Can I just use regular ground pepper?

Yep! Ground pepper won't be as, well, peppery as cracked peppercorns, but especially if you want a milder taste it will work just fine. Use about a quarter to half teaspoon per side of chicken, and still pound it in.

Can I use dried rosemary for this recipe?

Nope, sorry about that. It is too dry and prickly, and you want the lovely oils from the fresh stuff.

I like a nice thick sauce - what can I do to thicken it up?

I hear you! A little flour whisked in at the very end will do the trick - Wondra is the best flour for this, but you can also shake a couple tablespoons in through a fine mesh strainer (this will ensure you don't have lumps), whisk for a minute or two and it will thicken right up!

Rosemary Peppercorn Chicken

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Cracked peppercorns pounded into chicken gives this dish a nice zing, and the creamy rosemary sauce makes it elegant!

Author: Kate Morgan Jackson
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Scale

2 tablespoons black peppercorns
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 4 ounces or so each)
4 tablespoons butter
½ cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

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Instructions

First, crack the peppercorns! If you have a pepper grinder, you can put it on the coarsest setting and grind away. If you want a LOT of peppery bite, you can also put the peppercorns in a plastic bag and whack them with a meat mallet or a rolling pin until they are cracked. And if you are a spice wimp like me, you can also just use plain old fresh ground pepper.
Spread a towel on the counter and top with a sheet of plastic wrap. Lay the chicken breasts on the plastic wrap and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the cracked peppercorns on top. Place another sheet of plastic wrap on top and pound the chicken with a meat mallet until the peppercorns are embedded in the chicken. Flip the whole thing over, scatter the remaining peppercorns on top, replace the plastic wrap and pound again until the chicken is 1/2 inch thick.
Melt half the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sauté the chicken breasts until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
Add the rest of the butter to the skillet along with the cream and the rosemary and heat until bubbling and heated through, about 3-4 minutes.
Return the chicken to the skillet with any juices and turn to heat and coat with the sauce.
Ladlea puddle of sauce on each plate, top with chicken and spoon more sauce on top. Serve at once.

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Notes

Need to add something to your kitchen equipment to make this recipe? Below are some of the items we used in the Framed Cooks kitchen to help cook this up. These are affiliate links to things we use and love, which helps to pay for all that bacon I keep buying (without any extra cost to you)! Thanks for using them to keep our kitchen cooking…xoxo!