each side, allow any excess to fall off, and place it on the baking sheet. Continue coating the remaining chicken pieces.
- Add oil to a cast iron skillet and heat to 350°F. One want just enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Carefully place 1 chicken piece at a time into the oil. Fry until each side is golden and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Place cooked chicken on a baking sheet rack or on top of paper towels to drain any excess oil. Continue frying the remaining chicken pieces.
- You can also keep the cooked milanesa de pollo in a 200°F oven while you're frying. Serve warm with your preferred side dish.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only and depends on ingredients and amounts used. Thai Caliente makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
What a simple and delicious recipe! Love using the crackers for coating here. So good!
Thank you Angela! It’s a family favorite over here 🙂