This Chicken Francese recipe is an Italian-American classic, with tender chicken cutlets in a tangy lemon and white wine sauce. It's a perfect weeknight dinner recipe that the whole family will love!
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About This Recipe
Chicken Francese is a popular Italian-American chicken recipe that literally translates to "French chicken".
Pounded chicken cutlets are dredged in a batter of flour first and then egg, creating a melt in your mouth, tender bite. Chicken francese is quite similar to chicken piccata, both with a buttery lemon sauce, however, chicken piccata includes the addition of briny capers. For another wonderful Chicken meal, try my One Pot Chicken Provencal or my Chicken Francese.
If you're not a fan of capers, chicken francese is the perfect weeknight recipe for you. The delicious tangy lemon and white wine sauce coats the chicken beautifully and turns it into an unforgettable meal!
📋 Ingredients
- Chicken: Thinly pounded chicken cutlets or chicken breasts will work best for this recipe.
- Butter: Use good quality unsalted butter for the best base of the Francese sauce.
- Flour: You can use all-purpose flour to dredge the chicken, or any flour of your choice.
- Eggs: Use whole medium eggs to dredge the chicken cutlets.
- Lemons: Use fresh lemons for the best flavor. Organic lemons are also preferred since you'll need the zest, too.
- White Wine: A good white wine will make the difference in the sauce. Use a crisp white wine such as Pinot Gris or Sauvignon Blanc.
- Chicken Stock: Look for a low sodium chicken stock to control the amount of salt in the sauce.
- Parsley: Fresh flat-leaf parsley gives a delicate freshness to the sauce that won't overpower the other subtle flavors.
- Seasonings: Onion powder, garlic powder, salt and black pepper, are used to season the flour for an extra layer of flavor.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🍋 Substitutions and Variations
- Capers: Add capers for an extra zing in the sauce, making it more similar to the chicken piccata recipe.
- Other Proteins: This Francese sauce is so delicious and will work well with other proteins too! Try it with veal cutlets, salmon, or pork cutlets.
- Wine-free: If you don't have white wine available or want a wineless version, you can simply omit it. The butter, lemon juice and chicken stock will still create a great flavorful sauce on their own.
⏲️ Instructions
Step 1. Dredge the thinly pounded chicken cutlets in the seasoned flour.
Step 2. Dip the floured chicken into the beaten eggs until fully coated.
Step 3. Melt the butter and olive oil in a skillet and fry the chicken cutlets in batches.
Step 4. Fry until they're golden brown on both sides, then set them aside.
Step 5. In the same pan, melt more butter. Add the wine and cook 30 seconds.
Step 6. Add the chicken stock to the skillet.
Step 7. Add the lemon juice and lemon zest, then let the sauce simmer for a few minutes.
Step 8. Add the chicken back with the sauce, add the lemon slices and parsley, then simmer a few minutes longer.
📍 Recipe Tips
- Buy ready-made chicken cutlets or pound halved chicken breasts thinly with a meat tenderizer for a more tender bite.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels before coating in flour, to make it adhere more easily.
- Make sure the butter and oil are hot enough before frying the chicken to ensure a perfectly crispy golden crust.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can substitute the white wine with additional chicken broth or omit all together.
Chicken Francese is best served fresh, but you can prepare the chicken cutlets and sauce separately ahead of time. Reheat them gently on the stove before serving.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave, adding a splash of chicken broth to the sauce if it has thickened too much.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this chicken francese with shaved parmesan brussels sprouts salad or pesto broccolini. And for a more comforting side dish, serve alongside creme fraiche mashed potatoes or creamy parmesan polenta.
And to compliment the chicken francaise, pair it with a crisp white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris and serve with crusty bread to dip into the delicious sauce.
More Chicken Recipes to Try
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
Chicken Francese
LittleFerraroKitchen.com
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 chicken cutlets pounded thin
- ½ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 eggs whisked
- 4 tablespoons butter separated
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- ½ cup Sauvignon Blanc
- ¾ cup chicken stock
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 1 lemon sliced thin
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
Instructions
- If you haven’t already, lay the chicken cutlets between two sheets of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet to pound the chicken into a thin and even thickness.
- To a wide bowl or plate, add the flour, Kosher salt, garlic and onion powder and black pepper and stir to combine.
- To another wide plate or bowl, add the eggs and whisk well.
- Heat a wide skillet to medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter and olive oil.
- Dredge the chicken cutlets into the seasoned flour, making sure both sides are evenly and lightly coated. Then dip the chicken into the whisked egg, allowing any excess egg to drip off.
- Once the butter has melted, add the chicken cutlets, in batches and cook until the first side is golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. The flip over and cook the other side for another 3-4 minutes until chicken is golden and completely cooked through. Set aside.
- To the same skillet, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and white wine allow wine to reduce for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the chicken stock, lemon juice and zest and simmer the sauce for another minute.
- Add the chicken cutlets back into the sauce along with the lemon slices and parsley.
- Continue cooking so the chicken warms up in the sauce and the sauce thickens slightly, for another 2-3 minutes.
- Serve the chicken francese with the lemon butter sauce and lemon slices.
Notes
- Buy ready-made chicken cutlets or pound the chicken breasts thinly with a meat tenderizer for a more tender bite.
- Pat dry the chicken with kitchen paper before coating in flour, to make it adhere more easily.
- Make sure the butter and oil are hot enough before frying the chicken to ensure a perfectly crispy golden crust.
MrnMrsindkitchen says
This might be our new favorite chicken recipe. One-pot and super tasty. Normally chicken breast is dry but not this recipe. Chicken Francese will be a weekly thing around here.