Elevate your weeknight dinner with a simple and delicious Chicken Francese recipe. A delightful spin on chicken in a lemon butter sauce.
Why we love this recipe ❤️
Whenever the Southern husband and I go out to dinner, there are a few things that I can predict with almost 100% certainty that he will order if it’s on the menu.
These include shrimp with grits, pretty much any recipes for scallops, key lime pie…and Chicken Francese. For those of you who aren’t yet acquainted with this delightful spin on chicken, it’s a boneless sauteed chicken cutlet dish in a lovely lemon butter sauce.
It’s easy, it’s delicious, it’s for got a great flavor for lemon lovers like me, and it can definitely add some sparkle to your usual chicken supper!
Ingredients you need 🍋
Ingredient notes and substitutions 📝
- Chicken: Chicken breasts are traditional for this recipe, but if you prefer boneless chicken thighs then go for it!
- Canola Oil: You can swap in any vegetable oil for this.
- Chicken Broth: As always, we recommend the broth in the box for the freshest flavor.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.
How to make this recipe 👩🏻🍳
I like to get regular chicken breasts (not the thin cutlets), cut them in half, put them between pieces of plastic wrap and pound the heck out of them for this recipe.
I like the uneven surface that you get by doing your own pounding – so much better for holding the coating and the sauce!
Plus you get to get out all the frustrations of the day with all that pounding. Silver lining!
STEP 1: Heat some canola oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
STEP 2. Put some beaten eggs in a shallow bowl and some flour seasoned with salt and pepper in another.
STEP 3: Now dunk your chicken first in flour, then in egg, then in flour again.
STEP 4: Add the chicken to your heated skillet and cook until it is golden on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
STEP 5: Whisk some flour into the pan drippings. Stir in some chicken broth, white wine and lemon juice to the skillet and let it all simmer for about 3 minutes. Things are starting to smell AMAZING in your kitchen!
STEP 6: Add a little butter to the sauce and stir it up until it is melted. Taste and add some salt and pepper if you think it needs it.
STEP 8: Lay your chicken on the plates and drizzle the bright, lemony sauce generously over the top. Scatter some fresh chopped parsley (this part is optionial but pretty!) over the chicken and voila! Chicken Francese!
I like to serve this with my favorite recipe for baked mashed potatoes and fresh steamed green beans, and if you have any extra Francese sauce, make sure those two side dishes get a little drizzle too.
Now all I need is a good key lime pie recipe and the Southern husband may never need to eat out again. Hmm…on second thought….
What to serve with this recipe 🍽️
Other chicken recipes we love!
We want to know what you think! 🤔
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section below the recipe.
Chicken Francese
Weeknight chicken dinner just got fancy without the fuss with this simple and delicious chicken francese recipe! Lemon lovers of the world, unite!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 4 boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4-1/2 inch thickness
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 3 eggs, beaten to blend
- 4 tablespoons canola oil
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup white wine
- Juice from two large lemons (about 1/4 cup)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat
- Mix salt and pepper into the flour, and place flour and egg in separate shallow bowls. Dip chicken first in flour, then in egg, then in flour again. Fry in oil until golden on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
- Whisk flour into the pan drippings. Stir in chicken broth, wine and lemon juice and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 3-4 minutes until starting to get a little bit thick. (You can sprinkle in a little more flour if it isn’t thickening up as much as you like it.)
- Stir in butter until it is melted. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
- Carefully pour sauce from the pan into a heat-proof measuring cup. Place cooked chicken on plates, pour sauce over chicken, garnish with fresh parsley and serve!
Notes
-
- Chicken: Chicken breasts are traditional for this recipe, but if you prefer boneless chicken thighs then go for it!
-
- Canola Oil: You can swap in any vegetable oil for this.
-
- Chicken Broth: As always, we recommend the broth in the box for the freshest flavor.
linrolo says
little bit too much lemon for me but other than that….delicious!Next time I’ll use 1 lemon and I did change a bit by adding a few mushrooms and of course capers. I also used a clove of minced garlic to pan when adding butter for sauce to make a bit more flavor….it was spectacular!
Kathy says
My family loved this chicken dish and easy- thank you!
I’m so glad – thank you so much! We love it in our house too. :)
Chuck says
In the instructions it mentions an egg, but in the ingredient there is no egg listed. Kind of makes me relucted in trying this dish.
Hi Chuck! The eggs are the fifth ingredient in the recipe list – 3 eggs, beaten to blend. Hope this helps and happy cooking! :)
Lopaka Puka says
#1) FORGET adding S&P to the flour, just season the meat BEFORE dredging in the flour, you can add some extra S&P to the flour IF you chose to. #2) I use an empty spice container and SPRINKLE the flour on instead of dredging. #3) IF you do dredge you can use that flour to add to the oil in the 2nd step and then COOK the flour for AT LEAST 30 seconds to create a roux as your thickener, cook a bit longer for MORE FLAVOR, if you wish. stay on brah
Thanks for these handy tips, Lopaka! Happy cooking!
Nutmeg Nanny says
I am drooling over here, this dish looks so delicious :) I know my husband and I will finish this off and quick
Mindy says
This sounds nearly identical to a chicken piccata recipe I make, that we LOVE at our house. It has capers in it, but other than that, they’re pretty darned close. Your picture looks scrumptious!
Amanda Powers says
This is going in my weekly rotation! Looks wonderful and quick!
Candice says
I think this is one of the dishes that I first learned to make and then forgot how to make lol
It is simple and delicious .
Winnie says
Drool! I can’t wait to try this!!
Joanne says
That lemony sauce is the best! Seriously. Especially when it’s all buttery and delicious.