Craving a taste of Italy without the fuss? Get ready to transform simple ingredients into a restaurant-worthy Chicken Francese, a dish so easy and delicious, it'll become your new weeknight staple.
Prepare for a burst of lemony goodness and perfectly golden-crisp chicken that practically melts in your mouth!
Overview
We're about to immerse into making Chicken Francese, and trust me, it's easier than trying to spell "Worcestershire" on the first try! It's a restaurant-worthy dish that you can totally nail at home—promise!
Think of it as Chicken Piccata's cooler cousin—same vibes but with its own thing going on. What are we making? Lightly battered chicken breasts bathed in a luscious white wine lemon sauce. It's got this awesome crust that soaks up all that savory goodness. I skip the capers and go for maximum sauce. This is an Italian classic that might become a routine in your home, thanks to how approachable the dish is.
Now, don't sweat the wine; we're cooking out the alcohol, leaving only magical flavour. Trust me, you're gonna love it! Total time is around 25 minutes.
Ingredients
Let's gather everything that we need—it's like prepping for a fun science experiment, but tastier! You'll need two large chicken breasts, sliced thin. For the coating, grab 1/4 cup of flour, a teaspoon each of salt and pepper, two eggs, and a tablespoon of milk.
Now, onto the sauce! You'll want three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, one thinly sliced lemon – about 1/8" thick – and three tablespoons of unsalted butter. Next, we're gonna need two tablespoons of flour, and two cups of low-sodium chicken broth—trust me, it makes a difference!
Oh, and don't forget 1/3 cup of Chardonnay or any dry white wine. I typically get the cheap stuff. Gotta have wine! Finally, a 1/2 teaspoon of salt for the sauce, and a tablespoon of chopped parsley. Creating this Chicken Francese, we still maintain that classic restaurant quality.
Instructions
Now that we have all our ingredients ready, here's how you actually make Chicken Francese! First, cut each chicken breast horizontally – think of it like butterflying them, but all the way through! Then, whisk together the eggs and milk in a small bowl; this is our dunking station.
Next up is the flour coating. Mix flour, salt, and pepper on a plate, then coat the chicken, shaking off any extra. We don't want it too thick!
- Heat oil in a large pan.
- Cook the chicken for 3 minutes on one side, then 4 minutes on the other, until golden!
- Cook lemon slices until soft!
- Make the sauce using butter, flour, stock, and wine.
Finally, thicken the sauce and add the chicken and lemon back in. Spoon the sauce over everything, sprinkle with parsley, and serve! You've nailed it. Pretty easy, right?
Notes
Update – I use the leftover egg to make a thin crepe-omelette! I cook it through thoroughly, so it's safe – even after dipping raw chicken into it. I had this in the video, but the video was too long!
Chardonnay's the best cooking wine, I think. These days, you don't need expensive wine; buy discounted bottles – I use $15 bottles discounted to around $5. You can sub with non-alcoholic white wine. Or, leave it out and add 2 – 3 tbsp lemon juice to make a great lemon sauce.
Pan-frying lemon slices makes them soak up tasty chicken flavor – fond! Don't skip it!
Lumps in sauce? Stir while you pour! Whisk across the surface – carefully! Worst case scenario – strain it.
Serve with pan-seared asparagus – oil, salt, pepper, hot pan, lightly charred. Mash, rice, or bread are excellent sauce-soakers!
Leftovers will keep for 3 days in the fridge; crust loosens, though.
Short Recipe Version
Chicken Francese Recipe:
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Pound chicken breasts to 1/4-inch thickness. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a shallow dish, combine flour and Parmesan cheese.
- In another shallow dish, beat eggs.
- Dredge each chicken breast in the flour mixture, then dip in the egg mixture.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Cook chicken for 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- Add white wine, lemon juice, and chicken broth to the skillet. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Stir in butter until melted and sauce has slightly thickened.
- Return chicken to the skillet and coat with sauce.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.
Nutrition Information (per serving, estimated):
- Calories: 400
- Protein: 40g
- Fat: 25g
- Carbohydrates: 8g