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When I first relocated to Buenos Aires, Argentina, one of the first local dishes I tried was milanesas de carne, or breaded beef fillets.
A typical Argentine dish that you will find in almost every restaurant, it is usually deep-fried and served with french fries, and sometimes even topped with a fried egg, sunny side up.
But my boyfriend’s mum likes to make a healthier version.
Instead of deep-frying, she bakes them in the oven, and serves them with a fresh green salad instead of fries. Perhaps surprisingly, her baked milanesas still taste extremely good – maybe even better than the traditional version.
Since trying hers, I’ve learned to make them and have started making my own at home.
This recipe is truly simple – essentially, all you need is a couple of beaten eggs, some seasoned breadcrumbs, and thinly sliced sirloin fillets.
I usually just tell the butcher I will be making milanesas, and ask him to slice the sirloin steak in very thin strips since he has a good knife.
Thin fillets will bake quickly, so they don’t require much time in the oven.
I also like to season my breadcrumbs with granulated garlic and dried parsley, and a bit of salt to give it more flavor.
You start by dipping the fillets in the beaten eggs, then coat them in the seasoned breadcrumbs before baking them until they are golden brown and crispy on both sides.
This incredibly easy recipe makes quite an addictive meal, and I know your guests will be asking for more!
Let’s head straight to the recipe and start cooking.
The Recipe
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 4 servings | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 20 minutes |
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Milanesas de carne are breaded beef fillets, baked to golden brown perfection. Crispy on the outside, they're absolutely delicious with fresh lemon juice.
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- 1 pound sirloin steak, sliced very thinly
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- Fresh lemon slices, for garnish
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Beat the eggs in a shallow dish.
- Combine the breadcrumbs with the salt, granulated garlic, and dried parsley in another shallow dish, and mix well.
- Dip a slice of sirloin steak in the beaten eggs, then coat them with the breadcrumb mixture on both sides, patting down with your fingers until the whole surface is well coated. Repeat until you have coated all of the beef.
- Coat a large baking sheet with vegetable oil, and place it in the preheated oven for five minutes, until the oil is hot.
- Place the breaded beef fillets on the baking sheet in a single layer, without any overlap. If necessary, cook them in two or three batches. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping once after 15 minutes, until they are golden brown.
- Serve with fresh lemon slices and a fresh green salad, seasoned with extra virgin olive oil and a hint of balsamic vinegar.
Tip: If you prefer chicken to beef, simply substitute chicken cutlets to make milanesas de pollo instead of milanesas de carne.
Nutritional Information*
Cooking by the Numbers…
Step 1 –Prepare Your Mise en Place
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Get your ingredients ready.
Prepare the beef. It’s best to ask your butcher to slice the beef thinly, unless you have a very sharp knife at home and can do it yourself.
Foodal’s guides to the best kitchen knives will help you to find what you’re looking for.
Measure out the breadcrumbs, salt, powdered garlic, and dried parsley.
Step 2 – Beat the Eggs
Break the eggs into a shallow dish and beat them well.
You could use a fork for this, or a small whisk.
Step 3 – Make the Breadcrumb Mixture
In another shallow dish, combine the breadcrumbs, salt, granulated garlic, and dried parsley.
Mix well until the ingredients are well combined.
Step 4 – Dip and Coat
Take a slice of beef and dip it into the beaten eggs, coating both sides of the fillet.
Next, coat each slice of meat with the breadcrumb mixture.
Make sure the entire surface is coated well on both sides.
Step 5 – Heat up the Oil
Pour enough oil onto a large metal baking sheet to coat the bottom.
Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven for five minutes, until the oil is hot.
Step 6 – Bake
Once the oil is hot and sizzling, place the breaded beef fillets in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake them for 20 minutes.
This is very important. In order to cook them properly and to get that nice golden brown crust on the outside, you don’t want any of the pieces to overlap. Bake them in multiple batches if necessary.
Quickly remove the pan from the oven and flipping each piece over after the first 15 minutes of cooking, and continue to bake until they are golden brown.
Dinner is Served!
As soon as the milanesas come out of the oven, simply garnish them with fresh lemon slices and serve with a fresh green salad.
I like to toss my leafy greens with a generous glug of olive oil, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. If you’re still craving french fries as a side dish, but still want to eat healthy, try our recipe for oven-baked crispy green bean fries for a healthier alternative!
Love this Argentine dish? We have more! Try my recipe for the best choripan, served with fresh chimichurri sauce, as well as my recipe for hearty Argentine lentil stew.
For another quick salad idea to serve alongside the main meal, try our fresh carrot raisin salad with lemon aioli!
Have you made breaded fillets before? Let us know in the comments below!
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Photos by Felicia Lim, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details.
*Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
About Felicia Lim
Felicia Lim is a Singaporean who moved to Argentina for love. Based in Buenos Aires, also known as “the Paris of South America,” she fills her days with freelance writing, recipe development, and food photography – three passions that give her endless joy. When she isn’t typing away at her computer, cooking in the kitchen, or shooting in her balcony-studio, you can probably find her curled up on the couch, lost in the pages of a good book.
I just made these in the oven. They turned out good instead of pan frying. My family love them. Bought the pack of meat but didn’t know how to cook it. Thanks.
The milanesa recipe didn’t state the amount of vegetable oil needed. Please let me know how much oil to add in the baking dish.
Hi Blanca! You’ll need just enough to coat the baking sheet with a thin layer of oil- about 1 tablespoon or less, spread evenly with a silicone brush or pastry brush if you like. Enjoy!
Hi I was going to make these using chicken tenders. How long should I bake them?
How thin or what thickness do you have them cut the beef?
Milanesas can be made with top round or sirloin cutlets that are about 1/8-1/4 inch thick. Your butcher should be able to slice them for you if you tell them that you’re making cutlets. Otherwise, purchase the thinnest cut you can find or slice the meat thin at home, then feel free to pound it with a meat tenderizer so all of the pieces are about the same thickness. This will help them to cook uniformly, in the same amount of time.
Hello! what kind of breadcrumbs did you use?
These are plain, dry store-bought breadcrumbs, but you could use homemade too, if you wish! Panko or even Saltine crackers made into crumbs would also be delish.
Mindy, just buy a package of carne asada steaks….good and cheap in my groc.stores, you’ll get plenty of mileage out of them, For $8 today, bought a pkg.of 10 huge ones. Freeze the rest…in qt.freezer bags. Plan ahead and figure how many you need for what.
i make swiss steak, steak rollups, etc. This great recipe here is like chickenfried steak. Because cubesteak/sirloin/london broil so expensive now. ????????