Description
Chicken Française is a classic Italian-American dish featuring tender chicken cutlets lightly coated in flour and egg, sautéed to a golden brown, and finished in a tangy lemon and white wine sauce. Ready in just 25 minutes, it's a perfect weeknight dinner that's both elegant and comforting.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or 4 thin chicken cutlets)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking Fats
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1/4 cup dry white wine, optional
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Lay each chicken breast flat on a cutting board and carefully split each in half to create four even cutlets. Alternatively, use pre-sliced thin chicken cutlets.
- Set up dredging stations: In a shallow dish, beat the egg. In another shallow dish, combine the flour, garlic powder, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Heat the pan: Melt butter and olive oil together in a large skillet over medium heat until the butter is sizzling and foaming, indicating the pan is hot enough for searing.
- Coat the chicken: Dip each chicken cutlet first into the beaten egg, then dredge thoroughly in the flour mixture, pressing to ensure an even, thick coating.
- Cook the first side: Place the coated chicken cutlets in the hot skillet without moving them to allow a golden brown crust to form, cooking for 5 minutes.
- Flip the chicken: Turn each cutlet over using tongs and cook for an additional 4 minutes on the second side until golden brown and almost cooked through.
- Make the lemon sauce: Pour chicken broth, lemon zest, lemon juice, and optional white wine into the skillet. The mixture will bubble; reduce heat to low and simmer the chicken in this sauce for 3-4 minutes, ensuring the internal temperature reaches 165°F using a meat thermometer.
- Serve: Plate the chicken cutlets and optionally serve over pasta, spooning the lemon sauce over the top.
Notes
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure chicken is fully cooked to 165°F for food safety.
- If you don’t want to use wine, you can omit it or substitute with additional chicken broth.
- Serve with pasta, rice, or steamed vegetables to complete the meal.
- Chicken cutlets should be pounded to an even thickness if not already thin to ensure even cooking.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently to preserve the sauce.
