Dish guides
What is cotoletta alla milanese?
Cotoletta alla milanese is a thick veal rib chop, left on the bone, dipped in egg and breadcrumbs and fried in clarified butter until golden. It's Milan's signature main course (secondo), usually served with a wedge of lemon.
- At a glance
- Cotoletta alla milanese
- Milan's bone-in veal chop, breaded and fried in butter.
- Pronunciation
- Say it like koh-toh-LET-tah AHL-lah mee-lah-NEH-zeh · IPA /kotoˈletta alla milaˈneːze/
- Also written as
- cotoletta, costoletta alla milanese, milanese, orecchia d'elefante, cotoletta di vitello
What’s in it
Core ingredients
- veal rib chop on the bone
- eggs
- breadcrumbs
- clarified butter
- salt
Often added
- lemon wedge
- rocket and cherry tomatoes on top
- chips or roast potatoes
- a boneless, pounded-thin chop (orecchia d'elefante)
- chicken or pork instead of veal
Allergens
| Allergen | How likely |
|---|---|
| Gluten | Typically contains |
| Eggs | Typically contains |
| Dairy | Often contains |
| Peanuts | Rarely contains |
| Tree nuts | Rarely contains |
| Shellfish | Rarely contains |
| Fish | Rarely contains |
| Soy | Rarely contains |
| Sesame | Rarely contains |
| Diet | Suitable? |
|---|---|
| Vegetarian | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Pescatarian | No |
| Halal | Depends — Only if the veal or chicken is halal, which ordinary Italian restaurants rarely use. |
| Kosher | No |
| Gluten-free | No |
Allergen and calorie details are AI estimates based on the menu and typical recipes. They can be incomplete — if you have a serious allergy, always check with the staff.
What makes it Milanese
The traditional cotoletta is cut from the veal rib, with the bone left in and the meat cut fairly thick. It's dipped in beaten egg, pressed into breadcrumbs and fried slowly in clarified butter, so the crust turns deep golden while the meat stays pink and juicy. It's also called costoletta, the Italian word for a rib chop, which is why both spellings appear on menus.
A popular modern style pounds the meat thin and wide, often without the bone. Because of its shape it's called orecchia d'elefante, elephant's ear. Restaurants often top it with rocket and diced tomato.
Cotoletta vs. Wiener Schnitzel
The two dishes are close cousins, and Milan and Vienna have long argued about who came first. A popular story says Field Marshal Radetzky brought the recipe from Milan to Vienna in the 19th century, but historians consider it an invented tale. The differences on the plate are clear: the Wiener Schnitzel is a boneless escalope pounded thin, with a crust that puffs away from the meat, while the classic cotoletta keeps its bone and is thicker.
Typical price
Median price 14 EUR
Typical range 10–20 EUR.
Median of 36 menus, 2025-04 – 2026-05. Basis: Italian-language menus scanned with MenuGuide.
How to order it
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Vorrei la cotoletta alla milanese, per favore. | I'd like the cotoletta alla milanese, please. |
| È di vitello o di pollo? | Is it veal or chicken? |
| È fritta nel burro? Non posso mangiare latticini. | Is it fried in butter? I can't eat dairy. |
Not to be confused with
- Wiener Schnitzel — Vienna's version: a thin, boneless veal escalope fried until the crust puffs up.
- Milanesa — Spanish and Latin American thin breaded cutlet of beef or chicken; a la napolitana adds ham, cheese and tomato.
- Cotoletta alla bolognese — A breaded veal cutlet topped with prosciutto and melted parmigiano.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between cotoletta alla milanese and Wiener Schnitzel?
Both are breaded veal, but the classic Milanese cotoletta is a thick rib chop with the bone in, fried in clarified butter. Wiener Schnitzel is a boneless escalope pounded thin and fried until the crust puffs away from the meat. In practice, many Italian restaurants now serve a thin, boneless cotoletta that looks much like a schnitzel.
Is cotoletta veal or chicken?
Cotoletta alla milanese is traditionally veal. A menu that just says cotoletta, or cotoletta di pollo, may well mean chicken or pork, which is common in everyday restaurants, canteens and on children's menus. If the meat matters to you, ask "È di vitello o di pollo?" (Is it veal or chicken?).
Is cotoletta alla milanese gluten free?
No. The breadcrumb coating is made from wheat bread, so the dish typically contains gluten, and it also contains egg. Some restaurants in Italy can prepare a gluten-free breaded cutlet using gluten-free breadcrumbs, but it isn't common and it would need a separate pan and oil. Grilled veal is a simpler choice.
How do you pronounce cotoletta alla milanese?
Say koh-toh-LET-tah AHL-lah mee-lah-NEH-zeh. Cotoletta is stressed on the third syllable, with a slightly doubled t. The s in milanese sounds like a z. In IPA it's [kotoˈletta alla milaˈneːze]. Locals often just say "la milanese" or "la cotoletta".
