Sweet and tart citrus salsa is delicious piled on top of crispy baked chicken cutlets. Serve it with couscous for a light and fresh winter meal.

It’s been a while since I’ve contributed a recipe to the Progressive Eats virtual dinner party, but when I saw that a main course was still needed for this month’s winter citrus themed menu, it took me about 5 seconds to sign up. The timing was perfect – I had already been planning to share this recipe for baked chicken milanese with citrus salsa this month. Be sure to stick around until the very end of this post to see the entire citrus themed menu!

This citrus salsa is a great way to perk things up during the dreary winter months. It’s sweet and tart with just a hint of heat. Plus it’s downright gorgeous!

This time, I piled the salsa on top of crispy baked chicken milanese with some arugula (the juices from the salsa make a great dressing!). It’s also great with fish, as part of a winter grain bowl, on top of a giant green salad, or with tortilla chips.

How to make Citrus Salsa

The key to this citrus salsa is to use a variety of citrus fruits, each with a different color and flavor. For the salsa shown here, I used tart white grapefruit, sweet blood oranges, and juicy naval oranges. If you can’t find blood oranges, you can use Ruby Red grapefruit or cara cara oranges, which both have a similar red hue.

Cut the fruit into segments, then cut each segment in half for bite-sized pieces. Next, mix in finely minced jalapeno pepper for some heat and some thinly shaved red onion for a little bite. No salsa is complete without cilantro, so go ahead and add plenty of that too. Last, you’ll add a drizzle of olive oil, some lime juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Chill the salsa until it’s ready to serve – it will keep in the refrigerator for a few days.

If you want, you can add some diced avocado right before you serve the salsa.

Baked Chicken Milanese with Citrus Salsa

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 naval orange
• 1 white grapefruit
• 1 blood orange
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper,
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 pound thin sliced chicken cutlets (6 cutlets)
• 3 cups arugula

Instructions

1. To prepare the salsa: Cut the citrus into segments, then cut each segment in half cross-wise. Remove any seeds.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the citrus segments, jalapeno, cilantro, and red onion. Mix with olive oil and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. Chill until ready to serve.
5. Heat the oven to 450ºF. Line a baking sheet with a silicon mat and spray it with cooking spray. Leave the baking sheet in the oven while it preheats.
7. Combine the panko and parmesan in a shallow dish. Add the flour to a second dish and season with salt and pepper. Add the egg and water to a third dish.
9. Working with one piece at a time, dredge the chicken in the flour, then in the egg, then in the breadcrumb mixture. Place the chicken in a single layer on the baking sheet. Spritz the top of the chicken with cooking spray.
11. Bake for 10 minutes, then flip and bake another 5 minutes or until cooked through.
13. Toss the arugula with the liquid that has accumulated in the bottom of the bowl of salsa. Top each chicken cutlet with arugula and salsa.

Notes

For a gluten free variation, skip the panko and use my Quinoa Crusted Chicken recipe instead.

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, a progressive dinner involves going from house to house, enjoying a different course at each location. With Progressive Eats, a theme is chosen each month, members share recipes suitable for a delicious meal or party, and you can hop from blog to blog to check them out.

This month’s citrus themed party was hosted by Coleen from The Redhead Baker. Check out the full menu below and take advantage of citrus season!

Progressive Eats Citrus Menu

Drinks

• Bubbly Blood Orange Campari Cocktail from Mother Would Know

Appetizers

• Muhammara with Blood Orange from Pastry Chef Online

Bread

• Orange and Anise Scented Challah from OMG! Yummy

Main Course

• Chicken Milanese with Citrus Salsa from Healthy Delicious

Veggies/Side Dishes

• Citrus Salad with Honey-Tarragon Vinaigrette from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen
• Lemon Rice – South Indian Rice With Lemon from SpiceRoots

Desserts

• Blood Orange Upside Down Cake from Creative Culinary
• Chocolate Hazelnut Orange Cake from Food Hunters Guide
• Meyer Lemon Mousse from The Redhead Baker
• Raspberry Topped Lemon Souffles from That Skinny Chick Can Bake

We have a core group of 12 bloggers, but we will always need substitutes and if there is enough interest would consider additional groups. To see our upcoming themes and how you can participate, please check out the schedule at Creative Culinary or contact Barb for more information.