Breaded and fried beef fillet, crispy outside and juicy inside.
About this recipe
Milanesa de res is a classic of Mexican home cooking: a beef fillet pounded thin, coated in seasoned breadcrumbs, and fried until golden and crunchy. It is served with rice, salad, beans, and tortillas, or tucked into a torta with avocado, crema, and salsa. In Mexico the milanesa goes beyond the family table and can be found in fondas, markets, sandwich shops, and street stalls across the country. The key to a great milanesa lies in pounding the meat evenly thin and achieving a golden crust without absorbing too much oil.
History & Origin
The milanesa arrived in Mexico through Italian and Austrian influence during the 19th century, inspired by Milan's cotoletta alla milanese and Vienna's Wiener Schnitzel. Italian immigrants who came to Mexico during the Porfiriato brought with them the technique of breading and frying meat. The recipe was quickly adapted to the Mexican palate: veal was replaced with beef, local spices were added to the breadcrumb coating, and it began to be served with Mexican accompaniments such as beans, rice, and salsa. The milanesa torta (sandwich) became an icon of street food in Mexico City. In market fondas, the milanesa is one of the most requested dishes on the daily menu. Every family has their secret: some add chilli powder to the breadcrumbs, others use crushed biscuits instead of bread, and in the north they prefer to make it with pork.
Estimated cost
£16.00
Total cost
£4.00
Per serving
* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets
Nutritional information per serving
420
Calories
32g
Protein
26g
Carbohydrates
22g
Fat
2g
Fibre
680mg
Sodium
* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.
Method
- 1
Place each bistec between dos leaves of plastic and golpea with a mazo of cook until it is of some 5 mm of thickness, delgado and even. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.

💡 Un thickness even asegura cooking pareja.
- 2
Prepare tres plates: uno with flour, another with the eggs batidos and a tercero with the pan molido. Pasa each bistec primero for the flour, sacude the exceso, then for the egg and finalmente for the pan molido, pressing for that adhiera well.

- 3
Heat the oil in a frying pan amplia over medium-high heat until alcance 180°C. Fry each milanesa for 2-3 minutes for lado until golden and crispy. No sobrecargues the frying pan.

💡 You can verificar the temperatura introduciendo a palillo: si burbujea immediately, is listo.
- 4
Remove thes milanesas and place them on papel absorbente for eliminar the excess oil. Serve immediately with lime exprimido, rice, ensalada and beans.

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Founder, Recetas Mexas
Mexican from Puebla, IT professional and foodie. Author of 736+ authentic Mexican recipes adapted for European kitchens. Based in Madrid since 2018.
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