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I live for easy recipes. Even when it comes to tamales that normally take hours and hours to make, I have my ways of making tamales faster.
Milanesa de Res is one of those super yummy and super quick recipes that moms everywhere are sure to love.
How to Make Milanesa
- 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.
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.
You might also like Milanesa de Pollo and Torta de Milanesa.
- Season the beef with salt and pepper.
- Set aside.
My friends, this is bottom round. See how thin it is.
Other seasonings you can add: garlic powder, ground cumin, ground oregano, ground paprika, cayenne. You can add a combination of these, or all of them.
What cut is Milanesa steak?
A milanesa is any thin slice of beef. It can also be chicken, veal, pork, eggplants, tempeh or soy.
- Add two eggs to a deep plate.
- Add some salt to the eggs.
- Whip with a fork.
2 eggs is enough for 4 slices of Milanesa Steak.
Pro Tip: Set up a working station for the breading process. This will make things go faster.
What does Milanese mean in cooking?
It means a thin cut of meat that is coated and cooked in oil.
- Add breadcrumbs to a deep plate.
- Be sure to season the breadcrumbs with salt.
You can make your own breadcrumbs, using the ends of the loaf, or the heel. Simply toast the bread and pulse in a food processor.
Or, buy a container of breadcrumbs at the store. It is a great timesaver.
- Use a fork or use your hand to bread the meat.
- Dip the meat in the eggs.
Note: 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.
In some cases, you don’t even need a Milanesa recipe. If you’re lucky, your neighborhood grocery store will have packaged Milanesa steak ready to go!
It might also be called “Milanesa de Carne.”
- Place the meat in the breadcrumbs.
- Cover both sides of the meat.
More Mexican Beef Recipes: Slow Cooker Birria de Res, Beef Tamales, Classic Ground Beef Taquitos, Salpicón de Res
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 Milanesa Steak per person is more than enough.
How to cook milanesa
There are two ways: you can either fry the meat or bake the meat.
Traditionally, it is fried. Get your oil nice and hot.
Fry time! Fry the meat on each side for a few minutes.
To bake Milanesa de Res:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Flip and cook for 5 more minutes.
To make it “flipping” good, flip your meat and fry the other side.
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. Do you see how much oil came out of it? Too much oil can spoil.
Definitely don’t want to feed my family more oil than necessary.
Wiener Schnitzel vs. Milanesa de Res
Germany vs. Mexico – Mexican World Cup soccer fans are still basking in that victory!
My German husband had one bite and said, “schnitzel.” No, he wasn’t swearing, but he swears that he’s had this before. In Germany, to make wiener schnitzel, they use veal and pound out the meat so it’s good to eat.
In Mexico and most Latin American countries, Milanesa de Res is made with a thin cut of beef. It is almost always served with fries.
Add your favorite Mexican salsa, and you’ve got a delicious and easy recipe.

Milanesa de Res
Ingredients
Instructions
- Salt and pepper the steaks. Set aside until ready to use.
- Lay out three plates.
- In one plate, add 2 eggs and 1/2 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
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Flip and cook for 5 more minutes.
This looks pretty yummy. I haven’t fried much meat but it’s a definitely comfort food. My husband even bought a deep fryer, so it would be good to use it more often.
You should try this recipe for Milanesa de Res then. Put the deep fryer to work. lol.
I really love the video, you make it look so easy and I’ve definitely got to try this.
Thank you. Milanesa de Res is super easy to make. Hope you give it a try!
As I’m reading this post it makes me reflect on the meals I don’t make for my kids and how if I prepare ahead and have a plan, I could be the mom that cooks a great meal every night. Thank you for inspiring me more than you probably planned on doing.
Cooking for my family is all about meal planning and planning in advance. This Milanesa de Res is super easy and quick too.
Just the name sounds beautiful! And it looks incredible. I would just love to try this soon!
Milanesa de Res… yes, it has a good ring to it. lol. I love this recipe. So simple and so quick.
That looks absolutely delicious, will have to give it a try
That’s awesome. Hope you enjoy the Milanesa de Res.
I love to have my chicken like this. I do this very often. This looks delicious.
I have a chicken milanesa coming out soon. Very similar to the Milanesa de Res. You can even do it with pork.
This looks so delicious! I’ve not heard of this Milanese before, just the one we have in Italy! Will be trying this!
We were just in Italy a few months ago. A friend of ours who lives in Milan told me that Milanesa de Res is a traditional for them. Makes sense with the name and all.
This looks so good, and you have some great tips! Investing in good pans and knives has been the best thing I’ve done. My food comes out so much better.
I couldn’t agree more. Good pans and knives are a must for any home cook. Thank you for sharing!
I have never heard of Milanesa de Res but your recipe looks tasty and is easy to follow. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you. Milanesa de Res is very traditional for us in Mexico, but it has roots in Milan, Italy. Hence the name.
That looks like a very easy to make dinner. I like the video you included.
Right! I love easy recipes like this Milanesa de Res. Get food on the table FAST!
Looks tasty and we’re definitely going to try this at home x
Awesome! Milanesa de Res is one of those super easy recipes that we absolutely love in my family.
this is so tasty girl! I tried it once when I was in Argentina!
Nice. I would love to go to Argentina. Take me with you next time. 😉