There are few dishes that capture home-cooked nostalgia quite like a classic Milanesa de Res. Thin, tender beef wrapped in a golden, crispy crust—ready in under 30 minutes.
Not into beef? Try Milanesa de Pollo instead.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe ❤️
- Unbeatably Crispy: A quick pan-fry in hot oil ensures an ultra-crispy, golden-brown crust that never gets soggy.
- Authentic Family Style (No Flour!): True to traditional Mexican home-style cooking, this recipe skips the heavy flour layer. It gives you a lighter, perfectly adhered crunch without tasting heavy or bready.
- Quick and Easy: Despite tasting gourmet, it comes together from start to finish in about 25 minutes.
- Budget-Friendly: Made using economical, thin cuts of beef (like top round or sirloin tip) that transform into tender perfection when pounded and fried.
- Versatile Serving Options: Incredible on its own with fries and salsa, stuffed into tortas or tacos, or topped with a fried egg (a caballo)
-Maggie
Family Story
My mother was a remarkably busy woman. She went to school full-time—earning two bachelor’s degrees after learning English as a second language—while simultaneously taking care of our family, working a full-time job, and still managing to cook dinner mainly from scratch every single night.
This Milanesa de Res was one of her absolute go-to recipes. It was fast, reliable, and universally loved. My favorite way that she served it was alongside crispy french fries and a fresh salsa.
The combination of the hot, savory crunch with the cool, bright salsa and golden fries was pure perfection. Delicious!
🥩 Ingredients
- Beef steaks
- Oil
- Bread crumbs
- Eggs
- Pepper
- Salt
Optional Seasonings
Garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, ground oregano, ground paprika, cayenne. You can add a combination of these or all of them.
👩🏼🍳 Instructions
- Use a thin cut of beef, like top round or bottom round.
- If you can’t find this cut of beef, you can pound the meat to make it thinner.
- Season the beef with salt and pepper.
- Set aside.
Be sure not to get a cut of meat that’s not too fatty. Lean and thin for the win. That’s what you’re looking for.
What cut is Milanesa steak?
- A Milanesa is any thin slice of beef. It can also be chicken, veal, pork, eggplants, tempeh, or soy.
- If you’re lucky, your neighborhood grocery store will have packaged Milanesa steak ready to go! It might also be called “Milanesa de Carne.”
- Add two eggs to a deep plate.
- Add some salt to the eggs.
- Whip with a fork.
2 eggs are enough for 4 slices of Milanesa Steaks.
What does Milanesa mean in cooking? It means a thin cut of meat that is coated and cooked in oil.
- Add breadcrumbs to a deep dish.
- Be sure to season the breadcrumbs with salt.
Notice there is no flour in my mom’s recipe. Skipping the flour means you won’t get a thick breaded crust like country-fried steak, but it will still get a brown crust.
You can make your own breadcrumbs, using old bolillo. Just toast the bread and pulse in a food processor. Or, buy a container of breadcrumbs at the store. It is a great time saver.
🌟 Pro Tip
Set up a working station for the breading process. This will make things go faster.
- Dip into the egg and hold it over the bowl to allow the excess to drip off.
You can use a fork or your hand to bread the meat. The trick to breading is to use one hand.
This will give you one clean hand that’s free, just in case you need to scratch your eye or someone knocks on the door.
- Place it to the breadcrumbs pressing to coat and shake off any excess, turn it over, and, lastly, do the same on the other side.
- Cover both sides of the meat.
- Place your breaded meat slices on a plate while you’re waiting for the oil to get hot.
Even though these might look small, one steak per person is more than enough.
- Get your oil nice and hot over medium heat.
- Fry time! Add one steak to a large skillet and fry it for 3-4 minutes.
You can either fry or bake the meat. Traditionally, it is fried in oil like canola oil or vegetable oil. Or use any oil with a high smoke point.
- Flip the steak, and cook for 3-4 minutes.
To make it “flipping” good, flip your meat and fry the other side. Both sides should be golden brown.
Open up the windows and doors. You don’t want the smoke to set off the alarm. Unless you want to see some hunky firemen…. iHola Bomberos!
- Place on a paper towel.
- Drain any excess oil.
Don’t skip this step. Too much oil can spoil a good thing. From here, save a slice to make a torta de milanesa.
Baking Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Spray the tops lightly with cooking oil spray.
- Bake for about 7 to 8 minutes per side until golden and crispy
🙋🏻♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
The best cuts are lean, budget-friendly options that cook quickly, such as top round, eye of round, or top sirloin. Always look for cuts labeled “milanesa style” or ask your butcher to slice the beef very thin (⅛ to ¼ inch).
Yes! If you prefer a lighter cooking method, you can bake them. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Place the breaded cutlets on a well-greased baking sheet, spray the tops lightly with cooking oil spray, and bake for about 7 to 8 minutes per side until golden and crispy.
Yes, you can freeze them either way! To freeze uncooked: Bread the cutlets, place parchment paper between each one, and store them in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. Fry or bake straight from frozen (just add a couple of extra minutes to the cooking time). To freeze cooked: Let them cool completely, wrap individually, and freeze for up to 1 month. Reheat in an air fryer or oven to restore the crispiness.
You can bread the cutlets a few hours in advance. Cover them tightly with plastic wrap and keep them in the refrigerator until you are ready to fry or bake them. Letting them rest in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour can actually help the breadcrumbs adhere even better!
Storing Instructions
Place any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in microwave for 2-3 minutes. Or on a skillet, reheat a few minutes on each side. Warning, getting that crispy texture might be difficult when reheating.
🍴 Optional Sides
- Arroz Mexicano (Mexican rice)
- Ensalada de Nopales
- Papas a la Mexicana
- Frijoles Refritos
- Corn tortillas
- Roasted Mexican Sweet Potatoes
Bringing back a legendary recipe like Milanesa de Res is a wonderful reminder of how simple ingredients can create extraordinary meals. Packed with heritage, crunch, and comforting flavor, it’s a dish destined to become a staple at your dinner table all over again. Serve it up with a batch of hot french fries and a bright salsa, gather your loved ones, and enjoy a true culinary classic!
Add some taqueria-style salsa serrano, and you’ve got a delicious and easy recipe.
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Did you make this recipe? Please rate the recipe below!
Milanesa de Res
Ingredients
- 4 steaks thin cut (either bottom or top round)
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 cup oil
- 1 tbs salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Salt and pepper the steaks. Set aside until ready to use.
- Lay out three plates.
- In one plate, add 2 eggs and ½ teaspoon salt.Beat the eggs.
- In another plate, add the breadcrumbs. Leave the third plate alone. It is to add the breaded meat.
- Take one of the steaks and dip it in the eggs.
- Next, add the steak to breadcrumbs. Cover the steak well on both sides.
- Place the breaded meat on the third plate.
- Repeat with each steak until done.
- Heat oil in a large frying pan.
- Add one steak to the pan.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Flip the steak, and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Both sides should be golden brown.
- Remove and place on a paper towel to drain any excess oil.
- Repeat to cook the remaining steaks.Serve with fries and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- The trick to breading is to use one hand. This will give you one clean hand that’s free just in case of an emergency.
- If you can’t find this cut of beef, you can pound the meat to make it thinner. Some grocery stores sell Milanesa de Res already breaded and ready to go. It’s sometimes called “Milanesa de Carne.”
- You can make your own breadcrumbs, using the ends of the loaf, or the heel. Or, buy a container of breadcrumbs at the store. It is a great timesaver.
YES, LOVE IT!
Thank you!! 🙂
Oh yum!! I loved milanesa when I first discovered it in Argentina. I haven’t thought about it since and reading this simple recipe, takes me right back. I’m going to make this recipe. Thanks for the precious memories and simple recipe.
So glad you enjoyed this!
This looks delicious and something my family would enjoy if I make it for dinner
Thanks. Hope you try it!
I have never actually heard of this before. Looks really good though. I may need to give it a try soon.
Hope you do. It’s delicious!
We always enjoy a good steak, but I have not tried preparing it like this. Looks delish!
Hope you try it! It’s delicious
Been to cooking lately and I guess this is the perfect time that I was able to see this. Love the video and yeah, thanks in advance for the recipe. Gotta print it out so I can try making the Milanesa over the weekends.
So glad you enjoyed this Anosa!