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–+ servings
Lightly pan-fried Chicken Francese in a large skillet with lemon sauce, topped with a sautéed lemon coin.

Chicken Francese

40aprons.com/chicken-francese/
A classic, elegant dish, easy enough for weeknights, delicious enough for events!
Prep 20 minutes
Cook 20 minutes
Total 40 minutes
Recipe Makes (Approximate): 4 servings

Equipment

  • Cutting board
  • food-safe plastic wrap
  • meat mallet or rolling pin
  • Shallow bowl
  • 2 whisks
  • medium mixing bowl
  • Large skillet
  • Tongs
  • Large wooden spoon
  • Small bowl
  • Fork

Ingredients

For the Pan-Fried Chicken

  • 4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets (approximately 3-4 ounces each, same size and thickness)
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • salt (to taste)
  • freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • oil of choice (for frying; avocado oil, peanut oil, canola oil)

For the Lemon Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons salted butter (at room temperature)
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon salted butter (at room temperature)
  • lemon coins (¼-inch thick, from half of 1 medium lemon)
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from half of 1 medium lemon)

Serving Suggestions (All Optional)

  • chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  • Place 4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets on cutting board. Cover chicken cutlets with sheet of plastic wrap, then pound each cutlet with meat mallet or rolling pin until cutlets are approximately ¼-inch-thick at all points.
  • Add ¼ cup all-purpose flour, salt, and freshly cracked black pepper to shallow bowl. Whisk to incorporate. Set aside.
  • Crack 2 large eggs directly into medium mixing bowl and add 2 tablespoons water. Whisk ingredients together well until fully incorporated into smooth egg wash. Set aside.
  • Place large skillet on stovetop over medium-high heat. When skillet is warm, add oil of choice (approximately 2 to 4 tablespoons, as needed). Continue heating skillet until oil is hot and shimmery.
  • Uncover chicken cutlets and discard plastic wrap. One by one, dredge chicken cutlets through flour mixture. Gently press cutlet into flour to coat completely, then shake any excess flour back into bowl. Repeat on other side.
  • Dip each floured cutlet into egg wash, coating both sides of cutlet completely. Let any excess drip back into bowl, then place cutlets in skillet.
  • Pan-fry cutlets 2 minutes or until golden underneath, then flip cutlets over and fry 2 minutes on other side.
  • When cutlets are golden on both sides, carefully remove cutlets from skillet and transfer to large plate. Set aside. Reduce heat under skillet to medium.
  • Add 2 tablespoons salted butter and 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour to small mixing bowl. Use fork to mash ingredients together until butter and flour combine into paste. Set aside.
  • Add 1 tablespoon salted butter to skillet and let melt, then add lemon coins. Sauté lemon coins 1 to 2 minutes, then flip coins over and sauté 1 to 2 minutes more.
  • Pour in ½ cup dry white wine and stir to incorporate, making sure to scrape up any browned bits of food that may have stuck to bottom of skillet.
  • After 30 seconds, or once smell of alcohol has lessened, add ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice. Stir to incorporate, then bring mixture to simmer.
  • Add butter-flour paste to skillet and stir to incorporate. Simmer 1 minute or until paste is fully incorporated, stirring constantly.
  • Retun chicken cutlets to pan. Turn cutlets over 3 to 4 times to coat all sides in sauce, then simmer cutlets in sauce 1 minute.
  • After 1 minute, transfer cutlets to serving plates. Spoon additional sauce over tops of cutlets, garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired, and serve warm.

Recipe Notes

  • White Wine: If you don't want to cook with alcohol, replace the white wine with an equal amount of chicken broth.

Nutrition Information (Approximate)

Serving Size: 1servingCalories: 312calProtein: 29gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 188mgSodium: 246mgPotassium: 517mgTotal Carbs: 9gFiber: 0.3gSugar: 1gNet Carbs: 9gVitamin A: 432IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 28mgIron: 1mg
Recipe By: Cheryl Malik
https://40aprons.com/chicken-francese/