Chicken Francese
This easy Chicken Francese recipe features lightly battered and pan-fried chicken breast with a buttery white wine lemon sauce. It’s fancy enough for special occasions but easy enough to put together on a busy weeknight.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts about 1 ½ pounds
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder or granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For the Francese Sauce
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced or pressed
- ½ cup dry white wine like Pinot Grigio
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons butter cut into chunks
- ¼ cup parsley
Instructions
- Cut each breast in half horizontally to form 8 thin cutlets in total, each should be about ¼ inch to a ½ inch thick.
- Add the flour, paprika, and garlic powder to a shallow dish. Mix with a fork to distribute the ingredients evenly. Roll each piece of butter in the flour mixture until fully coated and then reserve for later.
- In a second dish, beat the eggs with a tablespoon of lemon juice and a teaspoon of lemon zest, plus the grated parmesan cheese.
- Heat the oil over medium-high flame in a large skillet.
- Dredge both sides of each cutlet in the seasoned flour and then dip them in the egg mixture, making sure they are completely coated. Let the excess egg drip off and add the cutlet to the skillet.
- Let cutlets fry for about 3 minutes per side. They should be golden with an internal temperature of about 155 F.
- In a clean pan, saute the garlic for about a minute, just enough for it to become fragrant but not brown.
- Add the wine and let it cook off for a minute or two. Then add the lemon juice, zest, and broth. Simmer for five minutes so it starts to reduce.
- Add the floured butter and stir until it dissolves and thickens the sauce.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the cutlets back to the pan. Let simmer for three to five minutes, making sure the cutlets are coated and can absorb the sauce. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve.
Notes
- When you’ve finished frying, place the cutlets on a sheet pan and place in the oven set to 175 F to 200 F to keep them warm while you make the sauce.
- Since I typically make large amounts of chicken francese (the family loves it!) I wipe out the pan after frying and use fresh olive oil for the sauce. If you’re only making a couple of pieces the frying oil will likely be clean enough to use as is.
- This chicken francese recipe is very lemony, if you find it too much feel free to use less lemon juice or omit the zest.
Find it online: https://hangrydad.com/chicken-francese/