Get ready to fall in love with one of the most delicious and elegant chicken dishes you’ll ever make at home: Chicken Francese. If you’re a fan of bright, lemony flavors and incredibly tender chicken, this is your new go to recipe. What makes Francese special? The chicken is first dipped in flour, then soaked in a rich egg wash before being pan fried to golden perfection and smothered in a luxurious lemon-white wine sauce. It’s like Chicken Piccata’s richer, more decadent cousin, and it’s an absolute showstopper that’s surprisingly simple to master.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Unbelievably Tender: The unique flour egg dredging method creates a delicate, almost soufflé like coating that keeps the chicken incredibly juicy.
- The Sauce is Everything: A bright, buttery sauce with white wine and fresh lemon will have you wanting to drink it with a spoon.
- Elegant & Impressive: This dish looks and tastes like it came from a fine Italian restaurant, making it perfect for date nights or entertaining.
- One Pan Wonder: Everything comes together in a single skillet, meaning maximum flavor and minimal cleanup.
Ingredients for Chicken Francese
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup all purpose flour, for dredging
- 4 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons water
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ lemon, cut into thin rounds (including the rind)
- ½ cup dry white wine (like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- Juice of ½ a lemon
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions for Making Chicken Francese
1Prep the Chicken: Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and cover them with plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, rolling pin, or heavy skillet, gently pound them until they are an even ¼ inch thickness. This is crucial for quick, even cooking. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.
2Set Up Your Dredging Station: You’ll need three stations for this. On a large plate, season the flour with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk the eggs with the 3 tablespoons of water to create an egg wash. Keep a clean plate handy for the coated chicken.
3Dredge and Cook the Chicken:Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
Working with one cutlet at a time: dredge it in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess. Then, dip it completely into the egg wash, letting the excess drip off.
Once the oil is shimmering and hot, carefully add the chicken (you may need to work in batches to avoid overcrowding). Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until the coating is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean platter.
4Create the Spectacular Sauce: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the thin lemon rounds to the same skillet and cook for about 1-2 minutes until they become fragrant and slightly caramelized.
Pour in the white wine, chicken broth, and fresh lemon juice. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the delicious browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes to reduce slightly.
5Thicken and Finish the Dish: To thicken the sauce, toss the 2 tablespoons of butter in a little bit of flour until lightly coated. Whisk this floured butter into the simmering sauce; it will create a velvety, slightly thickened consistency.
Reduce the heat to low and return all the chicken cutlets to the skillet, along with any accumulated juices. Place the cooked lemon slices on top of the chicken. Let everything simmer together for 2-3 minutes so the chicken heats through and soaks up the sauce.
6Serve and Garnish: Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with more salt or pepper if needed. Serve the chicken immediately, spooning plenty of sauce over the top and garnishing with the fresh chopped parsley.
Chicken Francese
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ lbs)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup all purpose flour for dredging
- 4 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons water
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ lemon cut into thin rounds
- ½ cup dry white wine e.g., Pinot Grigio
- 1 cup chicken broth
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Place chicken between plastic wrap and pound to ¼ inch thickness. Season with salt and pepper.
- Set up dredging station: one plate with seasoned flour, one bowl with eggs and water (whisked).
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Dredge chicken in flour, then dip in egg wash.
- Cook chicken for 2-3 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Remove to a plate.
- Add lemon slices to skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add wine, broth, and lemon juice. Simmer for 5 minutes, scraping up brown bits.
- Coat butter in flour and whisk into sauce to thicken.
- Return chicken to skillet. Simmer for 2-3 minutes to heat through.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
Notes
- Pound Evenly: Ensuring the chicken is a uniform ¼ inch thickness is the key to perfectly cooked cutlets.
- Don't Skip the Scraping: Those browned bits in the pan are packed with flavor and form the foundation of your sauce.
- Wine Substitute: If you prefer not to cook with wine, you can use an additional ½ cup of chicken broth with an extra tablespoon of lemon juice.
