Veal milanese in the air fryer is the Italian costoletta alla milanese: a thick bone-in veal chop that is only lightly pounded, turned in egg and fine breadcrumbs, and given a golden, crisp crust. In Milan it is traditionally pan-fried in plenty of clarified butter. Here the coating is brushed with clarified butter instead, so you get both the buttery flavour and the colour, while the hot air does the rest.
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What matters is that the chop stays thick and juicy. It should be slightly pink inside, which is why the meat thermometer is more important than the clock. At 190 °C, with a single turn along the way and 5 minutes of rest on a rack, you get a milanese that crunches when you cut into it and only needs a sprinkle of flaky salt and a lemon wedge.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents
Why I love veal milanese in the air fryer
A real milanese lives off the contrast between a thin, tight crust and a thick, juicy chop. That is a balance the air fryer is good at: the dry hot air makes the breadcrumbs crisp all the way round, and because I brush the chops with clarified butter instead of frying them in it, I avoid a pan of spitting hot fat. The crust still gets a buttery flavour and a golden colour.
Clarified butter withstands heat better than regular butter, because the whey and milk protein have been removed. You make it yourself from 75 g butter, or you can melt 50 g store-bought clarified butter (ghee).
The difference between milanese and Wiener schnitzel
Milanese is often mistaken for other breaded meat dishes, but it is a dish in its own right. A Wiener schnitzel is a thin, pounded-out piece of veal without the bone, and the Polish kotlet schabowy is made from pork. Costoletta alla milanese, on the other hand, is a chop of about 2.5 cm with the bone still attached, which is only evened out to around 2 cm. The coating is just egg and fine breadcrumbs, pressed on firmly.
My kitchen test of veal milanese
I tested the chops in my Cosori Dual Blaze, which has one basket with heating elements both above and below. That gives an even browning on the top and underside, but I still turn the chops along the way, so I can brush the top with the rest of the clarified butter. At 190 °C they got 7 minutes on the first side and 5-7 minutes on the second.
After 5 minutes on the second side, I inserted the meat thermometer from the side into the thickest part of the meat, without touching the bone. At 60 °C I took the chops out and let them rest for 5 minutes on a rack. The temperature rises a few degrees while the meat rests, and the result was slightly pink, juicy meat and an underside that stayed crisp.
The whole dish takes 39 minutes: 20 minutes of preparation, 14 minutes in the air fryer and 5 minutes of resting time. Four thick bone-in chops take up a lot of room, though, so in a 5-6 litre air fryer you will usually have to cook two at a time. The time applies to one batch. Let the first batch rest on the rack in the meantime, and if you like, give it 1 minute in the air fryer just before serving.
Press the breadcrumbs on firmly with the palm of your hand, and stick to fine breadcrumbs rather than panko. That gives you the thin, tight crust that is the hallmark of a classic milanese, and the coating stays on when you turn the chop.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The first mistake is pounding the meat too thin, as for a Wiener schnitzel. Then it turns dry before the crust is golden. So only pound lightly with the flat side of the meat mallet, until the chop is evenly thick. The second mistake is a coating that comes off. That happens when the meat is damp or the breadcrumbs are only sprinkled on loosely, so pat the chops completely dry with kitchen paper, and press the breadcrumbs firmly onto both sides and along the edges. The third mistake is cooking by the clock alone. The thickness varies from chop to chop, so use the meat thermometer, and take the meat out at 60 °C.
How to serve veal milanese
A milanese should be allowed to take centre stage, so keep the side dishes simple:
- Lemon wedges to squeeze over at the table
- A sprinkle of flaky salt just before serving
- A simple salad of rocket and tomato
- Fried potatoes
- A creamy risotto
If you want to vary the crust, you can stir 2 tbsp finely grated Parmesan into the breadcrumbs. It is not classic milanese, but it tastes good.
Storage and reheating
Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat the chops in the air fryer at 170 °C for 6-8 minutes, until they are heated through and the coating is crisp again. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight before you reheat them.
Veal milanese in the air fryer is a simple dish where few ingredients and good technique make the difference. Keep the chop thick, press the breadcrumbs on firmly, and trust the meat thermometer. You will find the full recipe at the bottom of the page.
FAQ
A milanese is a thick bone-in veal chop that is only lightly pounded and breaded in egg and fine breadcrumbs. A Wiener schnitzel is a thin, pounded-out piece of veal without the bone.
Take the chops out at 60 °C, measured in the thickest part of the meat without touching the bone. The meat is then slightly pink and juicy, and the temperature rises a few degrees during the rest.
Yes, you can use thick boneless veal chops. They are typically done 1-2 minutes sooner, so measure the core temperature a little earlier.
Recipe
Veal Milanese in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
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Airfryer size
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Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Small saucepan
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Small bowl
- 1 Paper towel
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Sharp knife
- 1 Parchment paper
- 1 Meat mallet
- 1 Deep plate
- 1 Plate
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Brush
- 1 Tongs
- 1 Meat thermometer
- 1 Rack
Shopping list
Ingredients
How to make it
Preparation
- Melt 75 g butter over low heat in a small saucepan without stirring it. Skim off the white foam with a spoon, and pour the clear, golden butter into a small bowl, so the white sediment stays behind in the saucepan.
- Pat 4 pcs bone-in veal chops completely dry with kitchen paper, so the coating can stick.
- Cut 2-3 small slits through the fat and membrane around the edge of each chop with a sharp knife, so the meat does not curl up in the heat.
- Place the chops between two pieces of baking paper on a cutting board, and pound the meat lightly with the flat side of a meat mallet until it is evenly thick, about 2 cm. The meat should only be evened out and not pounded thin like a Wiener schnitzel, and the bone should stay in place.
- Lightly whisk 2 pcs eggs together with 1 tsp salt in a deep plate, and spread 150 g breadcrumbs on a flat plate.
- Dip the chops one at a time in the egg, so all the meat is covered, and let the excess egg drip off. It helps to hold on to the bone while you do this.
- Then turn each chop in the breadcrumbs, and press the breadcrumbs firmly on with the palm of your hand on both sides and along the edges, so the coating sits tightly and does not come off during cooking.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 190 °C fan.
- Brush the breaded chops on both sides with about two thirds of the clarified butter.
- Place the chops in the air fryer basket in a single layer, so they do not touch each other. If there is not room for all four at once, cook them in two batches at the same temperature and time.
- Cook the chops at 190 °C for 7 minutes.
- Carefully turn the chops with tongs, and brush the top with the rest of the clarified butter.
- Continue cooking at 190 °C for 5-7 minutes, until the coating is golden and crisp.
- Check the core temperature once the chops have had 5 minutes on the second side: insert a meat thermometer from the side into the thickest part of the meat without touching the bone. Take the chops out at 60 °C, and the meat will be slightly pink and juicy inside. If they have not reached that, give them 1-2 more minutes, and measure again.
- Place the chops on a rack, and let them rest for 5 minutes, so the juices redistribute and the underside stays crisp.
Serving
- Sprinkle the chops with 1 tsp flaky salt.
- Cut 1 pcs lemon into wedges, and serve the chops straight away with the lemon wedges to squeeze over at the table.
Our notes for the recipe
Take the chops out of the fridge 20-30 minutes beforehand, so they cook evenly. Trust the meat thermometer rather than the clock: the thickness varies from chop to chop, and at 60 °C in the thickest part the meat is slightly pink and juicy. The temperature rises a few degrees while the meat rests. Coating that stays put:
The meat must be completely dry before it is dipped in egg, and the breadcrumbs should be pressed firmly on with the palm of your hand. Use fine breadcrumbs and not panko, so the crust becomes thin and tight like on a classic milanese. Clarified butter:
Traditionally the chop is pan-fried in plenty of clarified butter. Here the chop is brushed with the butter instead, so the crust gets a buttery flavour and a golden colour. Clarified butter withstands heat better than regular butter, because the whey and milk protein have been removed. You can also melt 50 g store-bought clarified butter (ghee). Variation:
Stir 2 tbsp finely grated Parmesan into the breadcrumbs for a richer crust. It is not classic milanese, but it tastes good. You can also use thick boneless veal chops, which are typically done 1-2 minutes sooner. Serving:
Serve with lemon wedges, a simple salad of rocket and tomato, and fried potatoes or a creamy risotto. Portion size:
Four thick bone-in chops take up a lot of room. In a 5-6 litre air fryer there is usually space for two at a time, so plan on two batches. The time in the recipe applies to one batch. Let the first batch rest on the rack in the meantime, and if you like, give it 1 minute in the air fryer just before serving.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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