This must-try Chicken Francese is a showstopping Italian-American dish featuring tender, pan-fried chicken cutlets in a bright lemon-butter sauce. Quick and beyond delicious!
What is Chicken Francese?
Chicken Francese (also called Chicken Française) is an Italian-American dish consisting of thinly sliced chicken cutlets that are lightly dredged in flour, dipped in an egg wash, pan-fried until golden, and then finished in a bright, buttery lemon-white wine sauce. Chicken Francese is similar to Chicken Piccata, but without capers, has a simple coating, and the sauce tends to be a little sharper and lighter.
Features:
- Cutlets: Chicken breasts are sliced thin or pounded flat for fast, even cooking.
- Coating: Unlike many breaded dishes, the order is flour first, egg second — this gives the chicken a delicate, tender coating rather than a crunchy crust.
- Sauce: A pan sauce made from butter, lemon juice, white wine, and/or chicken broth.
- Finish: The cutlets simmer briefly in the sauce, allowing them to absorb flavor without losing crispness.
- Serving: Often served over pasta, mashed potatoes, or rice, and garnished with charred lemon slices and chopped parsley.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breast cutlets, or 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts sliced in half horizontally
- Flour (or Cup 4 Cup for GF version)
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- 2 large eggs
- Grated parmesan (small, powder-like consistency)
- Olive oil
- Unsalted butter
- 2 small lemons
- Dry white wine (sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio, sub with chicken stock)
- Vegetable broth (made with Better than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable Base)
- Fresh parsley
Prep Work
- Prepare the Lemons: Slice one lemon into 4 even slices. Discard the ends. Juice the second lemon to render 2 tablespoons of liquid. Set aside.
- Prepare the Chicken Breasts: Skip this step if using cutlets. Slice both chicken breasts in half lengthwise to create 4 equal-sized breast pieces. You may need to flatten with a kitchen mallet. Set aside.
- Flour Mixture: In a large, wide-lipped bowl or dinner plate, combine the flour with salt, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Set aside.
- Egg Mixture: Next, whisk eggs with the grated (powdered) parmesan in a separate wide-lipped bowl or on a dinner plate.
How to Make Chicken Francese
- Preheat: Place a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, allowing them to heat until the butter is melted and the mixture is shimmering.
- Dredge Chicken Breasts: Dip the chicken cutlets in the egg mixture, then in the flour, making sure to coat both sides.
- Cook Them: Fry the chicken cutlets until they reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F and are golden brown. Remove and place them on a wire rack. Use more olive oil and butter as needed.
- Char the Lemon Slices: Next, add the 4 lemon slices to the pan and brown them on both sides. Remove them and set aside.
- Deglaze the Skillet with white wine, scraping up all the delicious bits from the bottom.
- Make the Sauce: Combine the vegetable base with 1 1/3 cups of warm water. Slowly whisk it into the skillet, along with the lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of butter, and 2 teaspoons of flour. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and whisk the sauce until the butter is fully melted. Season with salt to taste.
- Finishing Touches: Add the chicken back in the pan and top each one with a charred lemon slice. Spoon the sauce over the top and simmer for an additional 2 minutes.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove from the heat and garnish the chicken francese with chopped parsley and serve over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.
- Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 4 weeks. Please note that the texture will soften once reheated.
Serving and Leftovers
- Garnish and Serve: Remove from the heat and garnish the chicken francese with chopped parsley. Serve it over rice, mashed potatoes, pasta, or with bread and steamed vegetables.
- Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 4 weeks. Please note that the texture will soften once reheated.
More Recipes to Enjoy!
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken
- Rotisserie Chicken Alfredo
- Chicken in Mushroom Sauce
- Apple-Honey Mustard Chicken
- Cajun Shrimp in Creamy Garlic Sauce
Chicken Francese
This must-try Chicken Francese is a showstopping Italian-American dish featuring tender, pan-fried chicken breasts in a brightly favored lemon-butter sauce. This recipe is quick and incredibly delicious!
Equipment
- 1 large skillet
Ingredients
- 4 chicken cutlets or 2 skinless breasts sliced into half horizontally
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour plus 1 tablespoon more for sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more for sauce
- 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan (small, powder-like consistency)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 1/2 T for frying, 3 T for the sauce
- 2 small lemons
- 1/4 cup dry white wine (sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, or sub with chicken stock)
- 1 cup vegetable broth (made with Better Than Bouillon roasted vegetable base and 1 cup of water)
- 1 handful fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Slice one lemon into 4 even slices. Discard the ends. Juice the second lemon to render 2 tablespoons of liquid. Set aside.
- Skip this step if using cutlets. Slice both chicken breasts in half lengthwise to create 4 equal-sized breast pieces (length, width, and thickness). You may need to flatten with a kitchen mallet. Set aside.
- In a large, wide-lipped bowl or dinner plate, combine the flour with salt, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Set aside.
- In a separate dish, whisk eggs with the grated parmesan.
- Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat..
- Dip the chicken cutlets in the egg mixture, then in the flour, making sure to coat both sides.
- Fry the chicken cutlets until they reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F and are golden brown. Remove and place them and set aside on a clean plate.
- Next, add the 4 lemon slices to the pan and brown them on both sides. Remove and set aside.
- Deglaze the skillet with white wine, scraping up all the delicious bits from the bottom.
- Combine the vegetable base with 1 cup of warm water. Slowly whisk it into the skillet, along with the lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of butter, and 2 teaspoons of flour. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and whisk the sauce until the butter is fully melted. Season with salt to taste.
- Add the chicken back in the pan and top each one with a charred lemon slice. Spoon the sauce over the top and simmer for an additional 2 minutes.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 4 weeks. Please note that the texture will soften once reheated.
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