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a platter of chicken francese cutlets, topped with thin half slices of lemon.
4.97 from 31 votes

Chicken Francese

It's easy to make this Chicken Francese recipe of lightly battered chicken cutlets, pan-fried golden brown, with a flavorful lemon pan sauce
Author Diana
Servings 4 Servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 chicken breasts boneless and skinless, sliced into cutlets and pounded with a meat tenderizer
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour divided
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup chicken stock or half chicken stock and half white wine
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

  • Place the chicken pieces on a cutting board and cover them with a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Using a meat tenderizer, pound the chicken until it’s ½ cm or ¼ inch thickness. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper on both sides.
  • In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and melt 1 tablespoon of butter.
  • In a shallow bowl combine 4 tablespoons of flour with garlic powder, and season with the remaining salt and pepper. In another shallow dish, whisk the eggs.
  • Dredge the chicken in flour, then in the egg mixture
  • Immediately transfer chicken to the hot skillet. Work in 2 batches. Cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes per side, until nicely browned and fully cooked. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F/74C°. Remove the chicken onto a plate.
  • To the same skillet, melt the remaining butter, and add 1 tablespoon of flour. Whisk until combined
  • Then add the chicken stock (and wine if using). Deglaze the pan, and scrape off any bits stuck of the bottom of the pan using a whisk. Simmer the sauce and reduce until it reaches a thicker consistency, similar to heavy cream. Taste it, add in the lemon juice, and adjust seasonings to your preference.
  • Add the chicken back to the pan, remove from heat, and spoon the sauce over the chicken before serving. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and extra lemon wedges.

Notes

  • For extra lemon flavor, add lemon wedges to the pan while you simmer the sauce. You'll pull the juice and the oils from the lemon, and the sauce will have a stronger flavor.
  • To make the sauce creamier, add ¼ - ½ cup of heavy cream to the sauce at the very end.
  • Cook with or without wine. Chicken Francese is amazing when made with just stock as the base of the sauce, but adding a dry white wine will make it even better. I recommend using half stock and half wine for the best sauce.
  • To Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

Nutrition

Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 153mg | Sodium: 843mg | Potassium: 439mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 323IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg