chicken milanese with arugula cherry tomato salad

Lunch

Chicken Milanese with Arugula Cherry Tomato Salad

Chicken Milanese—referring to the city of Milan, Italy, where the dish is believed to have originated—features breaded and pan-fried chicken cutlets, usually served with a side salad and a generous squeeze of lemon. Here we stick mostly to tradition, but we skip the pan-frying in favor of cooking the chicken in the oven. Preheating the pan helps get a nice crispy crust on one side, so it’s important not to skip that step.

Ingredients

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 large egg
1 lemon, zested and then cut into wedges
4 (4-ounce) chicken cutlets
1/4 teaspoon salt plus 1/8 teaspoon, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper plus 1/8 teaspoon, divided
cooking spray
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
5 cups packed arugula
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions

Place a large rimmed baking sheet in the oven. Preheat to 450°F.
Stir panko, Parmesan, Italian seasoning and onion powder together in a shallow dish. Whisk egg and lemon zest together in another shallow dish. Sprinkle chicken cutlets with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
Dip 1 cutlet in the egg mixture, coating both sides. Transfer to the panko mixture, coating generously and pressing to adhere. Repeat with the remaining cutlets. Remove the hot baking sheet from the oven; coat with cooking spray. Coat the dredged cutlets with cooking spray; place on the pan, sprayed-side down. Coat the tops with more cooking spray. Bake, turning once, until browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest parts registers 165°F, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk oil, vinegar and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add arugula and tomatoes; toss to coat. Serve the chicken with the salad and lemon wedges.